Vanderbilt Health

James Crowe, MD, Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics, was interviewed by WIRED for a story about antibody therapy to treat measles. The Tennessean quoted Ashley Panas, MD, Chief Flight Physician with Vanderbilt LifeFlight to discuss signs and prevention for heat exhaustion and other heat-related illness. Research from Lisa Bastarache, MS, Research Associate Professor of biomedical informatics, and Layla Aref, doctoral candidate, was highlighted in Medscape about how

Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital (VTHH) and Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital (VCH) have each been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for the quality of care their teams provide to stroke and diabetes patients. VTHH and VCH both earned Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition. VTHH also earned Get With The Guidelines – Rural Stroke Silver recognition. The Get With The Guidelines – Stroke program measu

Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital graduated its first group of medical assistants through Vanderbilt Health’s cohort model at no cost to the employees or hospital via a Nashville State Community College program with a Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development grant. The effort was coordinated by Vanderbilt Health’s Center for Programs in Allied Health (CPiAH), which has trained medical assistants since 2022 alongside Nashville State. The rural workforce grant, awarded to Nas

When families exit the elevators onto the sixth floor of the Doctors’ Office Tower at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, they usually encounter a large waiting area and a check-in desk.   But for six days in July, the hematology-oncology clinic and infusion space was transformed into a camp, thanks to the Sunrise H Camp, a program of the Sunrise Association in partnership with the Gordon Jewish Community Center.   “We hope the camp can provide an opportunity for

Rick Wright, MD, MMHC Rick Wright, MD, MMHC, the Dan Spengler, MD Professor, Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs, has been named President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). The AOSSM represents 4,200 orthopaedic surgeons and other professionals who provide comprehensive health services for the care of athletes and active people of all ages. They are also the founding partner of the STOP Sports Inj

For 25 years, Nashville-based Tri Star Energy has helped Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt enhance the hospital and clinic experience of patients and families. Recently, the company reached a remarkable milestone of $5 million in total support for Monroe Carell, reflecting its long-standing commitment to patient- and family-centered care. A significant portion of that impact came through Tri Star Energy’s $2 million pledge to support the hospital’s Patient- and Family-Center

The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) Class of 2030, whose members represent 63 colleges and universities in 32 states and eight countries, participated in the White Coat Ceremony on July 24. Each new medical student received a short, white coat embroidered in black with their name and the medical school’s name at the end of their weeklong orientation, marking their entry into four years of intensive physician training. Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, President and CEO of Vanderbilt He

The two southbound lanes of 21st Avenue will be closed from Vivien Thomas Way to Pierce Avenue from Friday, July 31 at 9 a.m. until Monday, Aug. 3 at 3 p.m. The lanes will be closed to dismantle the crane for the Jim Ayers Tower project. The two northbound lanes will be open for two-way traffic. The entrance to Central Garage from 21st Avenue will be closed during this time. Parkers will be able to enter the garage at the Medical Center Drive entrance. Officers will be on-site to direct ve

Joe Northup, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Vanderbilt Health and Director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, has been elected the 40th President of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Joe Northup, MD An ASMBS member since 2005, Northup has served the society as vice president, board member and chair of a committee that aimed to expand insurance coverage for metabolic and bariatric surgery. He has also held leadership positions in ASMBS state

Gastric cancer rarely develops overnight. Instead, chronic inflammation can trigger a series of changes in stomach tissue that progress from normal cells to precancerous lesions and eventually to cancer. But where the mystery lies is why do some precancerous lesions develop into cancer while others do not?  A new study from Eunyoung Choi, PhD, and colleagues helps answer that question by identifying the cancer-associated transcription factor SOX9 as a critical factor in the progression o

Yasar Caliskan, MD Yasar Caliskan, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, has been appointed Medical Director of the Kidney Living Donor Program at Vanderbilt Health. Caliskan, who came to Vanderbilt Health last year from Saint Louis University, is nationally recognized for his expertise and research interest in genetic factors that may influence donor outcomes and long-term kidney health. He succeeds transplant nephrologist Heidi Schaefer, M

Edition date: July 28, 2026 July 27, 2026 (special message from Dr. Balser) July 23, 2026 July 21, 2026 July 16, 2026 July 15, 2026 (special edition announcing David Miller as CEO) July 14, 2026 July 9, 2026 July 7, 2026 July 2, 2026 June 30, 2026 June 29, 2026 (special message from Dr. Balser) June 25, 2026 June 23, 2026 June 18, 2026 June 16, 2026 June 11, 2026 June 9, 2026 June 4, 2026 June 2, 2026 May 28, 2026 May 26, 2026

Vanderbilt Health and Siemens Healthineers have entered into a multiyear, $87 million Value Partnership1 supporting technology modernization and standardization in diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology and related workforce development programs across Vanderbilt Health’s hospitals in the Middle Tennessee area. The agreement establishes a strong strategic framework for performance innovation, technology planning, installation support, and service operations, aligning strategy with clinical an

Cynthia Facemire takes care of the growing pains. She and the team she leads in the Expansion and Transition Department are the “go-to” people when it comes to finding creative ways to accommodate the swell of patients, faculty, staff and services at Vanderbilt Health’s space-challenged Nashville campus. “We are a growing, changing, fast-paced organization,” Facemire said. “Growth brings more staff and the need for more space, and we don’t have it. We’re pretty landlocked. Every nook and c

Today’s Dog of the Day is Ruga Jade, submitted by Angie Hunter of Pediatrics and George Hunter of Psychiatry. “Ruga Jade is our super sweet 16 month old Cane Corso who loves to swim with her Rottie siblings, Nino and Bogen. Puppy equivalent of shop till you drop!” Today’s Cat of the Day is Goose, submitted by Victoria Parker of the Vanderbilt Eye Institute. “He has always been a curious little guy!” Ruga Jade and Goose were featured in the Aug. 4, 2

Today’s Cat of the Day is Sheriff, submitted by Cierra Sanford of the Inpatient Sterile Products Team. “Sheriff is the sweetest and most cuddly boy ever. He loves playing with his string toy and sitting in your lap while you watch TV.” Today’s Dog of the Day is Lizzo, submitted by Courtney Rominger of Patient- and Family-Centered Care. “Lizzo, a bearded collie, would LIVE in the water all summer as long as the water isn’t coming from the sky. She can u

Today’s Dog of the Day is Murphy, submitted by Abby Doyle of the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical Trials Research (VICTR). “Murphy is 5 years old and is a treeing walker coonhound/St. Bernard mix. He enjoys digging in the mud.” Today’s Cat of the Day is Millie, submitted by Brittany Jarrell of GI Endoscopy at One Hundred Oaks. “Millie is a sweet rescue kitty who acts more like a dog. She loves to play and even fetches!” Murphy and Millie were feat

The American Heart Association (AHA) has awarded more than $500,000 in highly competitive research funding to the Pediatric Heart Institute at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, recognizing research to advance care for children with heart disease. The three doctors receiving awards are: Kelsey Brown, MD, Sudeep D. Sunthankar, MD, MSCI, and Andrew Well, MD, MPH, MSHCT. Each received a prestigious AHA grant supporting innovative research spanning global early detection of rheu

Nurses are foundational to delivering consistent precision care to patients, however, 40% nationwide reported in 2025 they anticipate leaving health care in the next five years. They’re experiencing burnout and seeking healthier work-life balance through flexible work models that offer variety and professional skill growth. To better support nurse well-being and staffing needs, Vanderbilt Health Nursing launched the Vanderbilt Staffing Collaborative (VSC), a program reshaping conventional sta

A new study of cancer drugs denied by Medicare Part D insurance plans found that more than one-fifth of denials were overturned upon review by a contracted reviewer. This suggests there are a considerable number of inappropriate denials. Youngmin Kwon, PhD The study, led by Youngmin Kwon, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt Health, implemented natural language processing to analyze the text of second-level appeals of cancer drugs denied unde