Dr. Morris
In a career spanning more than 30 years, Christopher Morris, MD, a rheumatologist with Arthritis Associates of Kingsport, Tennessee, has dedicated himself to advancing the field of rheumatology and advocating for patients through a series of leadership roles.
Multidisciplinary Organizations
Notably, Dr. Morris served as president of the Southern Medical Association (SMA) from 2019–20. Based in Birmingham, Ala., and founded in 1906, the multidisciplinary group fosters the art and science of medicine through education.
A trivia buff and former Jeopardy! contestant (1988), Dr. Morris now creates questions for and hosts the Smart Bowl, a trivia competition sponsored by the SMA.
“It’s medical trivia for residents and medical students, and they participate in teams of four,” says Dr. Morris. “The winning team receives funds for a group party.”
The Smart Bowl, held at SMA’s annual meeting, draws contestants from across the Southeast. Leveraging his trivia background, Dr. Morris has crafted more than 300 questions for the competition.
Although he has long been active in rheumatology organizations, Dr. Morris says being a part of a multidisciplinary group, such as the SMA, offers a unique and broader perspective.
“This year, the SMA president is a surgeon,” notes Dr. Morris. “Last year, it was an internist, the year before that, an ENT. I was the first rheumatologist to serve as president.”
Dr. Morris’ history with the SMA predates his presidency by many years. He remembers attending SMA meetings with his grandfather, a thoracic surgeon and longtime member of the organization. “He was very proud of his involvement with SMA and told me it offered excellent clinical meetings,” Dr. Morris says. “I’ve found that being a member of SMA helps me stay up to date on developments that impact rheumatology.”
For example, Dr. Morris cites the influx of new medications for weight loss and diabetes. “We were learning about these new GLP (glucagon-like peptide-1) treatments three years ago, not just for weight loss, but also for their potential to help patients with psoriatic arthritis and other rheumatic diseases meet their treatment goals,” he says.
Dr. Morris encourages other rheumatologists to join multidisciplinary medical organizations, emphasizing the value of sharing knowledge with physicians outside their specialty. He notes that SMA members often reach out to him with rheumatology questions or invitations to give talks.
“I’ve given talks to internal medicine physicians and others to expand their rheumatologic knowledge,” he says. “Many primary care physicians receive little to no education in rheumatologic diseases. Being part of an organization like SMA allows me to ensure topics like rheumatoid arthritis, gout and other rheumatologic concerns are included in discussions.”
Mentorship & Advocacy
Dr. Morris finds it especially gratifying to inspire medical students to consider careers in rheumatology. “Last year, a resident who had been active in the Smart Bowl told me she had applied for a rheumatology fellowship,” he says. “She had a big grin on her face, and if I helped sway her decision to pursue rheumatology, that makes me ecstatic.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Morris has also been actively involved with the ACR, serving on both the Insurance Subcommittee and Membership and Awards Committee. He is currently a member of the ACR Workforce Solutions Committee and was recently named to the Sullivan County Medical Society Board of Directors.
“Through my committee work with ACR, I’ve had the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill 20 times,” he says. “No one advocates for our patients and profession better than we do. If we don’t speak up, people won’t realize these issues exist.”
Dr. Morris is dedicated to advocating for policies that address the rheumatologist shortage and the uneven distribution of rheumatic care in the U.S. “For example, the city of Philadelphia has twice the number of rheumatology fellowships as the entire state of Tennessee, even though Tennessee has four times the population,” he says.
In the Southeast, with only one rheumatologist for every 80,000 people, the disparity is even more evident. To help bridge this gap, Dr. Morris actively mentors medical students and encourages them to consider rheumatology careers in Tennessee.
“I teach medical residents from two different programs in our area, and I regularly have an internal medicine resident shadowing me to learn about rheumatology,” he says. “So far, six of my former internal medicine trainees have gone on to become rheumatologists.”
Dr. Morris understands firsthand the value of mentorship. Inspired by his father, Alton J. Morris, MD, he joined his father’s rheumatology practice.
“My dad was one of the early members of the American Rheumatism Association (ARA), the predecessor to the ACR, and I had the privilege of working alongside him for 15 years,” he says. “He taught me so much, and I see the same value in passing on my knowledge to the next generation. According to the Hippocratic oath, we’re meant to teach future doctors, and I take that to heart.”
Linda Childers is a health writer located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
