Dr. Billy S. Arant, Jr. named Fellow of the American Society of Hypertension during annual convention

Chattanooga, TN – During the American Society of Hypertension’s annual meeting in New York City, local hypertension specialist, Dr. Billy S. Arant, Jr. was named as a Fellow of the American Society of Hypertension, an honor awarded to only 102 physicians nationwide. Dr. Arant was awarded this status based on excellence in his professional scientific and clinical achievements, scholarship and significant contributions to the field of hypertension and cardiovascular health.

Dr. Arant, a board-certified hypertension and lipid specialist, established the Hypertension Management Center at Erlanger in 2001 to promote vascular health by providing consultation to physicians by referral and a second-opinion resource for individuals whose blood pressures or lipids (cholesterol) were not well-controlled. The Hypertension Management Center, now offered at two locations in the Chattanooga area, remains unique in the region as the only practice with the sole purpose of preventing and treating vascular disease by two certified hypertension and lipid specialists.

In 1999, Dr. Arant was among the first 500 physicians in the nation to become certified by the American Society of Hypertension as a Specialist in Clinical Hypertension, and in 2005, one of the first 150 physicians certified by the American Board of Lipidology.

During his academic career, Dr. Arant studied how blood pressure is regulated and has contributed more than 200 publications to the medical literature, has presented his research in the United States and abroad, has served in an official capacity for national and international organizations, and has testified before the U.S. Congress on 11 occasions about research needs in nephrology and hypertension. In addition, Dr. Arant has been listed in every issue of  Best Doctors in the United States since it was first published in 1992 – an honor awarded by peers to only 4 percent of physicians. In 2009, he was also recognized as one of America’s Leading Experts in Kidney Diseases. For his achievements, Dr. Arant was presented with the Founder’s Award in 2004 from the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology which he had served previously as Councilor, Secretary/Treasurer, and President.

Dr. Arant came to Erlanger in 1992 as Medical Director of T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics for UTCOM Chattanooga. During his tenure at Children’s, Dr. Arant was the sole provider of care for children with kidney diseases and hypertension. In 2007 Dr. Arant decided to devote his clinical practice to treating hypertension and lipid disorders for all ages. Although retired from academic medicine, Dr. Arant continues to devote two days a week to clinical activities at Erlanger.

Erlanger’s Hypertension Management Center is offered at two convenient locations in downtown Chattanooga – the Erlanger Baroness Campus Medical Mall and the Chattanooga Lifestyle Center on Market Street. Dr. Billy Arant currently practices at the Baroness Campus location and Dr. Michael Greer practices at the Chattanooga Lifestyle Center.