UTHSC 2022-23 Annual Report

2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT

Table of Contents

OUR LEADERSHIP

Chancellor

Peter Buckley, MD

Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer

Anthony A. Ferrara, CPA, MAS

Vice Chancellor, Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs

Cynthia Russell, PhD, RN

Vice Chancellor, Strategic Partnerships

Paul Wesolowski, MBA

Vice Chancellor, Advancement

Brigitte Grant, MBA

Vice Chancellor, Human Resources

Chandra Alston, EdD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Vice Chancellor, Communications and Marketing

Sally Badoud, MBA

Interim Vice Chancellor for Research/ Chief Research Officer

Wesley Byerly, PharmD

Associate Vice Chancellor for Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity/ Chief Diversity Officer

Michael Alston, EdD, CCDP/AP

CREDITS

Content

Peggy Reisser

Chris Green

Janay Jeans

COLLEGE DEANS

Dentistry

James C. Ragain, DDS, MS, PhD, FICD, FACD

Graduate Health Sciences

Donald Thomason, PhD

Health Professions

Stephen E. Alway, PhD, FACSM

Medicine

Robert Kaplan Executive Dean/ Vice Chancellor Clinical Affairs

Scott E. Strome, MD

Interim Dean – Knoxville

Robert Craft, MD

Dean – Chattanooga

James Haynes, MD, MBA, FAAFP

Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education – Nashville

Gregory James, MD

Nursing

Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC

Interim Dean of the College of Pharmacy

Bradley A. Boucher, PharmD, FCCP, MCCM, FNAP

Design

Adam Gaines

Photography

Caleb Jia Sage Creative

On the cover: The new Delta Dental of Tennessee Building on the Memphis campus.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.

Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations.

In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 920 Madison Avenue, Suite 825, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901.448.7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E070101001(006-231251)

A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR UTHSC AND TENNESSEE

Over the past year, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) has taken major steps into the future, a future that positions the university as a leader in improving health and health care in Tennessee. It was a year of building partnerships, increasing philanthropic collaborations, and working to ensure that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center serves the state as broadly as possible.

• In February 2022, we welcomed Peter Buckley, MD, as our new chancellor.

• In October, Chancellor Buckley and UT System President Randy Boyd traveled across the state to amplify UTHSC’s statewide academic and clinical presence and reach.

• In November, we held our first-ever investiture ceremony, where Chancellor Buckley reinforced the university’s commitment to the health of all Tennesseans.

• In April, we opened our new $45 million Delta Dental of Tennessee Building, an ambitious public/private collaboration that will increase the ranks of future dentists in Tennessee and enable us to expand care to those in need,

These are just a few of many achievements across our academic, clinical, research and community outreach missions. However, they speak volumes for UTHSC’s trajectory as a force for serving the people of Tennessee. We are grateful to President Randy Boyd for his unwavering collaboration in amplifying our missions with stakeholders in every corner of the state. We thank the Tennessee Legislature for its support of our programs and its ongoing investment in infrastructure to improve our campuses. And finally, we thank our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, who every day represent the best of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

WE ARE WE HAVE

6 4 1

COLLEGES

Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy CLINICAL CAMPUSES

Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga

VISION

To help Tennessee be healthy and its communities to thrive

BY THE NUMBERS

(Latest figures available)

3,142 Enrollment (Fall 2022)

91% Graduation Rate (94% Graduate/Professional 84% Undergraduate)

3,873 Regular and Temporary Employees (Statewide)

1,075 Degrees Awarded

1,411 Residents and Fellows

53,823

Health Care Professionals Educated and Trained Since UTHSC Founding in 1911

$650 MILLION

$294.4 MILLION

$133 MILLION

Research Grants and Contract Awards

DELTA DENTAL OF TENNESSEE BUILDING

A “floss cutting” on April 14 marked a new day for the UTHSC College of Dentistry and for the oral health of the people of Tennessee. The event signaled the official opening of the Delta Dental of Tennessee Building on the UTHSC campus in Memphis. The $45 million, state-of-theart building houses the College of Dentistry, and along with the existing Dunn Dental Building, makes up the Delta Dental of Tennessee Oral Health Complex.

The 68,000-square-foot building increases space for training Tennessee’s dental workforce and expands facilities to treat patients from the Mid-South. It houses a clinic for patients with special needs; an expanded

faculty practice for treating patients, including the uninsured and underinsured; and dental technique labs for first- and second-year students to hone their skills.

“This is a great day for Memphis. This is a great day for the state of Tennessee,” said Chancellor Peter Buckley. “Today is a dream come true. It is a transformation not just in the building and in the new training environment. It is a transformation that will benefit the health care of Tennessee.”

The name of the new building and complex honors the outstanding support from Delta Dental of Tennessee, which provided $6.3 million for construction costs and $1.4 million for equipment for the building. The company’s Chief Executive Officer Philip Wenk, DDS, is a 1977 graduate of the College of Dentistry and the chair of the UTHSC Advisory Board.

“In the University of Tennessee, we have a slogan that we came up with that says, ‘Everywhere you Look, UT.’ I will say, everywhere you look also Phil is there making a difference. We appreciate Phil for everything,” UT System President Randy Boyd said.

Philip Wenk, DDS

68,000 Square feet

$45 MILLION (Cost)

4 Floors

SPRING 2023

Floss Cutting and Grand Opening

Expanded and modernized University Dental Practice (10 dental treatment rooms with updated radiographic equipment)

Special Needs Clinic (6 dental treatment rooms)

2 Large seminar rooms

12 Faculty offices

134 Manikin stations in preclinical dental techniques laboratories for dental and dental hygiene programs

132 Seats for students in large lecture auditorium

Locker spaces for students

Dean’s Suite (On top floor)

Additional study areas, student activity space, gathering areas

Turner Construction Company

EMBRACING THE STATEWIDE MISSION

UT System President Randy Boyd and UTHSC Chancellor Peter Buckley visited UTHSC’s partner hospitals in five cities, plus several of UTHSC’s clinical and academic sites October 31–November 2, during a whirlwind trip across the state designed to increase public awareness of UTHSC’s statewide reach and strengthen relationships across the UTHSC system.

Dubbed the “Everywhere You Look, UTHSC” Tour, the two leaders made stops in Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. Their message was that UTHSC may have its home campus in Memphis, but through its outstanding partnerships it is making a difference in the health of people across Tennessee.

“We want to let the rest of the state know that we care about the state of Tennessee,” UT System President Boyd said. “We want to make an impact on the state by helping transform the health of people across the state. If anyone can make an impact, it is the Health Science Center. Not only do we have the ability, we have the desire.”

Chancellor Buckley said UTHSC is the major provider of health care professionals across the state. “As the state’s public academic health care institution, our mission must be resoundingly focused on Tennessee,” he said. That focus includes addressing the social determinants of health, increasing the health care workforce in rural Tennessee by recruiting and retaining health care professionals for the state, and addressing the illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, that most-affect Tennesseans and place the state at near-bottom rankings in major health metrics.

“We are thankful for the outstanding work by our UTHSC family all across the state and were honored to share that story on our tour,” he said. “We look forward to continuing to support and expand that work for the benefit of the health of all those who call Tennessee home.”

SETTING THE COURSE

In a historic ceremony that blended the flavors of his Irish roots and his adopted home of Memphis, Peter Buckley was formally installed as the 11th chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center on Friday, November 4.

A first for UTHSC, the investiture ceremony was held at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis. During the event, the authority and symbols of the office were officially conferred on Chancellor Buckley.

Legislators, community leaders, clinical and academic partners, members of the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees and the UTHSC Advisory Board, alumni, friends of the university, faculty, staff, and students were invited to the hour-long program that included not just remarks from

AWARD WINNERS

the stage, but performances by musicians from Memphis’ Stax Music Academy and a lively trio playing Irish music.

“I am excited about our new vision – Healthy Tennesseans, Thriving Communities,” Chancellor Buckley said. “Today’s celebration is really about our institution and our noble vision and mission.” The vision and mission reach statewide, he said.

“Memphis is our proud home, but we are truly across the state,” he said. Additionally, he acknowledged the positive and interdependent relationships with community leaders and organizations across the UTHSC and UT systems.

“There is much to be done and we will do it together,” he said.

As we work to fulfill our mission and vision, we are successfully growing our reputation. The Hermes Awards, the oldest creative competition that annually evaluates the best publications, branding collateral, websites, videos, advertising, marketing, and communication programs in the country, presented UTHSC and UT System communicators with a Platinum Award for their work to plan and publicize the tour. The UTHSC Marketing and Communications Office won a Gold Award for its promotion of the investiture.

TRAINING THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE IN TENNESSEE

The largest educator of health care professionals in Tennessee, UTHSC increased its program offerings, reaching out to new students across the state; secured prestigious accreditations; and welcomed Reginald Frye, PharmD, as the new dean for our College of Pharmacy.

“Training tomorrow’s clinical workforce is an immense privilege, and we can look forward to celebrating all that our alumni will accomplish in their careers as future leaders in health care, science, and society.”

– Chancellor Peter Buckley

3,142 Total Enrollment (Fall 2022)

Per College

Dentistry: 480, Graduate Health Sciences: 325, Health Professions: 586, Medicine: 756, Nursing: 421, Pharmacy: 574

NATIONAL RANKINGS

# 18 UTHSC College of Medicine

Ranking for Medical Schools with Most Graduates Practicing in Medically Underserved Areas

# 20

UTHSC College of Pharmacy

Ranking Among Colleges of Pharmacy

TENNESSEE RANKINGS

# 1 Medical School for Primary Care

BSN Nursing Program

Physician Assistant Program

Pharmacy School

Physical Therapy Program

# 26

UTHSC Doctor of Audiology (AUD) Program Ranking Among AUD Programs

#42

UTHSC Occupational Therapy Program

#46

# 23

UTHSC College of Medicine for Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care Fields

UTHSC College of Nursing

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program Among DNP Programs

# 24 UTHSC College of Medicine

Ranking for Best Medical School for Primary Care

#46

UTHSC Physician Assistant Program

#49

UTHSC Physical Therapy Program

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS

We are proud that the College of Medicine received continued accreditation with commendation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) for its Graduate Medical Education (GME), medical residency and fellowship programs, in Memphis, Nashville, and Jackson. The College of Medicine’s GME programs in Chattanooga and Knoxville also enjoy continuing accreditation with commendation status from the ACGME.

• In March, 836 first- and second-year students from several of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s campuses across the state had the opportunity to learn and train together during UTHSC’s first Interprofessional Education (IPE) Day. Students took part in a variety of in-person and virtual activities that promoted cooperation across disciplines.

• On Match Day 2023, 161 fourth-year medical students learned where they will continue their training in residencies. The total includes five students from the College of Medicine in Chattanooga and seven from Knoxville. “Our students matched into some of the top programs across the country and we are so proud,” said Executive Dean Scott Strome, MD.

• Spring 2022 Commencement ceremonies saw 844 degrees awarded. Commencement ceremonies in the summer and winter saw another 72 and 94 degrees awarded.

• Beginning in the Fall of 2023, the College of Pharmacy will open its Nashville and Knoxville campuses for the first time to a limited number of first-year students to begin their four years of pharmacy training there. This change will mean that the college now offers the option for students to spend all four years of their training in Memphis, Nashville, or Knoxville.

• The College of Health Professions added a two-year Pathologists’ Assistant Master of Health Science (MHS) program to meet the growing demand for qualified pathologists’ assistants in labs and facilities across the country. These professionals perform hands-on dissection of tissue removed at surgery and assist pathologists during autopsies.

• The College of Health Professions celebrated its 50th anniversary in November. The college includes the departments of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Diagnostic and Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and the Division of Regenerative and Rehabilitative Sciences. It has campuses in Memphis and Knoxville, where students and faculty participate in training, clinical practice, and research designed to help the citizens of Tennessee have better lives.

• The College of Nursing added three colleges to its Partnership Enrollment Programs (PEP), bringing the total to eight colleges in the Mid-South and New Orleans. This increases opportunities for students from a variety of educational backgrounds to continue their baccalaureate and advanced nursing degrees at UTHSC. The new additions to the college’s PEPs include Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee; UT-Southern in Pulaski, Tennessee; and New Orleans-based Dillard University.

• UTHSC continues to place the safety of its students as a top priority. Alarms.org ranks UTHSC as the 9th safest college in America, out of 490 institutions. This ranking was determined by compiling crime data from the FBI, as well as from the community surrounding campus.

DELIVERING OUTSTANDING CARE ACROSS TENNESSEE

“We want to make an impact on the state by helping transform the health of people across the state. If anyone can make an impact, it is the Health Science Center. Not only do we have the ability, we have the desire.”

– UT System Randy Boyd

CORE TEACHING HOSPITALS

Memphis

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

• Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

• Regional One Health

• Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

• Baptist Memorial Health Care

• Memphis VA Medical Center

• St. Francis Hospital

Statewide

• Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital, Nashville

• Erlanger Health System, Chattanooga

• The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville

• West Tennessee Healthcare – Jackson Madison County General Hospital, Jackson

CLINICAL CARE

• University Clinical Health

• Dental Faculty Practice

• UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists

• UT Regional One Physicians

• The Center on Developmental Disabilities

• Hamilton Eye Institute

• University Therapists

• Methodist University Transplant Institute

• Semmes-Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute

• UTHSC Cancer Program

• West Cancer Center

• University Health Services

• Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics

• University Surgical Associates of Chattanooga

• Erlanger Medical Group

• West Tennessee Medical Group (Jackson)

$294.4 MILLION

Clinical Revenue Residents and fellows (UTHSC trains the largest number of residents and fellows in Tennessee)

1,411

$53 MILLION

Total for UTHSC’s 5-year Healthy Smiles Initiative to Expand Access to Dental Care in Tennessee

8 Dental Clinics Across Tennessee (operating or planned)

75%

888 Clinical and education sites across the state of Tennessee’s dentists trained at UTHSC

UTHSC faculty and clinicians staff major hospitals across Tennessee

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CLINICAL CARE

Improving Smiles Across the State

In line with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s efforts to improve the health of all Tennesseans, the College of Dentistry is undertaking a $53 million project, part of the state’s five-year, $94 million Healthy Smiles Initiative, to increase access to dentists and dental care across Tennessee.

The ambitious project is a multipronged approach for tackling the current shortage of dentists in Tennessee and improving health across the state by making dental care more readily available.

The Healthy Smiles Initiative allows for an increase in the number of dental students per class at UTHSC from the current 110 to 130 over the next few years. The College of Dentistry is set to increase the size of its incoming dental class to 120 in July, making this class the largest in approximately 30 years.

At the same time, the dental hygiene classes will increase from 35 to 48-50 students, with two class starts per year. While educating and training future dentists is a major component of the Healthy Smiles Initiative, providing dental care to the underserved across Tennessee is also a primary focus.

This will be accomplished through expansion of dental student rotations at clinics in areas of greatest need in the state. Based on the successful model of established UTHSC College of Dentistry clinics in Union City in West Tennessee, and Chattanooga and Bristol in the eastern part of the state, new clinics are being added in Crossville, Knoxville, Kingsport, Jackson, and Pulaski. These clinics are supervised by faculty and staffed by fourth-year dental students and second-year dental hygiene students on two-week rotations.

In Kingsport, the college is working with corporate, academic, and community partners on a collaborative dental clinic that will support the student rotations there. The Kingsport Dental Clinic of the Appalachian Highlands will also be the site of an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program, offering postgraduate dental residency training in that region. The space will allow for

clinical rotations for ETSU dental hygiene students, a major step toward a more robust and collaborative academic and clinical presence for UTHSC in Eastern Tennessee. Additionally, new AEGD residency sites are being established in Knoxville and Jackson.

Expanding Rural Health Care

The UTHSC College of Nursing received a $3.9 million, four-year grant from The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide health care to two rural counties using a mobile health unit. The grant will also allow the college to integrate rural health education into its undergraduate and graduate programs. The Mobile Health Unit was unveiled on the Memphis campus in May. It will focus on outreach to Lake and Lauderdale counties in West Tennessee, which are designated by HRSA as underserved. Another major goal of the grant is to expand the nursing workforce and to increase the cultural competency of nurses serving patients in rural areas.

“As a first of its kind in West Tennessee, the UTHSC Mobile Health Unit will help address specific needs of the populations in Lake and Lauderdale counties, while developing a nursing workforce prepared to improve health outcomes in underserved populations.” Assistant Professor Christie Manasco, PhD, RN

Addressing Health in Rural Middle Tennessee

The Family Medicine program in the College of Medicine – Nashville has begun a pilot program to eliminate a shortage of physicians in rural areas in Middle Tennessee. A 2022 graduate of UTHSC, Thomas Atkins, MD, is the first rural track resident in the College of Medicine – Nashville’s Family Medicine program. The pilot program is a statefunded effort to highlight UTHSC’s dedication to improving the health of every person across the state of Tennessee. The three-year residency, based at Ascension Saint Thomas River Park in McMinnville and Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford in Murfreesboro, will teach Dr. Atkins not only how to practice medicine in a hospital setting, but also how to manage the problems specific to rural communities, where patients are typically underserved.

Keeping Tennessee Heart Healthy

In 2021, UTHSC and Jim Bailey, MD, the Robert S. Pearce Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, received a $4.5 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to build a network of primary care providers across the state and arm them with effective, patient-centered methods to encourage better management of blood pressure and smoking cessation, two primary risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The Tennessee Heart Health Network now includes 65 primary care practices across the state, roughly 20 in each Grand Division.

ANSWERING THE BIG QUESTIONS

With another record-breaking year in grant and contract awards totaling $133 million, our faculty, staff, students, and postdoctoral fellows continue to cultivate innovative research as a part of our mission to improve the health of Tennesseans.

$133 MILLION In grant and contract awards in FY22

#12

56% Increase in grant and contract awards over the last six years

National Ranking for College of Pharmacy among schools and colleges of pharmacy in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health

48 DISCLOSURES

(New invention disclosures)

438 Total awards received by all UTHSC colleges in FY22

$34,187,053 Total awards dollars generated from CORNET-funded research

3 22

Start-ups (New business using UTHSC-licensed technology)

Licenses and options (New transactions related to commercializing UTHSCdeveloped intellectual property)

RECENT MAJOR AWARDS

$5.2 MILLION

From the National Cancer Institute to Liza Makowski, PhD, professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the College of Medicine, for a study that will fill critical gaps in knowledge around obesitymediated cancer risk.

$5 MILLION

Radhakrishna Rao, PhD, vice-chair and professor in the Department of Physiology, received two large national awards totaling $5 million for separate studies involving the gut as a therapeutic target for treating disease. The awards were from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Dr. Rao is known worldwide for his two decades of research into the structure and regulation of the intestinal epithelium, which forms the gut barrier preventing allergens, toxins, and pathogens from entering the bloodstream.

$3.9 MILLION

A four-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to Diana Dedmon, DNP, assistant professor and director of Clinical Affairs in the College of Nursing, for a mobile health unit that will provide health care to two rural counties in Tennessee and allow the college to integrate rural health education into its undergraduate and graduate programs.

$2.84 MILLION

From the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to Kenneth Ataga, MD, director of the Center for Sickle Cell Disease at UTHSC, for a project that enlists artificial intelligence in the fight against sickle cell disease. Santosh Saraf, MD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is a co-PI on the grant, which will use AI for predicting kidney function decline in sickle cell patients.

Dr. Altha Stewart Awarded the 2022 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the country’s leading non-governmental funder of mental health research grants, awarded Altha J. Stewart, MD, senior associate dean for Community Health Engagement and associate professor of psychiatry in the UTHSC College of Medicine, the 2022 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health. Dr. Stewart was described as “a pioneering voice in America about structural racism and its impact on mental health treatment for people of color.”

BEING OF SERVICE

27,575

The number of hours of community service completed by 1,470 volunteers in 2022. The service efforts had an estimated total economic impact of $970,445 spread across the state. Major areas of focus included COVID-19 and flu vaccination, health education, food insecurity, and clinical service learning.

MEMPHIS

Our dental students performed 965 dental procedures, valued at $29,365, at no cost for middle and high school students from Freedom Preparatory Academy in Memphis during Give Kids a Smile Day in February. The College of Dentistry has put on the event for roughly a decade.

The sixth-annual Rachel Kay Stevens Therapy Center Art Show and Auction raised $5,700 in 2022, surpassing the original fundraising goal of $4,000. The funds will support the student-run, pro-bono therapy center, which provides occupational therapy services to children who would not otherwise be able to afford services.

The UTHSC Health Hub provided 562 health coaching sessions to the community in 2022. Opened in October 2021, the hub in Uptown Memphis offers screenings for obesity, diabetes, and hypertension; health coaching; referrals to primary, specialty, and mental health care; free classes in healthy cooking, diabetes management, and exercise; and community outreach through health fairs and vaccination drives.

Approximately 130 people have had their sight restored since the UTHSC Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI) began holding its Ivan Marais Cataract-A-Thon in 2017. During the fifth-annual event in 2022, HEI physicians provided free screening, surgery, and follow-up care for about two dozen individuals who otherwise could not afford the procedure.

The campus cupboard, the on-campus UTHSC food pantry feeds an average of 641 people per month and has distributed 61,000 pounds of food to the UTHSC community since opening in 2021.

KNOXVILLE

An average of 35–40 patients receive free medical care each Monday from Graduate School of Medicine students and residents at the East Knox Free Medical Clinic.

The Department of Family Medicine raised $2,500 for their pantry that offers essential supplies like clothing and food to their patients in need. The department also collected and donated 282 items to Compassion Closet, a non-profit organization that provides clothing and supplies to foster children and foster parents.

Faculty and students in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology conducted 1,500 hearing screenings in 2022 in preschools, private schools, and public schools in the East Tennessee region.

CHATTANOOGA

Our students offered coaching and mentoring to 42 potential future doctors through the Future Docs and Medical Explorations programs, sponsored collaboratively by the Chattanooga Hamilton Medical Society and the College of Medicine – Chattanooga. The programs offer high school seniors, graduates, and undergraduates the opportunity to get an up-close look at the practice of medicine.

The College of Medicine – Chattanooga faculty and students helped teach approximately 25 high school students the core required topics for certification programs for sterilization technicians, medical assistants, EKG technicians, and phlebotomists. The program is put on by the Erlanger Health Institute in collaboration with Howard High School.

Through our dedication to service, UTHSC is able to expand our footprint and network of partnerships, while addressing the health challenges of our communities across the state.

UTHSC’s presence in the community was recognized by the Collierville Chamber of Commerce as its 2022 Health Care Provider of the Year for “maintaining an incredible current presence in the area.”

TRANSITIONS

We welcomed several outstanding individuals, who will direct our strategic clinical partnerships across the state, build our philanthropic efforts, and lead our College of Pharmacy into the future. We are thrilled to have them on our team.

Brigitte Grant, MBA

A seasoned advancement leader in public academic health science, higher education, and non-profit organizations, Brigitte Grant is the new vice chancellor for Advancement at UTHSC. Her appointment comes at a particularly strategic point, as the UTHSC advancement team has had increasing success in raising UTHSC’s philanthropic profile and amplifying its reach and impact across Tennessee.

Grant received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Illinois State University and an MBA from Bradley University. She has held development positions at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as over 20 years with the Children’s Home Association of Illinois. Most recently, Grant was instrumental in the completion of a $500 million campaign at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, including the establishment of over 100 new endowments and a transformational gift of $25 million.

“Dr. Peter Buckley is setting a bold vision for UTHSC, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to engage with constituents and leverage partnerships across the state to bring that vision to life.”

Reginald F. Frye, PharmD, PhD, FCCP

Reginald F. Frye, PharmD, PhD, FCCP, a renowned academic leader in pharmacogenetics, is the new dean of the UTHSC College of Pharmacy. Dr. Frye comes to UTHSC from the University of Florida (UF) College of Pharmacy, where he was a professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research. He also served as the associate dean for Faculty Development in the college at UF.

He succeeds Marie Chisholm-Burns, PharmD, MPH, MBA, FCCP, FASHP, FAST, who left the UTHSC College of Pharmacy in July after 10 years as the dean to become the executive vice president and provost of Oregon Health & Science University.

“The UTHSC College of Pharmacy has an outstanding reputation with many strengths in research, clinical practice, and pharmacy education, so it was a good fit for me. Dean Chisholm-Burns built an excellent foundation that we can build on.”

Paul J. Wesolowski, MBA

Paul J. Wesolowski, MBA, an accomplished health care leader, is the first-ever vice chancellor for Strategic Partnerships at UTHSC. The new position reflects UTHSC’s commitment to strengthening and expanding the clinical, educational, and all strategic partnerships across the state that are vital to its mission to improve the health of all Tennesseans.

Wesolowski has more than 35 years of experience in hospital and health care leadership, administration, and management. He served as the senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System in Richmond from 2017 to 2022, where he was responsible for $1.7 billion in managed services and 8,500 full-time employees. Prior to that, he was the vice president for professional services at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals of the VCU Health System from 2012-2017.

“I think it is a unique opportunity to really build and improve health care for all Tennesseans. There is huge strategic potential in UT Health Science Center’s having partnerships with multiple hospitals, because we can cover a broader geographic region and offer our trainees so many excellent opportunities.”

TRANSITIONS (cont.)

James W. Haynes, MD, MBA, FAAFP

James W. Haynes, MD, MBA, FAAFP, a family medicine physician and a more-than-20-year veteran of the United States Air Force, was named dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine – Chattanooga. Dr. Haynes served as the interim dean in Chattanooga since December 2021.

The College of Medicine – Chattanooga includes 400 faculty members, approximately 190 residents and fellows, and approximately 250 students, who rotate through for training annually, he said.

“Building upon 50 years and the good relations we’ve had with Erlanger (Health System), we can build a strong health care system that provides care to all the citizens of our community, North Georgia, Western North Carolina, and northeast Alabama.”

Robert M. Craft, MD

Robert M. Craft, MD, was named the interim dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine in Knoxville. Dr. Craft also serves as senior vice president and chief academic officer of the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he completed his residency in 1993 after a fellowship in neuroanesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic.

“As a native Tennessean and alumnus of three UT campuses, I consider this role as a career capstone that fills me with thankfulness for the University of Tennessee and a strong desire to ably serve my alma mater in this capacity.”

The College of Medicine announced new leadership for its campuses in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Thank you, Dr. Ken Brown

Executive Vice Chancellor and COO Kennard Brown retired from UTHSC, after more than 25 years of leadership. The renovated Mooney Library Building and the adjacent Crowe, Nash, and Nash Annex Buildings in the Historic Quadrangle stand as a testament to his imagination, inspiration, perseverance, and dedication to the university he has served for most of his career.

The Quadrangle, along with so many other buildings on the Memphis campus — the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation, the Pharmacy Building, the Cancer Research Center, the Translational Science Research Building, the Plough Center for Sterile Drug Delivery Solutions — bear witness to Dr. Brown’s tenure at UTHSC. However, he leaves much more than bricks and mortar.

As the executive vice chancellor and chief operations officer, Dr. Brown led the daily operations of the campus for the better part of two decades. He led the launch of UTHSC’s 2014 Master Plan for Growth, which outlined new buildings to meet expanding academic, research, clinical care, and support needs. It also included improved pedestrian routes, well-designed green spaces and landscaping, prominent signage, renovated buildings, demolition of obsolete buildings, and updated housing options. With the Master Plan, $10 million to $15 million in demolition, as well as up to $400 million in construction has been accomplished, including the new $45 million Delta Dental of Tennessee Building.

“Whether a dean or a donor, you could always rely on him for answers, as well as follow-through. Ken was also an exceptional leader, and his legacy will be that he ensured not only the Memphis campus was run in top condition, but also projects at the extended campuses, like UT Medical Center and the speech pathology campus in Knoxville. Ken has been a great friend and, while I know UTHSC will miss him, he has certainly earned this retirement, and we wish him all the best!”

– UTHSC Advisory Board Chair Phil Wenk

GIVING BACK

From the inaugural Family Campaign to our 3rd-annual Giving Day, philanthropy is critical for supporting and advancing UTHSC’s efforts to improve health care statewide.

PHILANTHROPY NUMBERS

• Since December 2022, UTHSC has increased fundraising efforts by more than 360%

• $26.5 Million Total raised as of May 1, 2023

• 4,556 Number of donors

• Proposals funded: 120 funded proposals in the amount of $18,239,816

• 28 Endowments created

124% Donations (surpassing the original goal of 1,100)

>1,200

Surpassed goal for donors by this amount

$635,000

620 Estimated raised Donors (more than original goal of 500)

THANK YOU TO OUR UTHSC ADVISORY BOARD!

Faculty Senate Elected

Philip Wenk, DDS, chair

Natalie Tate, PharmD, MBA

Randall A. Davis, MD

Terrance Cooper, PhD

Elizabeth Evans Dept. of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions

Anthony A. Ferrara, CPA, MAS

Josh J. Wayman Student Representative

Gubernatorial Appointment Secretary

WORDS OF WISDOM

FROM OUR STUDENTS

Jon Pat Ransom

Second-year student in the College of Medicine, on how UTHSC is preparing him for his career:

“UTHSC has really set me up for success. As I have gone through my second year, going into my clinical rotations, everything has been amazing. I am really thankful and looking forward to all of the opportunities that UTHSC has given me and set me up for.”

Shelby Schultz

Third-year College of Dentistry student, on her time at UTHSC:

“It’s been lovely. It really feels like a family. I’ve been very fortunate to have professors who are just as passionate about dentistry as they are about helping us learn and figure out what works best for us.”

Perri Johnson

PhD student in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, on his experience at UTHSC:

“Being in this graduate program exposed me to biomechanics, a field I had never heard of before. I am pushed outside of my comfort zone every day, and although it can be challenging, I enjoy it, and it forces me to grow.”

Brianna Hawkins

PharmD/MBA candidate in the College of Pharmacy Class of 2023, on why she chose UTHSC:

“When I came on campus for the interview, I felt like I was home, and I know other students feel the same way. UTHSC was an easy choice for me because it encourages students to pursue opportunities that will help them in their future careers.”

FROM OUR STUDENTS WORDS OF WISDOM

Matt Davis

Traditional BSN student, on the education he’s receiving in the College of Nursing:

“It is very surprising to me how much thought and engagement is put into our education here compared to my prior educational experiences. There are so many tools here available to help you to succeed, it can be hard to choose which tools to use. There are so many opportunities for you to succeed here.”

Jasmine Becton

Student in the College of Health Professions, on her experience in the new Pathologists’ Assistant Program:

“It’s very rigorous and time-consuming, but I love it. The instructors are very encouraging, and they’re great teachers. They explain things in a way that we get, and even if we don’t get it on the first try, they’ve given us their contact information, so we can contact them with any questions we’re struggling with.”

“This institution has a great historic presence and a positive future ahead of it.”

Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD