Our Staff at the Optimal Health Institute

Thomas A. Cable, M.D.   

Director, Optimal Health Institute

Dr. Cable is a board-certified family physician with a twenty-one year career in academic medicine prior to his establishment of Optimal Health Institute with Dr. Kilpatrick. He has held tenured academic appointments at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and most recently as a Professor of Family Medicine at East Tennessee State University College of Medicine. He is currently a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine with the University of Tennessee School of Medicine - Chattanooga Unit. During his academic career, he supervised the training of over 120 family medicine residents, most of whom are now in private practice. Throughout his career, he has emphasized the value of preventive medicine in both his teaching and practice. He has published numerous articles in the medical literature, including research in long-term behavioral change in Norway. He is a member of numerous professional associations including the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

Sandra Kilpatrick, Ph.D.

Director, Optimal Health Institute

Dr. Kilpatrick is a licensed clinical psychologist who began her career in the United States Air Force at Wilford Hall Medical Center. While at Wilford Hall, Dr. Kilpatrick served as the Director of Inpatient Psychology Services and as Director of Clinical Services at the Psychology Life Skills Center. She taught both psychiatry residents and clinical psychology residents in an APA-approved program. She joined Dr. Cable at the East Tennessee State University Family Practice Residency Program in Chattanooga in 1996, as the psychologist on the faculty. She is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine – Chattanooga Unit. She has published and presented her research in the area of health and behavioral change, and she is also a successful grant writer. Dr. Kilpatrick is a member of The American Psychological Association, The Society of Behavioral Medicine, and The Association for the Advancement of Behavioral Therapy.

Jeff Alger  

L.P.N. and Massage Therapist. 

Jeff Alger is a licensed practical nurse and licensed massage therapist. He is presently seeking national certification in massage therapy. He has served three years in the U.S. Navy in communications. Jeff has worked for over ten years with hospice in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. He is a member of the American Massage Council and American Specialty Health. He has been honored with awards in compassionate care and repeatedly as employee of the quarter. Jeff has also served on performance and quality improvement committees in several organizations.