In most states the identity of your medical director is a private commercial arrangement. In Tennessee it is published on a state website with their license number next to it.
Since January 1, 2016, Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-6-105 has required medical spas to appear on an online registry maintained by the Board of Medical Examiners. Anyone — a competitor, a plaintiff’s attorney, an unhappy client — can look your clinic up and see who signed for it.
What Tennessee actually requires
- A Tennessee-licensed MD or DO as medical director or supervising physician. No specialty is mandated.
- A registry entry listing the clinic name and address, the director’s name, their Tennessee license number, and whether they are an MD or DO.
- Annual renewal of the listing, and accuracy when a director or location changes.
- Attention to the definition at § 63-1-153, which reaches a practice that advertises or holds itself out as a medical spa — so your marketing copy can bring you inside it.
- Documented delegation that fits the receiving license and the applicable supervisory arrangement.
Who may do what in Tennessee
| License | What they may do |
|---|---|
| MD or DO | Independent; the only license that may hold the director role |
| APRN | Under the applicable supervisory or collaborative arrangement |
| Physician assistant | Under the applicable supervision arrangement |
| Registered nurse | Within RN scope, on documented delegation |
| Unlicensed staff | Not for cosmetic medical procedures |
A stale registry entry is worse than a missing one. If your director resigned in March and the listing still names them in October, you are maintaining a public record asserting supervision that is not happening.
What MDside provides in Tennessee
- Tennessee-licensed MDs and DOs who will actually appear on the registry under their own license number.
- Registry entries kept accurate as locations and directors change, rather than auto-renewed with stale details.
- Delegation and protocols written against your real menu.
- A review of your marketing copy against the statutory definition before it goes live.
- Licensed providers, pharmacy sourcing and lab draws.
See everything that is included, or book a call and tell us which states you operate in.
Read the detail on Tennessee
Frequently asked questions
Do all Tennessee med spas have to register?
Medical spas within the statutory definition must appear on the Board of Medical Examiners registry. The definition reaches practices that advertise or hold themselves out as a medical spa as well as those primarily providing elective cosmetic medical services.
Is the Tennessee med spa registry public?
Yes. It is an online registry and it lists the medical director’s name and license number alongside the clinic.
Can a nurse practitioner be a Tennessee medical director?
No. The medical director or supervising physician role requires a Tennessee-licensed MD or DO.
General information about Tennessee practice structure and med spa regulation, not legal advice. Statutes, board rules and scope-of-practice requirements change. Confirm your obligations with healthcare counsel licensed in Tennessee.