Resident Spotlight: Dr. Natalie Street

Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State. This nickname was derived over 225 years ago because of Tennessean’s eagerness to step forward in times of war. Each of us has volunteered in some capacity throughout our journey in medicine. It is one way to show compassion towards humankind and give back to the community. It is a gesture that requires only time and effort while expecting nothing in return. This altruistic act can have lasting effects on people.

Natalie Street has embraced being a Volunteer through an organization called “Random Acts of Flowers.” This organization has brought significant joy to patients at UT Medical Center. This organization aims to improve emotional health and well-being of individuals in healthcare facilities by delivering recycled flowers. These flowers come from various places such as weddings, grocery stores, funerals, and florists to name a few. Natalie is passionate about hand delivering flowers to patients at UT Medical Center. It brightens her day to see the happiness in the recipient’s face when they receive their flowers. One individual greatly appreciated the random act of flowers delivered and told Natalie that she was the only person who had visited while in the hospital. Natalie hopes her small gesture will encourage other members in the community to volunteer.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Spotlight: Women in Medicine

Eleven out of thirty-eight, or about 29%, of the current residents at the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Internal Medicine Residency Program are female. Almost 50% of the 2022 – 2023 intern class are female, which was not always the case, according to Dr. Kimberly Morris, MD. Viewing the cataloged internal medicine class pictures tells a story, one of women’s increasing role in medicine at UT’s Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville, TN. When the internal medicine program began it was initially all-male, but more women became part of the department over time. The first female resident in the internal medicine residency program started her career in 1979 as a transitional year resident, a few years after the program first started. Just three years later in 1981, Dr. Ann Rush became the clinic director which paved the path for more female leadership. Dr. Mary Hedrick, in the class of 1982, eventually became part of the Knox County Health Department. Shortly thereafter, the first female program director was Dr. Lisa Kirkland. Dr. Kimberly Morris was part of the class of 1989 and remembers other female residents, such as Dr. Janet Purkey who graduated in 1990. She recalls there not being as many females in the internal medicine department, but she has noticed a growth over the years. Dr. Tina Dudney for instance, was the first female Chief Resident as a PGY4 from July 1991 to June 1992. After looking through class pictures over the past 44 years, there are many female faces that have made a growing impact on the Department of Medicine.