News
Urgent need for new effective antibiotics says MPH’s Schaffner
May. 13, 2016—On May 11, The Pew Charitable Trusts released a strategy aimed at overcoming the 30-year drought in the discovery of new types of antibiotics. The Scientific Roadmap for Antibiotic Discovery identifies priority research goals and provides a detailed plan to advance antibiotic discovery efforts in the public and private sectors. William Schaffner, M.D., professor of...
Medical societies honor MPH’s Hartert
May. 12, 2016—Four physicians from Vanderbilt University Medical Center have been elected to membership in two of the nation’s oldest and most respected medical honor societies — the Association of American Physicians (AAP) and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). MPH's Tina Hartert, M.D., MPH, the Lulu H. Owen Professor of Medicine and VUMC vice president...
MPH’s Heimburger and Moon receive 2016 Excellence in Teaching Award
May. 10, 2016—Every year since 2000, the VUMC Academic Enterprise has honored faculty members for Excellence in Teaching and Outstanding Contributions to Research. Recipients were nominated by their faculty colleagues and chosen by the 2016 VUMC Academic Enterprise Faculty Awards Selection Committees.This year both Douglas C. Heimburger, M.D., M.S. and D. Troy Moon, M.D., M.P.H. received the...
MPH alumnus: victims of hazing in youth sports often in denial
May. 9, 2016—The true incidence of hazing in youth sports is unknown because victims don’t report the mistreatment or fail to recognize it as hazing, according to a review of scientific literature on the subject by a team of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) researchers. Alex Diamond, D.O., M.P.H., an assistant professor of Pediatrics and Orthopaedics and...
MPH’s Stevenson: Corporate churning associated with lower nursing home quality
May. 9, 2016—Over the last two decades, thousands of nursing homes have been bought and sold by corporate chains. A new study, published in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs has found that these transactions are related to lower quality of care. The results of this study suggest that chains bought and sold nursing homes...
Guillamondegui warns of “unseen trauma” as more US kids suffer head injuries at playgrounds
May. 4, 2016—Playgrounds may not be completely safe for children as more are admitted to emergency departments (EDs) for non-fatal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Play is an essential activity for growing children, and playgrounds provide the perfect place to increase learning, social skills, exploration, imagination, and attentiveness. However, "most people are still not attuned to the fact that something...
MPH’s Schaffner: Students not vaccinated likely source of Harvard University mumps outbreak
May. 3, 2016—There have been 40 confirmed cases of the mumps at Harvard University, even though many of those infected were vaccinated. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt Univeristy, said in recent years colleges and universities have been at the center of many mumps outbreaks.
MPH alumnus receives Dr. William Schaffner Public Health Hero Award
May. 3, 2016—Congratulations to State Epidemiologist Tim Jones, MD, who was honored Apr. 29 with the Dr. William Schaffner Public Health Hero Award! This award is given jointly by the Tennessee Medical Association and the Tennessee Public Health Association to a person who has made significant contributions to advancing public health in Tennessee.
MPH alumnus: Warm weather heralds beginning of “trauma season”
Apr. 26, 2016—Vanderbilt University Medical Center trauma physicians are warning pedestrians and drivers to be attentive, alert and cautious as the weather warms up and the likelihood of auto-pedestrian accidents increases. Auto-pedestrian wrecks are largely attributed to distracted drivers and pedestrians who are not alert to their surroundings, and while it only takes a second to make...
MPH alumnus appointed Deputy Commissioner for Population Health for the TDH
Apr. 21, 2016—Michael Warren, MD, MPH, FAAP has been appointed deputy commissioner for population health for the Tennessee Department of Health. He previously served as assistant commissioner for Family Health and Wellness, a role in which he led TDH efforts related to maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, health promotion and supplemental nutrition.
ABC News talks to MPH alumnus about turning point in understanding of Zika virus
Apr. 16, 2016—Researchers continue to investigate the devastating effects of the Zika virus on fetal development and are now studying whether the virus also impacts joint, eye and hearing development as well. Dr. Buddy Creech, an associate professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said "this idea of a virus contracted during pregnancy causing...
MPH’s Gonzales: Discriminatory laws hurt health of LGBT Tennesseans
Apr. 11, 2016—Gilbert Gonzales', Ph.D,, assistant professor of Health Policy, Op-Ed published in The Tennessean on April 3 focuses on how discriminatory laws hurt health of LGBT Tennesseans.
NPR talks with MPH graduate about the state’s efforts to track cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome
Mar. 31, 2016—Many states — including some that have been hardest hit by the opioid crisis — don't know how many of their youngest residents each year are born physically dependent on those drugs. Those states might look to Tennessee's tracking efforts. Tennessee reacted quickly when doctors started seeing a lot more cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome...
On NBC Nightly News, MPH’s Schaffner weighs in anti-vaccine film
Mar. 29, 2016—"Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe," an anti-vaccine documentary originally slated to run at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York has put a spotlight again on the debunked study that is widely believed to have contributed to the unsubstantiated impression by some that vaccines can cause autism. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at...
MPH Program alumna Neuzil named VUSM Distinguished Alumni
Mar. 18, 2016—The late Levi Watkins Jr., M.D., and Kathleen Neuzil, M.D., MPH, have been named the 2016 Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.The pair will be honored during VUSM’s 2016 Reunion and the MPH Program 20th Anniversary festivities, Oct. 20-22.