Author
Research Saving Lives
Aug. 21, 2015—One important source of funding for young investigators is small philanthropic organizations, the grassroots groups that take up a cause and raise money, often in honor of a loved one impacted by cancer. Though their gifts may not equal the government’s spending power, they can give researchers the jumpstart they need to earn future National...
Worthy of Note: Kyla Terhune, M.D.
Aug. 21, 2015—The General Surgery residency program at Vanderbilt School of Medicine has a new program director, but one with a familiar face. Kyla Terhune, M.D., HS ‘11, associate professor of Surgery, took over the residency program, which is one of the largest on campus. She replaced John Tarpley, M.D., ‘70, who served in that role for...
Alumni News
Aug. 21, 2015—1960s Antonio (Tony) Gotto, M.D., ‘65, BA ‘57, received the 2015 American College of Cardiology Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Medical Fellowship’s Excellence in Academic Medicine Award. Richard Johnston Jr., M.D., ‘61, HS ‘63, BA ‘57, was honored by the Institute of Medicine for his outstanding service during the IOM’s 44th annual meeting in...
Faces and Places
Aug. 21, 2015—
Losses
Aug. 21, 2015— Emanuel Abraham, M.D., ‘49, died March 29. He was 93. Dr. Abraham was predeceased by his wife, Helen, and is survived by his children Lynn, Susan, Mark and Lee; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Fred Allison Jr., M.D., ‘46, HS ‘47, FAC ‘02, professor of Medicine, emeritus, and former chief of the Division...
Undone in the ICU
Aug. 21, 2015—“I was under the impression that I was being held prisoner. There were people I was aware of who would come into the room, in the outer areas, and they wouldn’t talk to me or look at me. I remember being aware that I couldn’t move my arms. I was being held somehow. I started...
VUMC as a Separate Nonprofit Entity Allows for Growth
Jun. 26, 2015—The changes we are experiencing in health care are the most transformational in America’s history. No other sector has as large an impact on the U.S. economy as health care, which now consumes almost 20 percent of our Gross Domestic Product. Among many factors driving epic change is the rising cost of care. As much...
Letter From Ann Price
Feb. 13, 2015—Dear Vanderbilt University Medical Alumni, Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Reunion 2014 Recap Thanks to all who attended Reunion 2014, one of our largest VUSM reunions with over 1,100 attendees. I hope you enjoyed your time on campus. A special thanks to our class chairs and class gift chairs for making Reunion a wonderful event, including...
Donors Honor John W. Brock III, M.D.
Feb. 10, 2015—A Pediatric Urology Research Fund has been established in honor of Vanderbilt’s John W. Brock III, M.D., to support general research and fellows in pediatric urology. The funding is through the support from corporate and individual donors, including Bank of America led by Tennessee president John Stein, Delta Dental Plan of Tennessee led by president...
Alumni Profile: John Jernigan, M.D., ‘86
Feb. 10, 2015—Contagious Enthusiasm The outbreak of Ebola at a Texas hospital dominated the news in October 2014, as Americans anxiously watched to see whether the disease would spread beyond the two health care workers who contracted it from a dying patient. That was the setting during the two weeks that John Jernigan, M.D., ‘86, spent in...
Growing to New Heights
Feb. 10, 2015—In October, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt launched the Growing to New Heights fundraising campaign in support of a four-floor building expansion that will help advance the size and scope of the hospital’s specialized pediatric health care programs. Patients and their families, along with community supporters and Vanderbilt University officials, gathered to...
Camp offers safe haven for pediatric burn patients
Feb. 10, 2015—Children make up a large portion of the Burn Center’s patient population. The most severely injured children who require a ventilator go to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, while the less critical children occupy a special room in the Burn Center specially decorated and outfitted for these...
Alumni News
Feb. 10, 2015—To see Reunion photos, click here. 1960s Keller Carlock, M.D., ‘64, BA ‘60, HS ‘65, received the top regional award for service from the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. A lifelong scout and former Council Camping Chair, he is a member of the Order of the Arrow Vigil, and of...
Principles of Healing Illness
Feb. 10, 2015—By Farhad Ismail-Beigi, M.D. I would like to share with my colleagues my accumulated knowledge on principles of healing the sick. This knowledge is based on my education, the teaching of my mentors, and my own experiences of practicing as a gastroenterologist at UPMC, Presbyterian and Shadyside Hospitals in Pittsburgh for the past 43 years,...
High-dose flu vaccine more effective in elderly, Vanderbilt-led study shows
Feb. 10, 2015—High-dose influenza vaccine is 24 percent more effective than the standard-dose vaccine in protecting persons ages 65 and over against influenza illness and its complications, according to a Vanderbilt-led study published in August 2014 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The multi-center study enrolled 31,989 participants from 126 research centers in the U.S. and Canada...
Brain surgery through the cheek
Feb. 10, 2015—Treating epilepsy often means drilling through the skull deep into the brain to destroy the small area where the seizures originate—invasive, dangerous and with a long recovery period. Five years ago, a team of Vanderbilt engineers wondered: Is it possible to address epileptic seizures in a less invasive way? They decided it would be. To...
Losses
Feb. 10, 2015—Herbert Burke Jr., M.D., ‘55, BA ‘52, HS ‘58, FE ‘59, died July 7, 2014. He was 86. Dr. Burke is survived by his wife, Mary; children, Herbert and Floyd; and one grandchild. Frank Cadenhead, M.D., ‘45, died Oct. 17, 2014. He was 90. Dr. Cadenhead is survived by his wife, Billie; children, Diann,...
Quicknotes
Feb. 10, 2015—Skin cancer risks higher for soldiers serving abroad Soldiers deployed to tropical and sunny climates are coming home with increased risk factors for a threat far from the battlefield: skin cancer. In a retrospective study of about 200 veterans seen at the post-deployment clinic of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System of the U.S. Department of Veterans...
Afterburn
Feb. 10, 2015—Burn injuries can happen to anyone. Each burn patient’s story is unique, but they all start the same: with an unplanned event. So sudden. Often tragic. Always painful. The severe burn patient is a significant challenge medically and often requires numerous surgeries. They have large open wounds, have difficulty maintaining body temperature and fluids, are...
Suzie Brown, M.D.
Feb. 10, 2015—“Medicine satisfies the more quantitative ‘left brain’ part of my personality, and helping people gives me immense fulfillment and sense of purpose. One of the necessary parts of being a good doctor is putting your own personal needs behind that of the patients, their families, residents and nurses. To me, that is difficult at times....
Faces and Places
Feb. 10, 2015—
Faces and Places
Sep. 9, 2014—
Losses
Sep. 9, 2014—Jerome Abramson, M.D.,’52, HS ‘59, died May 26. He is survived by his wife, Myrna; children, Richard and Michael; and two grandchildren. William Anderson, M.D. ‘59, HS ‘60, ‘64, died Nov. 19, 2013. He was 79. Dr. Anderson was predeceased by his wife, Sue, and is survived by his children, Bill, John, Michael and Steve;...
About Vanderbilt Medicine
Sep. 9, 2014—Vanderbilt Medicine is published by Vanderbilt University Medical Center in cooperation with the VUMC Office of News and Communications. Copyright 2014 © Vanderbilt University Editor Kathy Whitney Design and Art Direction Diana Duren Contributing Writers Craig Boerner Christina Echegaray Leslie Hill John Howser Nancy Humphrey Paula Jones Leigh MacMillan Jessica Pasley Kathy Whitney Photography/illustration...
Giving in Action + Bacardi Family Gift
Sep. 5, 2014—In Spanish folklore, the bat is a symbol of good luck, long life and family unity. It’s the perfect logo for Bacardi rum, says fourth-generation family member Jorge Bacardi. “There are over 600 people in the family now, but we’re keen on maintaining those philosophies. It’s still a family-owned company and we hope to keep...
Giving in Action + Class of 1993
Sep. 5, 2014—Whether it’s former classmates or perfect strangers coming together to support a great cause, there is no denying that there is strength in numbers. The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) Class of 1993 is a prime example of what a group can accomplish when it works together toward a goal. As its members prepare...
Alumni profile: Jeff Spencer, M.D.
Sep. 5, 2014—New York State of Mind With more than 31,000 applications received for the Class of 2018, Vanderbilt University seems to be on everyone’s radar. Jeff Spencer, M.D., ‘87, BS ’83, is doing his part to make sure his home state of New York is aware of what Vanderbilt has to offer. Spencer proudly represents Vanderbilt...
Warning Signs of Stress
Sep. 4, 2014—Your body’s stress warning signs tell you that something isn’t right. Much like the glowing orange “check engine” light on your car’s dashboard, if you neglect the alerts sent out by your body, you could have a major engine malfunction. Stress that is left unchecked or poorly managed is known to contribute to high blood...
Bernard Osher gift to transform integrative medicine at Vanderbilt
Sep. 4, 2014—Through a $5.5 million donation from San Francisco businessman Bernard Osher, Vanderbilt’s Center for Integrative Health has joined the elite group of Osher Centers for Integrative Medicine and is now known as the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt University. The Bernard Osher Foundation, founded in 1977 to improve quality of life through support...
Bridging the Gap Between Hospital and Home
Sep. 4, 2014—One year ago, Kris Stevenson was dying on the trauma unit at Vanderbilt University Hospital. He had been hit by a car while crossing the street in Nashville, resulting in severe brain, pelvic and abdominal injuries. Today he is walking and talking thanks to a team of people who helped with his incredible recovery. Case...
Ticks and red meat allergy
Sep. 4, 2014—Lone star tick bites are likely the cause of thousands of cases of severe red meat allergies that are plaguing patients in Southeastern states including Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia and spreading up the Eastern Seaboard along with the deer population. Vanderbilt’s Asthma, Sinus and Allergy Program (A.S.A.P.) clinic is seeing one or more new...
Class Notes
Aug. 27, 2014—1950s Gerald Stone, M.D., ‘57, HS ‘58, and his wife, Lois, welcomed their first great-grandchild on May 8. The first of their 15 grandchildren, David Clay, M.D., BA ‘09, shares the same birthday. Stone continues to do locum tenens and stays active in the medical community in Rochester, New York. 1960s Antonio Gotto, Jr., M.D., ‘65, has been appointed ...
Changes Coming to the MCAT
Aug. 27, 2014—MCAT 2015 For more than 80 years, the MCAT exam has been a valuable predictor of students’ academic success in medical school. The coming changes to the test will make it an even better exam, by helping medical schools identify not only the students who are the most academically prepared to become physicians, but also...
Q+A: Rivka Ihejirka
Aug. 21, 2014—Rivka Ihejirika is a third-year medical student from Los Angeles. She is the recipient of the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship and the James Edward Holloran Scholarship, established by the Class of 1980. Q. When did you know you wanted to be a doctor? A. When I was a little kid, I was always curious about...
Grant aids search for Restless Legs Syndrome treatment
Aug. 21, 2014—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been selected as one of three sites to share a three-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the potential therapeutic properties of manganese, a chemical element and biologically essential trace mineral, in treating Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). “The goal of this work is to determine if...
Quicknotes
Aug. 21, 2014—VICC debuts novel neuroendocrine tumor treatment A retired elementary school principal has become the first patient at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center to receive an investigational cancer therapy for the treatment of his neuroendocrine tumor. Harold (Cap) Caplan of Hilton Head, South Carolina received the first injection of a drug that delivers a high dose of radiation...
Physical signs of depression common among ICU survivors
Aug. 21, 2014—Depression affects more than one out of three survivors of critical illness, according to a Vanderbilt study released in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and the majority of patients experience their symptoms physically rather than mentally. It is one of the largest studies to investigate the mental health and functional outcomes of critical care survivors, according...
These Doctors Mean Business
Aug. 21, 2014—While patient care is an important part of the careers of the majority of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine graduates, some find that they can make the greatest leadership contributions in non-clinical roles. These doctors get down to business.
Matt Correia
Aug. 6, 2014—Meet Matt Correia from the VUSM Class of 2016
Creative Care for Complex Cases
Jul. 31, 2014—The Complex Care Team is charged with caring for patients with complex needs—medically, socially and economically—and bringing creative solutions to solve the issues and get them on the road to recovery.