Medical Doctors
 Dr. James Cates, M.D. | The oldest of four sons born to Jimmy and JoAnn Cates in Cookeville, Tennessee, James W. Cates, M.D., attended high school for four years at Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, Tennessee. Excelling both academically and athletically, Dr. Cates was chosen his senior year by the faculty as Battalion Commander for the entire corp, graduated with honors, and was a varsity letterman in both football and track. |
Mid-Level Providers
 Bill Dycus FNP | Bill was born and raised right down the road in Gainesboro, TN. He attended Roane State Community College in 1993, earning an Associates' Degree in nursing that helped start his career as a Registered Nurse. Following graduation he worked as a Charge Nurse at Livingston Regional Hospital and the ICU and Emergency Department. Then he stepped into Home Health Management roles while obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at TN Tech University in 2001. He worked in a variety of nursing and management roles in the Upper Cumberland and Middle TN area, as the Surgery Center Administrator and Director of Inpatient Rehab at Cumberland Medical Center. He returned to bedside nursing as Med-Surg RN at Riverview Regional Hospital in Carthage while returning to TN Tech University to obtain his Nurse Practitioner degree. He received his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in December 2024, advancing is career as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) to serve patients in Middle TN in Urgent Care and Primary Care. Bill is married with 5 children. When not treating patients he invests his time in his family and his local church. He specifically wants to express thanks to God for giving him the ability to achieve his goals of becoming an FNP and serving his community. He also enjoys most outdoor activities including hunting, hiking, and being at the lake. |
 April Looper PA-C | April is from Livingston, TN. She attended the University of the South in Sewanee, TN and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry before beginning the Physician Assistant program at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN. April is a member of the Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA) and the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). She has a special interest in Veterans and hopes to one day help improve the healthcare they receive. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, and reading. |
 Larissa Rich PA-C | Larissa worked as a scribe at Satellite Med while attending Tennessee Tech University. She completed part of her South College clinical rotation at Satellite Med. We are excited to welcome her back as a provider! Larissa is from Hermitage Springs, TN but has lived in Cookeville since 2012. She attended Tennessee Tech University for three and a half years to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology Health Sciences. She then went to and graduated from South College's Physician Assistant program in Knoxville, TN. She enjoys hiking, traveling, and going back home to spend time with family. |
 Whitney Gravell PA-C | Whitney Gravelle is from the small town of Henderson, TN. She earned her Bachelor's in Biology from Freed- Hardeman University, then she moved to Nashville with her husband, Josh, to pursue her degree as a Physician Assistant. She graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2015 and has worked as a Certified PA at Satellite Med since! She and Josh have 2 precious children and own a family farm in Rickman. Whitney enjoys photography, her Goldendoodles, medical mission work, gardening, and being outdoors. Her family also really enjoys being involved with their church. |
 Alyssa Ragland FPN | Alyssa is one of the newest additions to the Satellite Med Care Team. She is accepting visits for new urgent care patients. To schedule an appointment to be seen by Alyssa, call or text our Main Office line, 931.528.7312, and speak with a front office team member. Alyssa is from Gainesboro, TN. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Tennessee Technological University in 2016. She has four years of professional experience as a registered nurse, primarily working in med-surg and oncology. In 2019, she obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from Tennessee Technological University. In addition to providing care for patients at Satellite Med, Alyssa also works as an instructor at Tennessee Technological University's Whitson-Hester School of Nursing. She enjoys working outdoors with her husband Lincoln on their farm, gardening, and spending time with family. |
 Heather Cathey FNP-BC | Heather was born in Murfreesboro, TN, where she attended Middle Tennessee State University for her undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees. She began practicing at Satellite Med after moving to Cookeville in 2011, working on both the urgent care and family practice sides of the clinic. In 2016, she was given the opportunity to become a full-time faculty member with the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing at Tennessee Tech University. She is passionate about educating future nurses and nurse practitioners, and thoroughly enjoys working with her students. Her background includes working in pediatrics, family practice, urgent care, in-patient psychiatric care, and substance abuse rehabilitation. Currently, she is working on her Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a focus on pediatrics. She lives in Cookeville with her husband and two sons, Rawley and Riggs. She enjoys spending her summers on Center Hill Lake with her family and hiking trails on their land in the fall and spring. |