News
Rogers reflects on how hospitals can improve racial inclusivity
Oct. 2, 2023—This week the Lown Institute brought together health equity experts and hospital leaders to discuss segregation in hospital markets and strategies for improving inclusivity. Watch the full recording of the event and see our key takeaways below. Guest panelists were: Dr. Uché Blackstock, founder of Advancing Health Equity, which partners with healthcare organizations. Her forthcoming book,...
Talbot supports monoclonal antibody treatment for RSV and disagrees with CDC recommendation for Pfizer vaccine seasonal use
Sep. 29, 2023—Pfizer’s new shot to protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus by vaccinating their mothers late in pregnancy won a limited recommendation Friday from an expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clearing the way for a second product to protect babies against RSV to soon hit the market. The recommendation was...
Gastineau honored by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Sep. 28, 2023—The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (TNAAP) has awarded top honors to three physicians in the Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics. TNAAP is a statewide professional membership and child advocacy organization dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children and adolescents. Each year, the organization’s annual awards recognize and honor pediatricians...
Vanderbilt Youth Sports Health Center to offer online CPR and AED emergency training courses, says Diamond
Sep. 21, 2023—The Vanderbilt Youth Sports Health Center recently collaborated with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to offer an online CPR and AED training course to help schools be more prepared for emergencies that arise. There are more than 8 million high school athletes in the United States, and NFHS is the national...
Creech assesses nasal decongestant options following FDA report on phenylephrine, a common ingredient in allergy medications, as ineffective
Sep. 20, 2023—Walk down the cold and flu aisle in any drugstore and you’ll spot dozens of over-the-counter drugs that contain the decongestant phenylephrine, the ingredient that a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Tuesday said does not work. Phenylephrine is found in a wide range of cold and flu medications, including Sudafed PE, Benadryl Allergy D Plus...
Buntin analyzes Medicare spending trajectories and the future of american healthcare
Sep. 13, 2023—For decades, runaway Medicare spending was the story of the federal budget. Now, flat Medicare spending might be a bigger one. Something strange has been happening in this giant federal program. Instead of growing and growing, as it always had before, spending per Medicare beneficiary has nearly leveled off over more than a decade. The...
Talbot urges for more diverse demographics in RSV vaccine clinical trial populations
Sep. 11, 2023—The recently approved RSV vaccines have been celebrated as key public health tools, but some vaccine experts have lamented one aspect of the trials that led to their approval — namely, that older adults were largely left out of them. Among adults, RSV poses the biggest threat to the oldest seniors and people with certain preexisting health conditions. But...
New BA.2.86 Covid-19 strain with 30+ mutations now spread into 5 U.S. states, increasing hospitalizations by 18.8%, says Schaffner
Sep. 7, 2023—More health officials across the U.S. are reporting new cases of the COVID variant BA.2.86. On Thursday, a genome sequencing team at Houston Methodist Hospital said it had identified the first case in Texas, a member of team wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. On the same day, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce...
Belcher and colleagues develop PTeye, a novel probe technology that helps identify and preserve the parathyroid during pediatric surgical procedures
Sep. 6, 2023—Researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt have developed a probe technology using near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) that helps identify and preserve parathyroid glands during pediatric endocrine surgery. Damage or removal of calcium-regulating parathyroids during endocrine surgery is especially damaging for children because it can put them at risk for poor growth and slow...
Leech finds combination drug treatment of mifepristone and misoprostol most effective for miscarriage management
Sep. 5, 2023—Since November 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended a combination of two drugs for pregnant women who have a miscarriage before 13 weeks of gestation. According to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published in JAMA, only 1% of 22,116 commercially insured women ages 15-49 with medically managed miscarriages received the recommended...