FALL 2018
MEDICINE
A Distinguished Past, A Bright Future
UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Kennard Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE Robert Kaplan Executive Dean Scott E. Strome, MD, FACS Campus Dean, Chattanooga Bruce Shack, MD Campus Dean, Knoxville Paul J. Hauptman, MD Campus Dean, Memphis Scott E. Strome, MD, FACS Campus Dean, Nashville Greg James, MD Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs Love Collins, III, MBA Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Bethany Goolsby, JD Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs Chandra Tuggle, MA Senior Director of Annual Giving and Advancement Services Jada Williams Senior Director of Development Kelly Davis Director of Development Stefani Aglikin Director of Development Jay Atkinson Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Sally Badoud, MBA Editor Peggy Reisser
Table of Contents Letter from Dean Strome............................................................................................2 Letter from Chancellor Schwab...............................................................................3 Letter from the Alumni Board President............................................................ 4 Dean Strome’s Vision....................................................................................................5 By The Numbers..............................................................................................................8 COM Encourages Mentoring...................................................................................10 Caring for the Well-Being of Students............................................................... 12 Student Outreach Helps the Homeless.............................................................. 14 Physician-Scientist Best of Two Worlds............................................................ 15 Physician Assistant Program Raises Profile .................................................... 18 Hauptman Named COM Knoxville Dean...........................................................20 New Faces in COM....................................................................................................... 21 CHIPS Opens New Chapter in Health Care Education.............................. 26 Exceptional Students................................................................................................. 28 COM in Brief................................................................................................................... 32 Congratulations to Our Graduates!.....................................................................34 Match Day 2018............................................................................................................. 37 Outstanding Alumni.................................................................................................... 38 Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Paul Blaylock.....................................................................44 Where are You Now, Thanks to UTHSC?.......................................................... 52 In Memoriam...................................................................................................................54
Contributing Writers Peggy Reisser Amber Carter Jackie Denton Chandra Harris-McCray Designer Adam Gaines Photographers Allen Gillespie Natalie Brewer Jackie Denton Steve Hambuchen On the cover: Students from the Class of 2022 received their white coats August 10, prior to beginning their training. Pictured front row, from left: Navila Sharif, Mounica Konjeti, Alexus Rias Back row, from left: Gregory Hurley, Bryan Berube, Michael Chen
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Letter from Dean Strome Dear Friends, I am excited and humbled by the tremendous privilege of joining the University of Tennessee Health Science Center family as the Robert Kaplan Executive Dean of the College of Medicine (COM) and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs! This time of transition affords each of us the opportunity to critically evaluate the central tenets of our collective mission – clinical practice, research, student education, and community outreach – preserving the finest features of our culture and adapting, where appropriate. In order to be effective, such targeted adaptation must be based on the knowledge and insight that can only be acquired by engaging in discussion with and actively listening to our leadership, alumni, faculty, trainees, staff, and hospital partners at all of our statewide campuses. To this end, I hope to soon meet with as many of you as possible, to hear your ideas and to solicit your collective participation, as we continue to bolster our position as a leader in the medical sphere.
Respectfully,
Scott E. Strome, MD, FACS Robert Kaplan Executive Dean of the College of Medicine
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Letter from Chancellor Schwab This is an exciting time for the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, as we welcome Scott Strome, MD, the new Robert Kaplan Executive Dean. He brings impressive credentials as an educator, administrator, clinician, researcher, and biotech developer. And he has great plans to amplify the College of Medicine’s contributions to the university’s educational, clinical, research, and community service missions. Certainly, the future for the College of Medicine looks bright under his leadership. We are also proud to welcome Paul Hauptman, MD, who joins UTHSC as the dean of the Knoxville campus of the College of Medicine. He comes to us from St. Louis University School of Medicine, and brings outstanding expertise in internal medicine, solid administrative skills, and extensive clinical trial experience. It is also an exciting time for the university as a whole. In May, we opened the doors of our new Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation in Memphis. With the latest in technology and a collaborative, team-based training model, every day we are making sure our graduates will be ready to deliver the best care possible in the future. I am happy to share a few other recent achievements. A new Economic Impact Report shows UTHSC contributed a record $4 billion to the state’s economy in Fiscal Year 2017. In addition, enrollment, graduation rates, and first-time board pass rates continue to climb. We have successfully recruited many top-tier faculty and researchers to the university, and our outstanding faculty and students have supported the community with hundreds of volunteer hours and free health services for the underserved. We are proud of all the accomplishments. We are look to the future. And we are grateful for the continued engagement and support from you, our wonderful alumni, in all we do.
Sincerely,
Steve J. Schwab, MD
Letter from the Alumni President Dear Fellow Alumni, As I approach the end of my tenure as president of the College of Medicine Alumni Council, I want to express my appreciation for the honor and privilege of representing you for the past two years. Our Alumni Board meets biannually and serves as the voice of our alumni in order to ensure that our heritage remains one of which we can forever be proud. We are extremely fortunate to have had outstanding administrative leadership, which is reflected in the beautiful structural makeover of our Memphis campus over the past several years. With the more recent establishment of the Nashville campus, in addition to the previously existing campuses in Knoxville and Chattanooga, our College of Medicine is present across Tennessee and beyond. The quality of our matriculating medical school classes and the success in obtaining postgraduate training continue to steadily improve and compete favorably with peer institutions. It is not surprising that I have witnessed a progressive increase in passion and enthusiasm from my fellow alumni over the past two years. On your behalf, I am excited to welcome Dr. Scott Strome as the recently announced Robert Kaplan Executive Dean of the College of Medicine. He has outstanding credentials, and we look forward to his leadership with great anticipation. He will certainly be a part of upcoming alumni events. I encourage you to make every effort to attend these events in the future and experience the amazing changes on the Memphis campus, while also getting the chance to talk with college leaders and reminisce with fellow alumni. In closing, let me remind each of us of our important responsibility to ensure that we are always proud of our College of Medicine by considering opportunities to guarantee its future with our time, talents, and financial support. Certainly, the latter is important in our remaining competitive with our peer institutions, but our participation in other areas, such as the Alumni Council, gives us an important voice in administrative decisions that impact our College of Medicine. We can, and should, make a difference in our heritage. Again, thank you for allowing me to be your president, and I look forward to seeing you at future alumni events.
Sincerely,
Leonard H. Hines, MD ’64 President UTHSC College of Medicine Alumni Council
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Dean Scott Strome participated in the 2018 White Coat Ceremony congratulating new medical students at the start of their training.
New Dean Sees Great Strengths, Opportunities for College of Medicine By Peggy Reisser
Scott Strome, MD, FACS, the new Robert Kaplan Executive Dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine, traces his love of research back to his days as a medical student at Harvard University doing animal modeling for his father, Marshall Strome, MD, MS, FACS, who performed the first human voice box transplant. “It was really neat to be able to see my dad’s vision for transplanting a human voice transformed into patient care,” Dean Strome said. “That was actually what spurred my interest in research.”
The new dean brings research, academic, clinical, and administrative expertise to UTHSC. A respected cancer surgeon and investigator, he comes to UTHSC from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), where he served as a professor and chair of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (OTO-HNS) for 13 years. “For me, this is a really tremendous opportunity to help shape the research, educational, clinical, and outreach missions of the school,” he said. “I was looking for a place UTHSC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | FALL 2018
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Dean Strome has vowed to continue expanding UTHSC’s clinical mission. Pictured here, is the latest group of endocrinology Fellows, ready to carry out the university’s clinical mission.
that already had many strengths, but also had room for someone to build.”
tenure, I’d like to start us down the path of reducing medical student tuition.”
At UTHSC, Dean Strome said he will focus on all the university’s missions. In education, he plans to develop new ways to help students learn the vast amount of knowledge they need to obtain during medical school and to sculpt their educational experience to fit with their career goals.
He said the college’s statewide reach positions it to help open the door of medical school to students who may consider it beyond their reach. “We should be responsive to the communities in which we live and practice. We need to ensure that this responsibility transcends the actual practice of medicine – instilling in kids, who may not think about a career in medicine, the belief that there is a place for them in medicine and that they are welcome. The foundations for a medical career must start at the grade school level. So, I really hope that in addition to providing care for the community, we can become integrated into some of the grade school programs, enabling us to influence children’s lives and expand their horizons, no matter what their background and independent of what they can afford.”
“We want to teach the medical students to be lifelong learners,” he said. “What is the best way to do that? Working with the entire educational team, we will develop strategies conducive to each student’s needs and individual goals, so that they truly enjoy the learning process and continually seek out means to advance their knowledge.” Dean Strome said he is passionate about finding ways to reduce the cost of medical education, which he believes can deter potential students from applying and lead to long-term debt that contributes to physician dissatisfaction. “I want to make certain that everybody within the state and outside the state as well, if they want to be a doctor and they have the requirements, they have the opportunity,” he said. He has been a mentor for students and supported efforts to reduce medical student debt at UMSOM. “In my perfect world, medical school would be free,” he said. “While we won’t accomplish this goal during my 6
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As a clinician, Dean Strome has particular expertise in the treatment of head and neck tumors, thyroid cancer, and diseases of the anterior skull base. His plan is to expand UTHSC’s clinical operation, while focusing on quality patient outcomes and cutting-edge advancements and technologies. He intends to continue his research and seeing patients, as he believes these activities will make him a more effective leader. “The culture of UTHSC is not a mysterious thing – the culture is every person who works at the university, and unless you are part of that, you can’t influence it,” he said.
The Physician Assistant Program, new to the College of Medicine, will help expand UTHSC’s clinical reach.
As a researcher, he is the founder and former co-leader of the program in tumor immunology and immunotherapy in the University of Maryland’s comprehensive cancer center. He has been a National Institutes of Healthfunded researcher and is the co-founder of Gliknik Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics to treat cancer and autoimmunity. Highlights of his research career include his roles in helping to define the translational potential of manipulating PDL-1: PD-1 interactions for the treatment of cancer – discoveries that are being employed for the treatment of patients with malignant disease – as well as the development of a new class of drugs for the treatment of autoimmune/ inflammatory diseases. “I’m really excited to grow the research portfolio of the school, to expand the entrepreneurial opportunities within the school, to refine the educational activities of the students, and to partner with the community to ensure that we are addressing local health care needs,” he said. Dean Strome received his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston. He completed his internship and residency at University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, and a fellowship in OTO-HNS reconstruction at Alleghany Health Education and Research Foundation in Philadelphia.
He has been an associate consultant of otorhinolaryngology at the Mayo Clinic, and an assistant professor and an associate professor of OTOHNS at Mayo Medical School. He joined University of Maryland Medical School in 2005, and in addition to serving as professor and chair of the Department Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, he has held a secondary appointment as a professor of immunology and microbiology. He was interim chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Department of Dermatology. “I’m very excited by this opportunity,” he said. “In this stage of my career, I am hoping to have a positive impact on the UTHSC COM. The COM really has a fantastic foundation on which to build, and I’m excited to work with everyone to help them fulfill our mission to enhance the public good.” UTHSC Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Ken Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE, who chaired the search committee, said the university is very fortunate to have been able to recruit Dean Strome. “From an extraordinary pool of exceptionally wellqualified candidates, Dr. Strome was hands down the best of the very best,” Dr. Brown said. “I have no doubt our history will reflect his coming here to be another pivotal time in our successful evolution.”
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By the Numbers
730 STUDENTS
1285
INTERNS/RESIDENTS
90
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINEES/FELLOWS
1213
FULL AND PART-TIME FACULTY
2283
VOLUNTEER AND AFFILIATED FACULTY
237
USMLE STEP 1 AVERAGE SCORE
244 USMLE STEP 2
AVERAGE SCORE
155
$72.3 MILLION
CLASS OF 2018
FY 2017 SPONSORED PROJECTS AND RESEARCH GRANTS*
3.6 GPA
$35 MILLION
MD DEGREES AWARDED
ACADEMIC AVERAGE
FEDERAL GRANT AWARDS ALL COM* *Source: UTHSC Office of Research
Students from each MPOWER house became acquainted during orientation activities. Pictured here are members of the Diggs House.
COM Encourages Mentoring with Learning Communities By Jackie Denton Even before she was in her current position, Susan Brewer, MD, knew she wanted to bring learning communities to students in the College of Medicine. Once she became associate dean for Student Affairs, Dr. Brewer set a plan in motion. The UTHSC MPOWER program was born, with collaboration from faculty and staff, including Matthew Ennis, PhD, MA, professor and chair of Anatomy and Neurobiology; Courtney Cook, MA, director of Career Counseling; Taylor Smith, MA, senior administrative services assistant; Debbey Hester, program coordinator and Student Affairs veteran, as well as with students and members of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Through MPOWER, each entering cohort belongs to a community that will follow them from orientation to graduation, fostering academic excellence by exploring six dimensions of wellness — occupational, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional. During orientation, students are sorted according to backgrounds into team-based learning groups and then paired into MPOWER Houses. Each house will have a diverse group of students with different strengths and interests. The houses, named after notable UTHSC alumni and faculty, are the Conyers York House, Crawford House, Diggs House, and Seddon House.
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“We knew that we wanted to have something that students had a big part of,” Dr. Brewer said. Andrew Johnston, MD, and Tyler Emerson, MD, who graduated in May, and fourth-year medical student Colby Passaro were involved in developing MPOWER. They wanted the program to capitalize on the already strong tradition of mentoring among students in the College of Medicine. Organizers eventually decided the program would focus on mentoring, but also professionalism, opportunity, wellness, excellence, and research. “We wanted to make mentoring and professionalism a big part of it,” Dr. Brewer said. “There was a wellness curriculum that was developing independently that we incorporated into this. Research was another. There is a demand for access to research programs for students, and we wanted to make it a lot easier.” Dr. Ennis leads the research focus of the learning communities. He has recruited faculty and identified funding resources for students interested in research. The SCORE (Student Committee on Research in Education) website will be updated with available resources for students. Since mentorship is at the heart of MPOWER, each house has at least seven faculty mentors, who will meet oneon-one with M1 students to discuss professional and personal development. Each faculty adviser will also have a support team of 15 to 17 second- through fourth-year medical students, who serve as peer advisers and address the demands and stresses of daily academic life and career choice
The MPOWER Houses Crawford House In 1964, Alvin Crawford, MD, became the first AfricanAmerican graduate of the UTHSC College of Medicine. Dr. Crawford is an award-winning pediatric orthopedic physician specializing in treating scoliosis and spine abnormalities. Students from the Conyers York House gathered during orientation.
Two resident mentors serve in leadership roles within each house. Other mentors from various years will also be available. “The goal for mentors is there are different seasons and different issues that you need to navigate as a medical student,” Dr. Johnston said. “We thought, the more information and the more people we can get in front of students to talk about those transitions and how to do that well and how to navigate those stressors, the more successful we will be. All of us are very excited for this new system, and hopefully it will help students in the College of Medicine be successful in many ways.” As part of house identity and cohesiveness, students will have the opportunity to adopt a charity or outreach and participate in a community service or fund-raising project. This will be a competition among the houses. “Not only will students benefit from the learning communities, but the Memphis community will benefit as well,” said Cook, from career counseling. Activities are planned throughout the year, including a minimum of four social gatherings to foster social wellness. Several sessions will focus on wellness topics through large-group sessions, peer-to-peer sessions, and house activities with guest speakers. The Class of 2021 was the first cohort to benefit from the program, still in its development stage. “With our rising M2 (Class of 2021), they are remaining in the learning community until they graduate,” Cook said. “It’s not just something for their first year. Their third- and fourth-year schedule may not necessarily align, but they will still have the support and resources available to them.” This fall, the program is fully implemented with the entering cohort. Hopes are that through successes, the program will receive funding from the university. “I envision a time where our learning communities have designated spaces where they can meet,” Dr. Brewer said. “I would really love to see that in the future.”
Conyers York House Admitted to the College of Medicine at age 32, Sara Conyers York, MD, was the first women to graduate with a medical degree from UTHSC. Dr. Conyers York graduated first in her class in 1913 and promptly became an instructor in physiology for both the College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy and an instructor in pharmacology for the College of Medicine
Diggs House Lemuel W. Diggs, MD, started at then-UT-Memphis in 1929 and spent most of his career as a faculty member of the Pathology Institute, investigating sickle cell anemia. He encountered patients suffering from sickle cell disease in his first few days on the job and went on to make it his life’s work. His abiding interest led to the country’s first comprehensive research center on sickle cell disease established at UT-Memphis in 1971.
Seddon House A trailblazer for advancing women in medicine, Rhea Seddon, MD, became one of the first six women accepted by NASA and the first female surgeon in space. An alumna of the College of Medicine, Class of 1973, Dr. Seddon worked for NASA for 19 years.
COM students formed Tempus Tibi, a group that helped them socialize and share experiences. Front (left to right) Hannah Lin, Selam Tesema, Alex Galloway | Back (left to right) Hannah Ashitey, Anh Vo, Molly Shankles, Kelsey Bastian, George Davies, Sienna Nelson
UTHSC College of Medicine Cares for Well-Being of Students By Peggy Reisser
Soon after starting her clinical rotations in 2017, third-year College of Medicine student Anh Vo felt something was missing. The clinical work was stressful, she didn’t get to see her classmates, and everything seemed new and unfamiliar. She approached her faculty adviser with an idea — starting an informal group meeting where medical classmates could periodically get together, share experiences, participate in a fun and creative activity not related to their studies, and in general decompress. Thus, Tempus Tibi, (Time for You), was born. Co-founded by Vo and classmate, Alex Galloway, the group, which meets one Sunday a month, is just one of the growing efforts by students and faculty in the College of Medicine to humanize the rigors of medical education. From student gatherings, to meditation, to mentoring, to reflective writing, the emphasis on student well-being is becoming part of medical training. “It has become part of the curriculum now, which to me is a very, very encouraging development,” said Renate Rosenthal, PhD. She was clerkship director for psychiatry for more than 25 years and now is assistant dean for behavioral science integration. “It’s something that we did not used to pay attention to, but I think with increasing awareness of the emotional toll that it takes to become a physician and how stressful the whole medical care 12
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system has become, we really want to encourage our students to take a deep breath and reflect on what they’re going through and what they’re feeling and reach out to each other to get some help and affirmation and share some of that stuff, instead of just feeling inadequate and that they’re the only one who is having a problem.” One of the best examples of this is Janus, an annual literary journal produced by UTHSC medical students and filled with prose and poetry reflecting their medical training. For many years, at the end of anatomy training on cadavers, there has been a tradition called the Cadaver Ceremony. Each M1 class designs its own ceremony, which always includes writing something about their cadavers — who they might have been, what their lives were like, what the training taught them. The writing has been insightful, elegant, and often cathartic. So good, in fact, that students decided to compile selected pieces into a journal they called Janus. The first issue, Reflections on Anatomy, roughly five years ago, was published online, with only a few print copies. For each subsequent issue, the Janus editorial board invited submissions from the entire COM student body. The latest issue, Expectations vs. Reality, is a print journal, now paid for the by the College of Medicine, with 15 student essays, poems, and some artwork. They present an interesting portrait of the students, who are the future of medicine.
“Why is it more important to know the person a disease has, rather than the disease the person has?” wrote Hannah Lowenberg. ”The person’s disease is only part of their story.” “Medical school is not just a journey to a dream — it is the dream,” wrote Janyn Quiz. Omar Tamula, co-editor of this year’s Janus, wrote, “The Short White Coat is seasoned with experience now and remembers that summer when it all felt ‘life and death.’ Unlike his past inexperienced self, he is proud he went through the summer because of the fortitude he gained from it.” Tamula graduated in May and is doing his residency in neurology at Wake Forest School of Medicine. “The tasks have not gotten any easier, but I think the willingness to sit back and take a deep breath and figure out what all of this means has really increased in the student body,” Dr. Rosenthal said. “We have very talented students, who before they went to medical school, have written for student papers, some have received awards for their poetry,” she said. “There is all kinds of talent that we don’t know about that goes completely underground when they start medical school, because they get occupied with learning medicine and that’s pretty much the beginning and the end of it. So it’s really important to have a vehicle for students, who are interested in expressing themselves, where they can do that and share their perceptions with others. I think that’s a very important service.” It’s also important to their health and well-being. “There is scientific evidence that writing about things that you’re struggling with is helpful in sorting it out,” Dr. Rosenthal said. “When you see the different contributions, some of them are quite clearly attempts to sort things out by writing about them. Some of them are not, just creative things they want to share.”
Tempus Tibi founder Anh Vo was also co-editor of the latest issue of Janus. She is currently at Yale School of Public Health pursuing a master’s degree, after which she will return to UTHSC for her fourth year of medical school. She has left Tempus Tibi in the capable hands of M4 Alex Galloway and several new M3 student volunteers. Vo said she intends to continue writing for Janus when she returns to UTHSC and hopes the publication and other efforts to provide creative outlets for medical students continue to grow in the college. “Contributing to Janus is a great way to encourage younger M1s and M2s to incorporate things like reflection in their lives,” Vo said. “I hope we have more submissions, and I hope that in addition to submissions, they encourage our peers to reflect and write down our experiences,” she continued. “It may not be submissions, but just their personal journals, someplace they can jot their thoughts down. It’s one of the missions of Janus, to encourage this on campus. It doesn’t necessarily mean that everything anyone writes will be submitted, it’s more the process, I guess, than the finished product.” Tempus Tibi provided an avenue for reflection, discussion, and encouragement in the face of third-year challenges, Galloway said. “I’m thankful and excited to see that the College of Medicine has taken a great interest in promoting student wellness,” he said. “Our monthly meetings helped me maintain a sense of balance, and I’m thankful for the community that developed around a shared interest in humanism and wellness. As I look towards residency, I will seek out and work to develop similar communities wherever I am.”
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COM Students Offer Help to the Homeless By Amber Carter When UTHSC medical students discovered there was no service organization on campus that focused on the homeless community in Memphis, they sprang into action. They created Memphis Street Health, a community health initiative that provides health care education and access to the homeless. “Our vision is to seek out homeless individuals on the streets of Memphis and provide them with continual pointof-care medical attention as an avenue to build individual relationships and highlight each person’s unique value to the community,” said fourth-year medical student and Memphis Street Health co-president Hanna Akalu. “It falls in line with our mission statement: ‘As long as people live outdoors on our streets, along our riverbanks, and in our abandoned buildings, Memphis Street Health will provide access to health care that meets their unique needs.’ ” Some of the projects Memphis Street Health organizes or supports are the Monthly Foot Clinic, Family Promise Clinic, Room in the Inn, and Meals on Heels. The foot clinic was established because the homeless population is more at risk for poor foot health from overuse,
lack of adequate foot protection, and extreme weather conditions. Memphis Street Health provides the homeless with warm foot baths, new socks, and foot health education. “A sizable number of homeless people are also suffering from morbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, alcoholism, and injuries that further complicate their foot health,” said co-president Coleman Breland, also a fourthyear medical student. The group volunteers with Family Promise, an organization whose mission is to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a communitybased response. This involves providing transitional housing at participating local churches, connecting families to vital resources, and getting families into permanent housing. For the past two winters, Memphis Street Health has joined forces with Calvary Episcopal Church in downtown Memphis for its Room in the Inn shelter program. Volunteers help set up and serve dinner for the guests during the overnight stay at the church on Sundays. “My favorite thing about being a part of this group is that what we do isn’t just a mental exercise or theoretical benefit to others,” said Robert Elrod, M4. “Whether it is scrubbing feet at the Foot Clinic or performing physicals for Family Promise, we are getting to do that fundamental thing that many of us got into medicine to do in the first place — using our minds and hands to help someone else in need. During these years of academic inundation, it’s a powerful thing to remain acquainted with the human touch and experience the good that can come from simply spending time with someone.” Meals on Heels is Memphis Street Health’s version of Meals on Wheels. Students pack healthy sack lunches to provide balanced meals for the homeless. “One of the great parts of Memphis Street Health is the relationships that students get to form,” Akalu said. “When a student volunteers on a regular basis, they are bound to see familiar faces every month. Because of this, the students and the individuals being served form a unique relationship. Most medical students and homeless people do not have the opportunity to interact with each other in this manner, so it is a wonderful thing that Memphis Street Health provides this type of opportunity.”
Photo from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/Seth Dixon
“I wanted to be a doctor long before I wanted to do research. When I realized I could do both, I said, ‘that’s for me.’ ” Jacob Basham, M4
For Some, Physician-Scientist Route Best of Both Worlds By Peggy Reisser Jacob Basham knew he wanted to be a physician. That is, until a summer stint in a research lab on campus opened his eyes to another possibility — becoming a physician-scientist. “I wanted to be a doctor long before I wanted to do research,” said Basham, a fourth-year student in the UTHSC College of Medicine. “When I realized I could do both, I said, ‘that’s for me.’ ” At age 29, Basham will graduate in the spring. He plans to pursue a pediatric residency, and eventually do pediatric hematology and immunology research.
“The idea of going into the operating room and helping one person or two or three or four or five that day, is great, but what if you can find something out in a lab that can change millions of people’s lives simultaneously,” Basham said. “That is a really big deal. It seems dreamy, but I’ve always been kind of like, maybe I’ll figure it out, why not try?” A long and arduous journey, the dual academic pursuit isn’t for everyone. Basham has already spent two years as a Fellow of the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute working on T-cell biology research in a lab at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He put his medical UTHSC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | FALL 2018
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school training on hold after taking his Step 1 exam, did the research stint, and then returned for third-year clerkships and all the work necessary to move toward graduation.
Some were very engaged in their communities, churches, or other civic duties, he said. Others had leadership positions in their practices or hospitals. Still others, chose a path of academic research and teaching.
But for those who love both the clinical and research aspects of medicine, it is worth it.
“I think the universal force that we are reacting to is that patient care is very challenging, and over the course of a career, without some other aspect to our careers, we are at risk for burnout or otherwise risk losing the spark that is so necessary to engage in patient care,” Dr. Hayes said. “Once I saw that so clearly, I made a decision to engage actively in career development, even in medical school, that built a foundation of an academic career.”
According to the Physician-Scientist Workforce Report from the National Institutes of Health, while the percentage of the overall biomedical workforce has been steadily decreasing since the 1970s, the number of physician-scientists with medical degrees has remained steady over the past few decades. That’s the good news. The bad news is the average age of the physicianscientist workforce is rising and diversity in the ranks is not where it should be. To improve the picture, the NIH report recommended sustaining strong support for the training of MD/ PhDs, establishing pilot grant programs to improve and/or shorten training for physician-scientists, and strengthening efforts to increase diversity in the physician-scientist workforce. Neil Hayes, MD, PhD, is a clinician and a researcher. “There are many physician- scientists who play both roles, and I am an example,” he said. “We see patients part of the week, and execute our research, teaching, and administrative duties the rest of the week.” Dr. Hayes is the scientific director of the UT/West Institute for Cancer Research, and the Van Vleet Endowed Professor in Medical Oncology in the Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology–Oncology). He has secondary appointments in the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics and the Department of Preventive Medicine in the College of Medicine. “In fact, most clinicians will wear more than one hat through the course of their careers,” he said. “I witnessed this early in my medical Dr. Neil Hayes school training, when I noticed that after 10 to 15 years in practice, many physicians seemed to seek out some angle to their professional lives in addition to patient care.” 16
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Dr. Hayes is a principal investigator, along with collaborators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on the Cancer Genome Atlas, the largest comprehensive and coordinated effort to understand cancer at a molecular level using genome analysis. Karen C. Johnson, MD, MPH, Endowed Professor of Women’s Health in the UTHSC Department of Preventive Medicine, said she became interested in research after medical school and an internal medicine residency. “l began to realize that there were questions that we didn’t have answers to, and I particularly got interested in how to prevent some of the diseases we were seeing,” she said, citing chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. After her internal medicine residency, she did a preventive medicine residency, and got a master’s of public health. “During this time, I began to understand the importance of research and the importance of study design and how to answer some specific questions, and that got me very interested in becoming a physician-epidemiologist,” she said. Dr. Johnson has brought more than $40 million in research dollars to UTHSC and is a principal investigator on several national funded research studies, including the UTHSC location of the Women’s Health Initiative, a landmark study that looked at diseases that affect women and changed the way hormone replacement therapy is prescribed for postmenopausal women around the world. She also led the UTHSC site for the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) to determine the best blood pressure for reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, changing the definition of high blood pressure and how people with hypertension are treated worldwide; as well as the UTHSC site of the TARGIT (Treating Adults at Risk for Weight Gain with Interactive Technology) study aimed at finding ways to help smokers stop smoking without gaining weight by using interactive technology.
AMONG COM RESEARCH NUMBERS: She thinks mentoring and training the next generation of physician-scientists is crucial. “When I was in medical school, we didn’t really train people how to do clinical trials,” she said. “It’s an additional step during medical school, and that’s where programs like our Master of Epidemiology, which Dr. Karen Johnson trains people how to do clinical trials, or the certificate in clinical research are helping clinicians learn how to do research.” UTHSC COM alumnus Eric Vick, MD, has just begun his first year as a resident in the physician-scientist training program in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine. He first got his PhD in immunology and microbiology, and then made the jump to medical school. At 29, he expects to be in Cincinnati about seven years, with residency, a fellowship, and dedicated research time on the way to becoming a hematology/ oncology researcher. He hopes eventually Dr. Eric Vick to help bring new and more effective oncology drugs to market to enhance the ability of the immune system to fight cancer. “When I came to medical school, it was my way to unite my two passions,” he said. “I wanted a more direct way to help treat people’s diseases. In a graduate school, it’s a very delayed gratification and you have no guarantee of success. In medicine, you have a direct impact, but you aren’t necessarily innovating treatment. As a physician-scientist you get the joy of doing both, you can innovate and treat.”
MEMPHIS CAMPUS
$4.4 MILLION
ANATOMY AND NEUROBIOLOGY
$2.2 MILLION
GENETICS, GENOMICS AND INFORMATICS
$5.6 MILLION MEDICINE
$3.5 MILLION
NEUROLOGY
$3.4 MILLION
OPHTHALMOLOGY
$6.2 MILLION
PEDIATRICS
$3.3 MILLION
PHARMACOLOGY
$7.0 MILLION PHYSIOLOGY
$5.2 MILLION
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
KNOXVILLE CAMPUS
$2.9 MILLION Source: UTHSC Office of Research
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The Physician Assistant program is raising its visibility through interprofessional training opportunities in the new Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation on the Memphis campus.
Physician Assistant Program Raises Profile on Campus, Across the State By Jackie Denton
Moving from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Health Professions into the College of Medicine was a critical turning point for the Physician Assistant (PA) program. Not only did it help the program increase its visibility to physicians on campus, it did the same with partner hospitals and clinics across the state. “As a physician who has been here since 1987, moving the PA program into the College of Medicine has really brought the program into light to the MD faculty,” said Stephanie Storgion, MD, FAAP, FCCM, chair and professor of the UTHSC PA Program. She said her first exposure to the PA profession was not until she was in her fellowship.
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“There’s a lot of excitement for our students from those MD faculty,” Dr. Storgion said. “We have faculty reaching out to us saying ‘Hey, do you have any PAs? When are they going to come out? Can they rotate with us? I really need to hire some of them.’ That’s exciting.” Relatively new to the field of medicine, the physician assistant profession was established in 1967 and celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2017. “The profession is fairly young,” said Kristopher Maday, MS, PA-C, program director and associate professor. “Some people still don’t understand what a PA does. And when students are in undergrad and high school,
when they think of medicine, they think doctor or nurse. There’s an entire gray zone that gives us an opportunity to recruit and get out to communities that need health care providers and find those individuals and ask them if they’ve thought about being a PA. They can then go back into those communities after they graduate.” With more than 400 million patient interactions per year, PAs can diagnose illnesses, prescribe medications, and often serve as the patient’s principal health care provider, with a majority of PAs practicing in outpatient offices or clinics. The PA program is also fairly new to the UTHSC campus, starting as a new program in 2014. Historically, PA programs across the country vary significantly. “When schools start a PA program, there’s not really a model you can follow and emulate,” said Kara Caruthers, MSPAS, PA-C, assistant program director, associate professor, and director of community engagement, diversity, and recruitment. “In PA education when you see one program, you see one program. Right now there are 256 PA programs, and there are 256 ways that is implemented. It depends on the community you are in, it depends on the support, and it depends on if it’s on an academic medical campus versus if you are a stand-alone program.” Dr. Storgion became chair in 2016, during the program’s transition into the College of Medicine. Over the past two years, she says the program has seen the stability it needed to position it for growth, including the recruitment of new faculty, Maday in 2017 and Caruthers in 2018. Both are involved nationally Dr. Stephanie Storgion with the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) and have bolstered the UTHSC program’s curriculum, online presence, and community engagement. “One of the main endeavors now is really revolving around visibility,” Maday said. “We want to make sure everyone on campus, not just here in Memphis, but across the region in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, all know we have a PA program here and we are trying to increase the PA presence in the state.”
Both Maday and Caruthers agree that being a part of the UT System, gives the program an opportunity to be visible to the undergraduate community throughout the state. Since the program is the only public PA program of the eight PA programs in Tennessee, exposure to the undergraduate communities in the UT System plays into increasing awareness and recruitment for the two-year program’s annual cohort of 30 students. The program is increasing visibility among other colleges and departments on campus by building the curriculum around collaboration. Interprofessional education in the new $39.7 million Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation has PA students interacting with pharmacy and medical students. Interaction with medical students is important because those same PA students may be hired by medical students with whom they interacted during training, once both are in practice, Maday said. Engagement in the community is vital for raising the visibility of the PAs and increasing the general public’s knowledge of who PAs are, according to Caruthers. Once a month for three hours, students volunteer at the newly opened Wellness & Stress Clinic of Memphis. Located in South Memphis, the clinic provides free services, including medical care, job placement, and food assistance to the Oakhaven community. She said this has helped the students understand the social determinants of health and the hardships that may be faced by patients in the communities where they practice. “Seeing it from a medical, clinical perspective is one thing, but what good is it to give someone a prescription for medicine if they can’t afford it because they don’t have a job, which means they may not even have insurance or even transportation,” Caruthers said. “When we have an opportunity where we can do those endeavors together as a group, that then goes out into the community and it spreads our reputation and what we are trying to do in other realms of medicine,” Maday said. As a collective effort, the program feels it is succeeding. Its first-time board pass rate for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) is at a three-year average of 96 percent and the program has a graduation rate of more than 93 percent. Among graduates surveyed after six months of graduation, more than 90 percent were employed full time. “We have really planted ourselves in the PA world,” Dr. Storgion said.
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Hauptman Named Dean of UT Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville Paul J. Hauptman, MD, a nationally recognized clinical investigator, was named dean of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM) in Knoxville. He also serves as senior vice president and chief academic officer of the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) in Knoxville. Dr. Hauptman comes to UTGSM and UTMC after 20 years with Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine, where he most recently was an assistant dean of Clinical and Translational Research, professor of internal medicine, and director of the heart failure program at Saint Louis University Hospital, as well as an adjunct professor in the College for Public Health and Social Justice. Prior to SLU, Dr. Hauptman held faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School. “This is an excellent opportunity for someone to take the campus to a new level, while recognizing the tremendous accomplishments and achievements of Dr. Neutens,” Dr. Hauptman said. James J. Neutens, PhD, FASHA, has been the dean of UTGSM for more than 10 years.
“I was very impressed during my visits to the campus, and there’s a clear dedication to not just preserve, but grow the educational and research endeavors of the Graduate School of Medicine. I look forward to participating in that process,” Dr. Hauptman said. Dr. Hauptman received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. He completed his internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a clinical fellowship in cardiology at Mount Sinai Hospital, and a combined research and clinical fellowship in medicine in the Cardiovascular Division of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He also served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for five years. Dr. Hauptman was director of the Clinical Trials Office of the SLU School of Medicine, the regulatory authority for contracting, budgeting and invoicing clinical trials for the university. His research interests include outcomes assessment in cardiovascular disease and advanced heart failure, evaluation of care delivery, and clinical research, and trials in congestive heart failure. He has garnered support through federal, foundation, and industrysponsored research grants. Dr. Hauptman said his overriding vision is to find ways to expand upon current research initiatives, further enhancing the reputation of UTGSM and UTMC, while growing very specific areas of research excellence. “We have a great opportunity to solidify that reputation and to make sure that for the next 10 or 20 years it’s even stronger,” Dr. Hauptman said. “UTGSM is well known for its ability to educate third- and fourth-year medical students and train residents and fellows in postgraduate training programs. We certainly want to foster our standing in that regard. Many clinical programs at the UTMC have both an important local impact and a national reputation, and we want to make sure those thrive as well.”
New Faces in COM In addition to Executive Dean Dr. Scott Strome and Knoxville Dean Dr. Paul Hauptman, there are many new faces in the College of Medicine. All bring experience and talent that will raise the college’s academic, clinical, and research profile.
Asbell Heads UTHSC Hamilton Eye Institute Penny A. Asbell, MD, FACS, MBA, FARVO, has been named chair of the Department of Ophthalmology in the College of Medicine and director of the Hamilton Eye Institute. Dr. Asbell comes to UTHSC from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) in New York, where she was a professor of ophthalmology and director of the cornea service and the Cornea Clinical and Research Fellowships, which she initiated. She was the vice chair of the ISMMS Appointment and Promotion Committee, medical director of the Faculty Practice for Ophthalmology, and system vice chair for Academic Affairs for the Department of Ophthalmology. “Dr Asbell is an internationally renowned master clinician and corneal surgeon from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City,” said Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD. “She has a distinguished academic and research career, and we are very pleased we have been able to attract her to UTHSC. She brings both proven leadership skills, as well as surgical and research abilities to us here in Memphis.” Dr. Asbell’s research focuses on pharmaceuticals, devices, and surgical procedures, including new treatments for dry eyes, ocular herpes, corneal infections, Excimer laser surgery, cross-linking, and more. She has extensive experience in clinical trials that have led to FDA-approved treatments and to defining standard of care for ocular diseases.
Hayes Scientific Director for UT/West Institute for Cancer Research West Cancer Center and UTHSC, in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, announced the appointment of D. Neil Hayes, MD, MPH, as the scientific director of the UT/West Institute for Cancer Research, and the Van Vleet Endowed Professor in Medical Oncology in the Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology-Oncology). He has secondary appointments in the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics and the Department of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Hayes will direct and drive funding to lead scientific initiatives for discovery in translational research for the advancement of novel cancer treatment and therapies. Dr. Hayes assumed direction of a $25 million fund raised through the combined efforts of West Cancer Center, UTHSC, and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. He will utilize this fund to recruit additional scientists to the UT/West Institute for Cancer Research in service of a unique program of precision cancer medicine. West Cancer Center’s ultimate goal is to become an NCI designated cancer center, which is anticipated to take seven to 10 years, with an additional investment of $100 million. “Dr. Hayes will lead the scientific research and discovery portion of this journey, specifically launching a program to recruit scientists focused on genomic research for the development of more personalized cancer care,” said Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, executive director of West Cancer Center. Dr. Hayes played one of only a handful of leadership roles in the Cancer Genome Atlas, the flagship effort of the National Institutes of Health. UTHSC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | FALL 2018
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New Faces in COM (cont.) Ataga Directs New Center for Sickle Cell Disease Kenneth Ataga, MD, has been named director of UTHSC’s new Center for Sickle Cell Disease in the College of Medicine. The UTHSC Center for Sickle Cell Disease is a collaborative effort by UTHSC, West Cancer Center, Methodist University Hospital, and Regional One Health. Dr. Ataga also serves as a professor of internal medicine, director of the section of non-malignant Hematology in the Division of Hematology/ Oncology, and the director of the Memphis Consortium for Sickle Cell Disease and Non-Malignant Hematology Research. He is the Methodist Endowed Chair in Sickle Cell Anemia. “Dr. Ataga has pioneered the research on the role of coagulation in sickle cell disease, served as the lead investigator in several multicenter studies, and been very successful in maintaining an uninterrupted string of research funding,” Chancellor Schwab said. “I have no doubt he will continue to be one of the national leaders in sickle cell disease research. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is delighted he is joining us to lead us in our sickle cell efforts in patient care, education, and research.” Dr. Ataga comes to UTHSC from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) School of Medicine, where he was a professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and director of the UNC Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program. His research focuses on the development of new treatments for sickle cell disease and its complications. Dr Ataga’s team is also interested in understanding the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease and pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell disease.
Mas Director of Transplant Research for UT/Methodist Transplant Institute Valeria Raquel Mas, PhD, has been named director of Transplant Research for the UT/Methodist Transplant Institute. She will also hold the Transplant Institute Endowed Professorship in Translational Research at UTHSC. Dr. Mas served as a tenured associate professor of Research Surgery at the University of Virginia, where she directed the Translational Genomics Transplant Laboratory, and previously was co-director of Transplant Research. “We are honored that Dr. Valeria Mas has chosen the University of Tennessee Transplant Institute to become director of Transplant Research,” said James D. Eason, MD, founder and program director of the UT/Methodist Transplant Institute and professor and chief of the Transplant Division in the College of Medicine at UTHSC. “She is nationally and internationally recognized for her research in transplant genomics and proteomics, and will bring an entire team to direct the UT Transplant Research Institute.” Her research interests include transplant immune biology, kidney transplantation, liver transplantation, epigenetic modifications and gene expression regulation, and translational research. She has extensive industry, foundation, and National Institutes of Health research funding.
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Maluf Surgical Director of Liver Transplantation for UT/Methodist Transplant Institute Internationally known transplant surgeon and researcher Daniel G. Maluf, MD, has been named professor of surgery, surgical director of liver transplantation, and director of live donor transplantation for the UT/ Methodist Transplant Institute. He will also hold the Transplant Institute Endowed Professorship in Liver Transplantation at UTHSC. “This is a transformational change in the direction and future of the transplant institute, clinically by expanding live donor liver transplantation, as well as being able to perform groundbreaking transplant research,” said Dr. Eason. founder and program director of the UT/Methodist Transplant Institute. “We are especially excited to have Dr. Maluf join our team,” Dr. Eason said. “He is internationally known for his work in live donor liver transplantation, as well as his research in genomics, proteomics, and molecular pathways of rejection.” Dr. Maluf comes to UTHSC from the University of Virginia, where he served as a tenured professor of surgery, surgical co-director of liver transplantation, director of living donor transplantation, and director of the abdominal transplant fellowship program.
Jefferies Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, Chief of Cardiology John L. Jefferies, MD, MPH, has been appointed the Jay M. Sullivan Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine and chief of Cardiology at UTHSC. He has also been named co-director for the newly formed UT Methodist Institute for Cardiovascular Science. As the Jay M. Sullivan Endowed Chair and Chief for the Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Dr. Jefferies will oversee the educational opportunities that occur within the division, including its comprehensive fellowship programs; the inpatient and outpatient clinical services offered through Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, the Memphis VA Medical Center, and Regional One Health, as well as the basic, translational, and clinical science research efforts within the institution. Dr. Jefferies joined UTHSC after serving as director of the Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Services in the Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “My vision for the institute is for us to be a regional and national leader in cardiovascular care in the very near future,” Dr. Jefferies said. “Our goal is to be a Top 50 cardiology program in the U.S. News & World Report rankings within the next few years.”
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New Faces in COM (cont.)
Pizzorno Associate Dean of Research for COM in Chattanooga Giuseppe Pizzorno, PhD, PharmD, has been named professor and associate dean of Research for the College of Medicine, Chattanooga campus, and the first Chief Research Officer for Erlanger Health System. “We were very fortunate to be able to identify and recruit Dr. Giuseppe Pizzorno to serve in dual roles,” said R. Bruce Shack, MD, dean of the College of Medicine in Chattanooga. “He brings with him an enormous amount of experience and expertise in study design and implementation. He will enable our campus to move to the next level as a provider of excellence in clinical research. Under Dr. Pizzorno’s leadership, we also plan to increase our collaboration with basic science researchers at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.” Before joining UTHSC, Dr. Pizzorno was the founder, deputy director and head of Research for the Nevada Cancer Institute in Las Vegas. He was also the director of clinical pharmacology for the Yale Cancer Center and research director of the Yale Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit at Yale University School of Medicine.
Jonsson Named Director of Regional Biocontainment Laboratory Colleen Jonsson, PhD, is the new director of the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory at UTHSC. The 30,315-square-foot RBL constructed in 2009 enables research on pathogens responsible for naturally occurring common and emerging infectious diseases, such as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, streptococci, influenza, West Nile, Zika, and equine encephalitic infections. The goal of the RBL is to enable drug discovery and translation of new antivirals, vaccines, and therapeutics to protect the general population from infectious diseases and bioterrorism. Dr. Jonsson came to UTHSC from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where she was the director of the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis and Beaman Distinguished Professor of Microbiology. Previously, she served as director of the Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, among other roles at the University of Louisville. Dr. Jonsson has led the formation and command of teams in environmental surveys in humans and rodents in the United States, Honduras, Mexico, Brazil, and Paraguay. Dr. Jonsson’s work has focused on viral and host determinates of disease caused by pathogens, initially in plants and then humans. At UTHSC, Dr. Jonsson also is the Endowed Van Vleet Chair of Excellence in Virology and professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry. She is most excited about building collaborative relationships at UTHSC and working with students.
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INTERNAL PROMOTIONS
Patel New Chair of Dermatology Tejesh Patel, MD, FAAD, was named chair of the College of Medicine’s Kaplan-Amonette Department of Dermatology. He previously served as interim chair. “Dr. Tejesh Patel was selected as our next chair of Dermatology based on his vision, ability to collaborate, and his attention to detail in clinical operations,” Chancellor Schwab said. “While acting as our interim chair, he expanded the faculty, grew the residency program, and expanded clinical volume. This is a harbinger of things to come for our UTHSC Department of Dermatology with Dr. Patel leading.” Dr. Patel will continue the growth of the department, positioning it to become a national leader in dermatology in the areas of clinical service, education and research. Certified by the American Board of Dermatology with a subspecialty in dermatopathology, Dr. Patel completed an internal medicine internship and a dermatology residency with the UTHSC College of Medicine, as well as fellowships with the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Khan Chair of Family Medicine Muneeza Khan, MD, has been named chair of the Department of Family Medicine in the College of Medicine. She previously served as interim chair. “Dr. Khan’s commitment to the Department of Family Medicine and its core education commitment is unwavering,” Chancellor Schwab said. “Her outstanding performance as program director predicts her performance as chair. I look forward to watching the department grow in all missions under her very capable leadership.” Dr. Khan received her medical degree from Karachi Medical and Dental College in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed a residency in family medicine from Indiana University, serving as the family medicine chief resident. She later completed an advanced maternal care obstetric fellowship from Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, a primary care faculty development fellowship from Michigan State University, and a National Institute for Program Director Development Fellowship with the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors. In March, the Department of Family Medicine received accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its St. Francis and Tipton locations. The NCQA program is the most widely-recognized health care accreditation program in the United States.
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Leaders and administrators at UTHSC cut the ribbon on the new $39.7 million Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation on the Memphis campus.
New Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation a Game Changer The University of Tennessee Health Science Center opened a new chapter in health care education in Tennessee and beyond in May, when the ribbon was cut on its new $39.7 million Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS).
patient exam rooms, as well as a community pharmacy setting. The 24 exam rooms collectively constitute the Robert J. Kaplan, MD, Clinical Skills Center, which was established in the College of Medicine in 1999 and has been housed in other locations on campus.
The 45,000-square-foot building is dedicated to education and professional development of enhanced clinical skills using standardized patients (actors trained to portray patients), high-fidelity patient simulators (manikins costing from $15,000 to $220,000), and virtual reality technology. The building is the only one of its kind in Tennessee and one of only a handful in the country built for and totally dedicated to simulation training.
The Kaplan Center, named for Memphis dermatologist Robert J. Kaplan, MD, an alumnus, trains future health care professionals in clinical skills, including physical examination, medical history taking, and interpersonal communication skills with standardized patients and manikins.
Students from the six colleges at UTHSC – Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Nursing, Medicine, and Pharmacy – will train together in simulation settings to develop their skills in delivering team-based health care, which is the proven model for the highestquality care today. Each floor of the three-story building is dedicated to a different aspect of simulation training. The third floor houses the standardized patient program. It includes 24
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“We have just over 100 standardized patients,” said Chad Epps, MD, an anesthesiologist and the executive director of CHIPS. Memphis native Jamie Pitt is the new director of standardized patients. She comes to UTHSC from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where she managed the standardized patient program for more than 10 years. The first floor of the building includes bed-skill stations that allow students to focus on preclinical skills and assessments. A virtual reality room allows students to practice simulated endoscopies, ultrasound procedures,
CHIPS At A Glance World-Class Facility, 26 South Dunlap, Memphis, Opened May 11, 2018 • 45,000 square feet • 3 floors • $6 million in simulation equipment •$ 4.5 million in audio-visual equipment and technology •L ow-fidelity and high-fidelity manikins ranging from $15,000 to $220,000 (crying, sweating, breathing, and birthing simulation capabilities) SIMULATION SETTINGS: • 24 outpatient clinical rooms • 12 individual patient-care areas • 4 dentistry suites • 1 operating room and robotic surgeries. There is also a simulated home environment, where students can practice delivering inhome patient care.
• 1 labor/delivery suite
The second floor houses a simulated acute-care setting resembling a hospital environment with patient rooms and a variety of manikins that can simulate everything from surgery to labor and delivery.
• 1,200 square-foot simulated community pharmacy
The lobby of the building is dedicated to Ken Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE, executive vice chancellor and chief operations officer for UTHSC, the visionary behind the building. A bronze bust in his honor was placed in the lobby during the opening ceremonies.
• 6 control rooms (13 control stations)
Dr. Brown envisioned the center as an opportunity for UTHSC to stand out among academic health science centers for providing the best possible education under the safest conditions possible for students across the disciplines.
• 100 standardized patients
“The simulation experience can turn out a different type of student than we have traditionally turned out,” he has said. Instead of teaching students to deliver care individually, the simulation training will teach collaboration toward better outcomes. The building is a reflection of a culture at UTHSC that values this type of training, Dr. Epps said. “It’s most definitely a statement to the community that this institution is making a commitment to improving the way health care professionals are trained and the way health care is delivered.” The center will also be a resource for continuing education for the health care community.
• 1 bariatric and rehabilitation suite • 1 functional home environment OTHER FEATURES: • 10 debriefing rooms • 5 multipurpose classrooms • 14 full-time employees •6 colleges training together (Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy) •M ain lobby dedicated to Dr. Kennard Brown, UTHSC executive vice chancellor and chief operations officer Architect: brg3s (Received a 2018 Award of Excellence from AIA (American Institute of Architects) Memphis chapter for CHIPS) General Contractor: Flintco Simulation design, training, and program development consultant — SimHealth Group
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Global Perspective Translates to Local Commitment for M4 Craig Bullington By Jackie Denton
A career in medicine was not on the horizon for Craig Bullington. The Murfreesboro native had his sights set on working as a water sanitation manager for local non-profits after graduating with a chemical engineering degree from Vanderbilt University in 2011. A trip abroad changed his plans. “I was in Tanzania for a while,” Bullington said. “I accidently spent time with a friend in a clinic. I was actually quite queasy until then, and realized I could not only get over it, but that I really enjoyed my time in clinic. Fast forward a year and a half, and I decided to pull the trigger to apply to med school.” Bullington said his time in the clinic in Tanzania introduced him to the physician-patient relationship. It was that interaction that drew him to pursue medicine. “I realized that medicine would afford me the opportunity to help out back at home and back in the states,” Bullington said. “I’ve always loved going abroad, but I realized that you tend to have a better voice to help out with problems from wherever you come from. I think seeing that I could serve both at home and abroad in medicine helped with my decision.” Although he had connections at Vanderbilt, Bullington ultimately chose UTHSC for its clinical emphasis with a varied patient demographic. “For me, one of the reasons I got into medicine is to have the clinical interaction. I highly valued that interaction,” said Bullington, who is now in his fourth year of medical school. “Here, we get to be in a very functional role in the medical system as medical students. You are also working with a population that needs your help. That was also a huge boost for me, as well. Memphis can be very polarizing. There are people who come to Memphis with a mentality of ‘I’m ready to leave once I put in my time,’ but the flip side of that is there are also lots of people who come here with a boots-on-the-ground mentality of how can I help. I think that mentality is something that attracted me to Memphis.”
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He enjoys the flexibility he’s been given in his education to step into different roles, including spending time abroad in Guatemala doing cancer research with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The research project, which looked at infection rates in pediatric cancer hospitals, was funded through the Council for International and Area Outreach (CIAO). Bullington serves as co-president for the organization. The student organization offers financial assistance to support students serving the medically underserved nationally and abroad. It also offers guidance to other student organizations on campus to engage in outreach in their local communities. Recently, the organization has been focusing on local outreach. Bullington said the members are really excited about this, and in particular the work they’ve been doing at the Wellness & Stress Clinic in Oakhaven. The inner-city clinic is run by a coalition of volunteers across academic, health care, government and business institutions to address the social determinants of health in that community. There has been much collaboration among UTHSC students and faculty across all disciplines on campus in the clinic, offering a glimpse into what a holistic health care environment can look like. Through his experiences serving abroad and globally, Bullington hopes to pursue a residency in internal medicine with an emphasis on primary care. He believes his experiences have made him a better physician. “I believe that when you travel, you have to put on your learning and humility hats,” Bullington said. “Recognize that going to a different place can challenge a lot of the assumptions you bring with you, assumptions on how health care is done or what the relationship between the patient and provider looks like. Doing that can empower you to see the systems that were invisible to you back at home, and from there maybe you can make a difference.”
“I realized that medicine would afford me the opportunity to help out back at home and back in the states. I’ve always loved going abroad, but I realized that you tend to have a better voice to help out with problems from wherever you come from. I think seeing that I could serve both at home and abroad in medicine helped with my decision.� Craig Bullington, M4
“With my experience, passion, and training, I hope to be able to contribute to the medical and administrative aspect of health care of underserved communities.� Hannah Ashitey
M4 Hannah Ashitey has a Passion for Helping Others By Amber Carter
When fourth-year medical student Hannah Ashitey was growing up in Ghana, West Africa, she became involved as a volunteer with several nonprofit organizations. This led her to develop a passion for issues related to female reproductive health, and eventually to pursue a career in medicine. Although Ghana has one of the most stable governments on the continent, it has been struggling with infant and maternal mortality.
Ashitey said she chose to continue her education in the UTHSC College of Medicine because it is structured to provide quality education to aspiring physicians, while supporting their academic efforts, as well as their mental health, particularly through departments like Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion (SASSI).
Ashitey was born in Chicago, Illinois, to African parents, but she and her siblings grew up in Ghana. “Their aim was to expose us to our Ghanaian heritage and to understand what it means to have a vision and work hard amidst unfavorable circumstances,” she said.
Since enrolling, she has served as the president of the Student National Medical Association, where she continued the legacy of the group’s annual Dream Big Conference for local middle and high school students.
Ashitey returned to the United States in 2005, completed high school, and earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a master’s degree in public health at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. As time passed, she discovered similar issues in both the U.S. and Ghana among African Americans and those of low economic status. “My interest not only piqued because even a country that is several times more stable and developed than Ghana, still faces similar issues,” she said. I decided to seek a career in obstetrics and gynecology to aid in finding solutions to some of these issues.” While obtaining her master’s degree, Ashitey had the opportunity to work with the chief operating officer and other administrators at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville in process improvement. This fueled her passion for the underserved even more. “I learned about the Lean Process in health care and how it helps them make system changes, track, and achieve their goals,” Ashitey said. This process is defined as creating more value for customers with fewer resources. “With my experience, passion, and training, I hope to be able to contribute to the medical and administrative aspects of health care of underserved communities.”
Upon graduation, Ashitey plans to apply to an obstetrics and gynecology residency.
She is also a student assistant for Health Career Programs, as well as a student representative for the JED Campus Team — a committee set up to improve student mental health services and support suicide and substance abuse prevention efforts on campus. “When it comes to involvement, it’s important to find your passion and figure out how to use it to make a difference in others’ lives,” she said. “I love using my experiences to help others. I went through the TIP (Tennessee Institutes for Pre-Professionals) program and now I’m a student assistant for Health Career Programs, helping others like myself. It’s not enough to achieve, I believe my greatest achievements are when I lend a hand to the next person to help them get to where I am, because others did it for me.” Ashitey is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and continues to uphold the mission of public service and academic excellence. Ashitey wants incoming students to know that although it will get rough at times, they are not alone. “Make sure to reach out and stay connected, find your group of friends and support each other, go to SASSI and establish a relationship with an educational specialist and counselor, find healthy ways to destress. Most importantly, remember why you’re here. This, too, shall pass.”
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New Global Surgery Institute Promotes Mission Work
A Warm Welcome The College of Medicine welcomed 170 new students during its annual White Coat Ceremony at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in August. The solemn ceremony, when students receive their first white coats, is the culmination of orientation to medical school. The speaker was Gerald J. Presbury, MD, a member of the UTHSC Department of Pediatrics since 1988. He was acting chief of the Division of General Pediatrics (2008-2015). Dr. Presbury has been a member of the Admission Committee since 1986, and the chairman since 2009.
A group of students and faculty are working to promote surgical mission work around the world through a new UTHSC Global Surgery Institute (GSI) in the Department of Surgery. The Global Surgery Institute will anchor surgical mission work across the department, assist surgical residents and students interested in mission work, and apply lessons learned around the globe to local delivery of clinical care. Nia Zalamea, MD, an assistant professor of surgery, and Martin Fleming, MD, chief of surgical oncology and associate professor of surgery, are the organizers of the GSI. “It ties all of our separate projects into one home base,” Dr. Zalamea said.
UTHSC’s Dr. Altha Stewart Heads American Psychiatric Association Memphian Altha Stewart, MD, took office as president of the American Psychiatric Association at the close of the APA’s 2018 annual meeting in May, vowing to promote collaboration among members and across medical specialties, increase mentoring and leadership opportunities for the next generation in the profession, and improve access to mental health care for all. An associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Health in Justice Involved Youth at UTHSC, Dr. Stewart is the first African American to lead the more than 37,000-member organization since it was founded in 1844.
Mobile Stroke Unit Gets Accreditation for Excellence UTHSC’s Mobile Stroke Unit received the first-of-its kind accreditation from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) for ensuring patient safety, radiation safety, a commitment to quality, and dedication to continuous improvement. The prestigious accreditation is in the areas of neurological CT/Acute Stroke and vascular CTA, both diagnostic imaging tools used on the unit to determine treatment. It is the first time the IAC has awarded this accreditation to a mobile CT unit. Launched in 2016 by the College of Medicine, the unit is a 14-ton stroke emergency room on wheels with hospital-grade CT equipment.
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Faculty Honored by UT System Two outstanding COM faculty members were among the winners of the 2018 University of Tennessee President’s Awards in February. The awards, which are given in four categories — Educate, Discover, Connect, and Support — are the UT system’s highest honor for faculty and staff. Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD (top), and Trevor Sweatman, PhD, were among the four honored. The winners were announced by UT President Joe DiPietro during a luncheon in Nashville prior to his annual State of the University Address. Dr. Dagogo-Jack, a professor and the interim chair of the Department of Medicine, won in the Discover category. Dr. Sweatman, a professor of pharmacology, medical education, and bioscience research, received the President’s Award in the Educate category.
Community Clinic brings Health Care to Church
Langsdon to Lead American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Volunteers from academic, government, and religious institutions joined to launch a new community health and wellness clinic on the campus of The Healing Center Baptist Church in the Oakhaven community in South Memphis. The clinic stems from a unique partnership that includes the church and volunteer support from UTHSC, the University of Memphis, Rhodes College, Memphis City Government, Memphis Area Legal Services, and the West Cancer Center. UTHSC provided furniture, exam equipment, and resources, as well as medical, physician assistant, nursing, and pharmacy students and faculty volunteers. The clinic offers free primary care, medication management, substance abuse and mental health counseling, as well as resources to assist with housing, employment, stress management, and legal issues. It represents an innovative model for bringing services to improve the lives of the underserved by positioning them in a trusted place outside the usual health care setting.
Phillip R. Langsdon, MD, FACS, professor and chief of the division of Facial Plastic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in the College of Medicine, is the presidentelect of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He was elected during the organization’s annual fall meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. He takes office in October 2018. As president, he will oversee the world’s largest organization of facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons.
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Congratulations to Our Spring 2018 Graduates!
Stephen Deji Adedokun Raumina Elaine Akbari Diana Leigh Alsbrook Omar Mohamed Alsharif Elizabeth Anna Altizer Jacob Boone Anderson Seif Ahmed Atyia Joseph Barron Avery Mimi Bach Thomas Miller Manier Beazley Josiah Paul Becker Gloria Bond Beveridge Patricia Black Elizabeth H. Brallier Jacob David Buckner Caroline Michelle Capocaccia Elliott Walker Cole Abigail Lepsch Combs Taylor Charise Cravanas Derek Logan Crouthers Michael Bartley Cutshall Alden Blake Daniels Nidhi Niranjan Desai Lindsay Haynes Devereux Christian Andrew Dewan Alexander Kristian Diaz Leiberh Noel Diaz Andrew Burton Dickerson Aisha Jenaé Dotson James S. Houston Dove Peter Andrew Duden Robert Edward Dunn Michael Hollis Edwards Lindsey Cobb Efird Sydney Kathleen Elizer Brandon Tyler Emerson Benjamin T. Emery Jessica M. Ferrell Joel Tyson Finley Danielle Elise Frieson Harold Adam Gage Julie Gessler Thomas Daniel Gilmartin Harrison MacInnes Gray Adam Patrick Greeley John Matthew Grisham Natalie Michaela Guley Michael James Hankins Austin Hardaway Meghan Webb Harrison Brandon M. Hays Kerry Hennessy William Preston Hewgley
Kenneth Hoang Stefanie Olivia Beth Hoffer Alexis Gabrielle Crocker Howard Amy Ann Howk Xin Huang Stephen Stone Humble Rachael Lauren Huskey Tyler Reid Jackson Nikhita Jain Jason Eli Johnson Andrew Blasius Johnston Amanda Marie Jones David W. Jones Rebekah Diane Keller Katrina Kesterson Thekrayat Ahmed Khader James Nyaberi Kiage Scott Hyuk Kim Andrew Paul Kong Andrew Douglas Kropilak Anna Kushnir Danielle Eden Lee Sophia Seo-Hyeon Lee Yannie Susan Li Jock Carrington Lillard Garrett Huckiang Lim Komron Ian MacLean Juan Carlos Malpartida, Jr. Bogdan-Alexandru Manole Luke Alexander Maschmeyer John Spencer Mays Michael James Mccormack Cody Wiley McCoy Matthew Wayne McEwen Molly Krystine McEwen Katherina C. McGinley Katherine Elizabeth McKnight Jacob Evan McMillan Robert Stafford Meek Phillip John Mingola, II Margaret Rose Mirro Lindsay Kaye Morris Abteen Ron Moshref Clarisse Sornsay Muenyi Richard Grant Muller Nathan Raphael Mulroy Kasa J. Niesner Terrance C. Nowell Emeka Nwaneri Maxwell Ofori Michael Abayomi-Itunu Olushoga Ukpebo Rebecca Omosigho Chesney Sarah Oravec
Nathaniel Taylor Owens Stephen Riley Pace Ryan Anthony Sevilla Parawan Robert Scott Parker, II Joshua Benjamin Parsons Taylor Pate Clinton Andrew Phillips Daniel Lewis Phillips Kevin Matthew Reed Julian Matthew Richardson† Paul S. Rollins Jennifer Nicole Rosen David Samir Rustom Imara-Safi Olu Scott Sammie O’Neal Searcy, Jr. William Albert Shelton, Jr. Emily Anne Shepherd Hamdi Younis Sherif Matthew Earl Sims Daniel Joseph Smigielski Savannah Leigh Smith Stephanie Jean Spurgat Taylor Stavely Travis Michael Sullivan George Rudolf MacAtangay Tamula, III Tyler Evon Tantisook John Forrest Taylor Sarah Kelly Thomas Claudio Roberto Tombazzi Christopher Michael Tossing Aniekanabasi Nsima Udoko Charles Taylor Valadie Robert Griffin Vestal Eric Jeffrey Vick Eric David Villarreal Kendall Ann Waddey Amanda Rene Walker Robert Andrew Waller, Jr. James Lee-Chewn Wang Scott Keenan Ward James Dean Webb Olivia Louise Wells Kyle Harris White John Matthew Williams Scott Norman Wisniewski Sarah Jeanne Wood Jesse Oden Wrenn Christopher Daniel Wright Jessica Grace Wright + graduated posthumously
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Student Leaders Honored The College of Medicine is proud to recognize these students, who were honored during commencement ceremonies.
GOLD HUMANISM HONOR SOCIETY 2018 Members are recognized as individuals who are exemplars of humanistic patient care. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
Mimi Bach Elizabeth H. Brallier Alden Blake Daniels Peter Andrew Duden Robert Edward Dunn
Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
Brandon Tyler Emerson Joel Tyson Finley Andrew Blasius Johnston Yannie Susan Li Jennifer Nicole Rosen
Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
William Albert Shelton Emily Anne Shepherd Scott Keenan Ward Jessica Grace Wright
ALPHA OMEGA ALPHA 2018 Student membership is based on scholarship, personal honesty, and potential leadership. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
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Gloria Bond Beveridge Abigail Lepsch Combs Aisha Jenae Dotson Peter Andrew Duden Michael Hollis Edwards Brandon Tyler Emerson Joel Tyson Finley Julie Gessler Austin T. Hardaway
Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
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William Preston Hewgley Stephen Stone Humble Rachael Lauren Huskey Nikhita Jain Jock Carrington Lillard John Spencer Mays Matthew Wayne McEwen Lindsay Kaye Morris Richard Grant Muller
Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
Joshua Benjamin Parsons Emily Anne Shepherd Matthew Earl Sims Savannah Leigh Smith Sara Kelly Thomas Claudio Roberto Tombazzi Eric David Villarreal Robert Andrew Waller, Jr. Christopher Daniel Wright
Match Day 2018 March 16 was the day 155 fourth-year medical students at UTHSC learned where they will go next for their training. Match Day 2018 was held at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Students also celebrated Match Day at Neyland Stadium on the Knoxville campus. Held on the third Friday of March each year, Match Day is the day the nation’s medical students find out the location results from the National Resident Matching Program (NMRP) Main Residency Match and learn where they will receive their training for the next three to seven years. When the envelopes were opened, there were hugs all around. Congratulations to all!
Outstanding COM Alumni for 2017 Mark S. Gaylord, MD (COM ’78)
Dr. Gaylord has placed service to others as his top priority. As an undergraduate at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Dr. Gaylord demonstrated leadership skills. He followed his calling to serve by enrolling in the UTHSC College of Medicine. His primary interest was in children’s health, and he was named the Outstanding Pediatric Student. His academic record was one of consistent excellence, resulting in membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Following his graduation, he received a pediatric residency and neonatal-perinatal fellowship training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, now known as the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Upon completion, the University of Colorado immediately offered him a job as attending neonatologist and clinical instructor. After two years, he was recruited to join a burgeoning neonatal practice at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Gaylord has worked for more than 30 years in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, and currently serves as the medical director for the NICU. He is a tireless advocate, fighting the political battles for fair and equitable health care for all patients. In addition to his responsibilities as a clinician, Dr. Gaylord has been a professor for over 30 years. He is professor of pediatrics in the UT Graduate School of Medicine. He has been a member of the UTHSC College of Medicine’s Knoxville campus faculty since 1986. Dr. Gaylord is interested in new clinical research that could potentially benefit his patients. Two of his major contributions have been in developing a new type of incubator that improves the tiniest premature infant’s microenvironment and working with the late Dr. Forrest Bird, inventor of the first baby ventilator, in developing one of the first high-frequency ventilators. This incubator is standard in most NICUs in the United States and the ventilator helped change the way babies with lung disease are treated.
Robert Kaplan, MD (COM ’73)
As a student nearing graduation at the UTHSC College of Medicine in 1973, Dr. Kaplan was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. This prestigious society makes selections based on academic standing, leadership, professionalism, and ethics. Inductees exhibit a commitment to service in the school and community. Dr. Kaplan has maintained this standard throughout his entire career. Dr. Kaplan has set a powerful example among his peers to raise their level of participation in support of the University of Tennessee. Since his graduation from the medical school, he has been a prominent spokesperson in support of the university at all its campuses and in all its activities. In January 2017 at the UT President’s Council Awards Dinner, Dr. Kaplan was awarded the top award for the system by UT President Dr. Joe DiPietro, the Jim and Natalie Haslam Presidential Medal. The medal is awarded to individuals who have a record of supporting the university through exemplary giving, volunteer leadership, and service. Recipients also motivate others to support the University of Tennessee and exhibit a personal history of integrity and excellence.
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Dr. Kaplan’s transformational philanthropy to the University of Tennessee and the College of Medicine allowed for the creation of the Kaplan Clinical Skills and Assessment Center in 2005. His support and vision led to the creation of the Kaplan-Amonette Department of Dermatology at UTHSC in 2013, for which the University of Tennessee named him Philanthropist of the Year. In 2014, the position of dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine was named the Robert Kaplan Executive Dean in his honor. Dr. Kaplan and his close friend, Dr. Rodney Wolf, provided support to establish the Wolf-Kaplan Athletics Recruiting Center inside Neyland Stadium in 2002. A native of New Jersey, Dr. Kaplan received his undergraduate education at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and returned to the state for his internship at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania. Dr. Kaplan completed his dermatology residency at UTHSC in 1977. He practices medicine in Memphis at Kaplan Dermatology, and holds multiple leadership positions at UTHSC, including serving on the UTHSC Foundation’s board of directors and the UTHSC College of Medicine Alumni Council. Dr. Kaplan has been a longtime member of the Tennessee Medical Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Dermatology, and the Memphis Medical Society. He is a native of Englewood, New Jersey, and he and his wife, Becky, reside in Memphis.
Ron H. Kirkland, MD (COM ’77)
At the end of 2015, Dr. Kirkland retired from The Jackson Clinic, a multispecialty group practice of 135 physicians, where he practiced Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery for 31 years and served on the board of directors and as board chairman. In the community, he has been president of the Jackson Rotary Club and the University of Tennessee National Alumni Association. He is also on the boards of Aspell Recovery Center and A Step Ahead Foundation of West Tennessee, and serves as the Legislative Chairman of the Tennessee Medical Association. Dr. Kirkland is a member of the American Medical Association, the Tennessee Medical Association, and the American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery. Dr. Kirkland served as a U.S. Army counterintelligence agent in Vietnam from 1970 until 1971, and later received his medical degree in 1977 from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where he received the Distinguished Service Award. In 1982 he completed his residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at UTHSC. He is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. Dr. Kirkland subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2010. Dr. Kirkland has been honored by the University of Tennessee at Martin with its Chancellor’s Award for University Service, and by the Tennessee AAU Girls Basketball with its Bill and Ann Tipps “Volunteer of the Year” Award. He has served as chairman of the UTM Development Committee and on the UT Athletic Board, the UT Development Council, and the UTHSC Medical Alumni Council. Currently, he serves on the UTM Chancellor’s Round Table, the UT President’s Council, and is on the board of the Tennessee Higher Education PAC. Dr. Kirkland was chair of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), and subsequently was chair of the AMGA Foundation. He served as the AMGA delegate to the American Medical Association where he served on the Governing Council of the Integrated Physician Practice Section. He was honored with a Legacy Award from AMGA. Dr. Kirkland and his wife, Carol, have four children and seven grandchildren. Among them, there are 10 University of Tennessee degrees.
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Outstanding COM Alumni for 2017 (cont.) Mitchell L. Mutter, MD (COM ’72)
Dr. Mutter is described by friends and colleagues as an outstanding professional, mentor, teacher, leader, and humanitarian. He attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville on a football scholarship, graduating in 1968. He moved on to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis to pursue a degree in medicine. Following his UTHSC graduation in 1972, Dr. Mutter served until 1976 as a general medical officer in the U.S. Army at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Andrew Rader Clinic. He went on to complete his internship, internal medicine residency, and cardiology fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical in Washington, D.C. He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiology. After his service at Walter Reed, he was chief of Cardiology at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia. He left active military service with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He returned to Knoxville in 1982 to begin a private cardiology practice. He also served on the faculty for UTHSC as associate professor of medicine. In 1992, he began practicing cardiology in Chattanooga. He was chief of staff at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga from 2004 to 2007. Since 2012, Dr. Mutter has served as medical director of Special Projects for the Tennessee Department of Health, where he spearheads the state’s pain management task force. Dr. Mutter is the founder of the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti, which has employees in Chattanooga and Haiti. In 2007, he was named a Citizen Diplomat by Sister Cities International for his work in Haiti. Dr. Mutter has been president of the Tennessee Heart Association, president of the Hamilton County Medical Society, and president of the Hamilton County Medical Foundation. Until recently he was president of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, the regulatory and disciplinary board for physicians in Tennessee. Dr. Mutter was named the 2007 Outstanding Physician by the Tennessee Medical Association.
Rodney Y. Wolf, MD (COM ’57)
Dr. Wolf has maintained strong ties to UTHSC throughout his career in Memphis. He has remained connected to students and faculty through his appointment as an assistant professor of surgery at the College of Medicine and has students rotate through his private practice. Dr. Wolf is semi-retired, and remains in practice with his eldest son, Brad. Both specialize in cardiovascular surgery. Dr. Wolf attended UT Knoxville for his freshman year, until a friend suggested he join him at the University of Georgia. Dr. Wolf figured it was time he tried living somewhere else. He graduated from Georgia, but never lost his love for the University of Tennessee. Dr. Wolf came to UTHSC as a student in 1957. He remembers those who had a positive impact on his life and attributes his strong feelings for the campus to them. “When people you respect take you under their wing, educate you, and show you the way, you have a close feeling for those people and the institution they represent.” He recalls finding mentors who were very good and taught him a lot. “Those whom I consider my mentors set an example for how to practice medicine and how to live my life. I would very much like to help students in the same way.” The first scholarship from the Rodney Y. Wolf, MD & Brenda C. Wolf Endowed Scholarship Fund at the UTHSC College of Medicine was awarded during the fall 2017 semester.
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Why Make an Annual Gift to UTHSC? Donating to UTHSC every year helps us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, community outreach initiatives, and many other benefits that would not be available using state or tuition-provided dollars alone! Thank you for being a partner with our campus, our colleges, and our programs. Your gift in any amount will make a difference. Donate $100 or more and become a member of our 1911 Society! For details, go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911.
Make your gift today! giving.uthsc.edu/give | 901.448.5516
Outstanding COM Alumni for 2018 Paul Blaylock, MD, JD
Dennis Higdon, MD
(COM ’72)
(COM ’70) A dual alumnus of the University of Tennessee System – UT Martin Class of ’68 and UTHSC Class of ’72 – Dr. Blaylock has served in many leadership roles with his alma maters throughout the years.
As an undergraduate student at UT Martin, he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and was president of the Student Government Association (SGA). The student government office at UT Martin is named after him, an honor he received in 2006. He also has a statue on campus that memorializes his friendship with mentor Dr. Phil Watkins, who served as vice chancellor of Student Affairs and SGA adviser. In 2017, Dr. Blaylock was named one of UT’s 100 Most Notable Alumni. His accolades are not just from his alma mater, but from other organizations, including the American College of Legal Medicine, which awarded him the President’s Award and the Jefferson Award for his disaster relief work at Ground Zero after the September 11 attack in New York City. He is an avid participant of both community and charity contributions. Dr. Blaylock moved to Portland, Oregon, where he graduated with a Juris Doctorate from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College, spending the past 40 years serving as both a trauma physician and a trial lawyer in the Portland area.
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Retiring with the rank of Major General, Dr. Higdon served his country for 38 years in the Tennessee Air National Guard. During his distinguished military career, he was the Air National Guard Assistant to the United States Air Force Surgeon General. Dr. Higdon served on active duty during Desert Storm and Iraq. He received many honors, including Medical Corps Officer of the Year. He is a 1965 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and a 1970 graduate of UTHSC. Dr. Higdon completed an internship with Methodist Hospital in 1971, and moved to Nashville to complete a residency in anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University Hospital in 1973, serving as chief resident. Dr. Higdon returned to Memphis in 1973, joining the Medical Anesthesia Group, with Methodist Healthcare. During his career with Methodist Hospital, he served as president of the medical staff, chairman of the board for Methodist Extended Care Hospital, and chairman of the board of the Methodist Healthcare Foundation. He also served as president of the Memphis Medical Society. He retired in 2014. Dr. Higdon has been vice chairman for the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. He has been active on the board of directors for the Tennessee Medical Association, the Tennessee Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Memphis and Shelby County Medical Society.
Elijah Dudney, MD
Suzanne Satterfield, MD, MPH, DrPH (COM ’81) Posthumous
(COM ’52) Dr. Dudney practiced for 30 years as one of only two physicians in Jackson County, Tennessee. It’s the county in which he grew up as a resident of the town of Gainesboro. Known in the community for being selfless in his work for more than 50 years, Dr. Dudney is remembered for the countless babies he delivered and surgeries he performed. In 1946, at the age of 16, he graduated from high school as the valedictorian. He attended Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, known now as Tennessee Technological University, from 1946-1949. After receiving his medical degree from UTHSC in 1952, he enrolled in a civilian internship program with the United States Air Force, interning at Nashville General Hospital. He qualified as a flight surgeon, after attending the School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He was assigned to Washington National Airport, where he took care of VIP personnel traveling to and from the United States, including presidential flight crews. While serving in active duty in Washington, D.C., Dr. Dudney was an escort for social and state functions at the White House, and was a White House aide to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. When he completed his work in the military, Dr. Dudney moved to Chattanooga to begin a surgical residency at Erlanger Baroness Hospital, where he was chief surgical resident in his final year. Dr. Dudney returned to Gainesboro for private practice in 1959, where he continued his military service as a reservist, retiring in 1973 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He retired from private practice in 1997.
Coming from a family of health care professionals, Dr. Satterfield dedicated her career to educating future physicians. She majored in biochemistry, graduating from Rice University in 1977. In 1981, she received her medical degree from UTHSC, where she excelled academically and was inducted in Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. In 1985, she received a Master’s of Public Health from the University of Miami. She received a Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard University in 1990. Dr. Satterfield joined the UTHSC Department of Preventive Medicine in 1993 as an assistant professor. She was held in high regard by her students, serving as the co-director of the Evidence Based Medicine curriculum for fourth-year medical students; curriculum director for the Epidemiology Principles in Clinical Medicine course for first-and secondyear medical students; co-director for the Clinical Trials course in the Master of Epidemiology Program; and was a member of the Medical School Admissions Committee for 17 years. Dr. Satterfield was a mentor to many, often hosting medical students in her home for events such as orientation. Throughout her career at UTHSC, Dr. Satterfield was active in clinical research, serving as co-investigator for the Memphis site of the Women’s Health Initiative from 1993 until 2010; principal investigator for a National Institutes of Health osteoporosis trial; and a reviewer for the UTHSC Institutional Review Board. Dr. Satterfield was named an associate professor in 2011 and continued to work at UTHSC in research and education until her death in 2017.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Dr. Paul Blaylock’s Amazing Life Focuses on Making a Difference for All By Chandra Harris-McCray Photography by Steve Hambuchen
At age 10, an intrepid Paul Blaylock was already a mad scientist. With a singed bedroom and a blown-up porch left in his wake, Blaylock’s parents knew their only son’s scientific concoctions were too far gone to abort with “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times” yells. “Your father and I have decided we can’t prevent you from blowing yourself up, but you aren’t going to take us with you,” said his patient mother, after one too many notorious combustions. And so, his parents moved their charred rocking chairs to the backyard and gave him a science lab. The shack in the woods behind their South Fulton, Tennessee, home was a haven of castoff chemicals surrendered by his middle school science teacher. He formulated this and that to create his greatest invention — a stain remover. “Sixty years ago, there was no such thing as a stain remover to get grass stains out of coveralls,” Dr. Blaylock explains, “or a stubborn spot,” in the case of his mother’s best chiffon church dress. “I convinced her to try my creation,” he says, “And lo and behold, the spot came out.” The next day, a seven-inch hole decorated the dress. As days passed, the hole got bigger and bigger, and the once-pretty dress eventually disappeared. “Well, I removed the spot,” he contends, “so it was a success.” His ploy to deodorize skunks wasn’t so successful. And his dissection of creatures from the swamp and storing them in the icebox next to the homemade potato salad left his mother screaming. His insatiable curiosity was a sign of things to come.
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“The same passion I felt for medicine when I first graduated from medical school in 1972 still burns. This is what I was born to do. And this is what I want my legacy to be.” Dr. Paul Blaylock, ’72
After skipping two grades and graduating as a valedictorian, he started at UT Martin at 16, and was named valedictorian there, too, when he graduated pre-med in 1968. His college days included serving as president of the Student Government Association and as a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. The student government office is now named in his honor, and in 2003, he was recognized as an outstanding alumnus by UT Martin. Most recently, he was honored as a one of UT’s 100 most notable alumni. “Every visit to UT Martin is like 1968 again,” says Dr. Blaylock, who fondly recalls his days with his mentor, now friend, Dr. Phil Watkins, then vice chancellor of student affairs and SGA adviser. Their friendship is memorialized in bronze statues fittingly titled, “Friends,” just outside the Paul Meek Library on the Martin campus. “He remains one of my greatest friends and golf buddies all these years later. Our lifelong bond is now forever sealed for others to appreciate what college is meant to be.” Inspiring 2016 UT Martin graduates as their commencement speaker, Dr. Blaylock shared how Henry David Thoreau’s philosophy inspired him in college: “Live deep. Suck the marrow out of life every day, as tomorrow is not promised. Dream high; expand your horizons, and don’t be afraid to exceed your comfort zone. Pursue every opportunity to improve your life; never stop learning.” Heeding those words, he went on to medical school at UT Health Science Center, where he graduated in the top five of his class and was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society. He trained under the acclaimed cardiac surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey in Houston, Texas, and then borrowed $800 to move to Portland, Oregon, where he started his neurosurgery residency, eventually shifting to emergency medicine. At 28, he became an emergency doctor and practiced at Level I and II trauma centers for 38 years, before his final jaunt to urgent care. Then in 1984, he added J.D. to his name, when he graduated from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College. “I went from a three-piece pinstripe suit at a prestigious law firm to scrubs for the ER most days,” he says of his dual-career journey. “I have never considered what I do a job, but I feel blessed to be fulfilling my dreams and goals.”
Now privately practicing medicine in an auto and work injury clinic, Dr. Blaylock’s passion for medicine, comingled with a robust trial law career, enables him to minister to patients. “I think of myself as a doctor first and always, having treated more than 100,000 patients” says Dr. Blaylock. “When I look at the photos and thank-you cards from patients whose lives I have saved, I know that I have made a difference.” That difference is what he lives for, even when traveling aboard cruise ships, where he often gives medical and legal seminars to fellow doctors. More than 60 countries later, he also is known for trekking to natural disaster areas to lend a helping hand with the American Red Cross. He was on Ground Zero after 9/11, and he was the first doctor onsite when United Airlines Flight 173 crashed in a suburban Portland neighborhood in 1978. His endless charitable endeavors extend to an orphanage in Kenya and legacy scholarships for UT Martin students pursuing medicine at UT Health Science Center. “What is going to replace saving someone’s life?” he asks rhetorically. “The same passion I felt for medicine when I first graduated from medical school in 1972 still burns. This is what I was born to do. And this is what I want my legacy to be.” Retirement is not on Dr. Blaylock’s radar. “I likely will be one of those UT Golden Grad doctors,” he says laughing. And if he is like his father, a spry 95-year-old who still gets a thrill from driving his GT Mustang in his Tennessee hometown, Dr. Blaylock will continue to get envious stares in Oregon for cruising in his orange 1972 Stingray Corvette — a graduation souvenir — decked out with a UT checkerboard license plate. “I’ll never forget where I come from. My roots in rural Skullbone, Tennessee will always be part of my life,” says Dr. Blaylock. “I first learned to read and write by studying the newspapers that served as insulation on the walls of my grandparents’ home,” he says. His thirst for knowledge has not waned, as he still devours books late into the night by his fireplace, “because I try to learn something new every day,” says Dr. Blaylock, who is being recognized this year as an outstanding alumnus by UT Health Science Center. “My legacy at UT Martin and UTHSC is ongoing. These two universities gave me the life I live, and I remain grateful. “I am a great believer in the power of education.”
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Thank you for your support! The College of Medicine wishes to thank the following individuals and families who have made provisions specifically for the college in their will or through their estate plans.
Estate of Hermon T. Abernathy Estate of Reba Absher Mr. and Mrs. Michael Acevedo Estate of Anita O. Agnew Dr. and Mrs. A. Julian Ahler Estate of Nina Rice Albright Estate of Emerson A. Alburty Estate of Mr. and Mrs. John S. Allen Estate of William W. Allen Dr. Jack B. Alperin and Ms. Lynn Manaster Dr. and Mrs. Rex A. Amonette Dr. and Mrs. Coleman Lee Arnold Estate of Dr. E.R. and Anna Kathryn Atkinson Dr. Nancy J. Auer Estate of Dr. Troy P. Bagwell Mrs. Carolyn B. Bailey Estate of Leon T. Banakas Drs. Freddie T. and Marji Barron Drs. Randall V. and Jo Ann F. Bass Estate of Mildred P. Bassett Estate of Joe D. Beals, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Peter T. Beaudette Estate of Cynthia Ann Beer Estate of Abraham P. Behrman Estate of Herman Bensdorf, II Estate of James M. Blake Estate of Glenn Johnson Blassingame Estate of Edward H. Bloch Estate of William Webster Bond Estate of William and Kathryn S. Bowld Estate of Vera Brown Estate of Mertie W. Buckman Estate of William L. Bullen Estate of Chloe M. Burch Dr. David F. Busby* and Mrs. Jo Lynda Busby Estate of Ephraim E. Camp Dr. and Mrs. Donald C. Chase Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Christenberry, Jr. Estate of Jane Alvis Clarke Dr. and Mrs. Joel B. Clements Dr. William B. Clotworthy, Jr. Estate of Edwin W. Cocke, Jr. Estate of David D. Coleman Estate of George D. Conger
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Estate of Dr. and Mrs. E.D. Connell Dr. and Mrs. James Martin Cooper Estate of George A. Coors Estate of D. Richard Coriale Estate of Dr. Lewis T. Corum Dr. and Mrs. James T. Craig, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Alvin H. Crawford Estate of Lloyd Vernon Crawford Ms. Betsey Beeler Creekmore Dr. and Mrs. Jerrall P. Crook, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence B. Crowson, Jr. Estate of Ruth B. Crumley Dr. and Mrs. Shannon R. Curtis Estate of Peggy Murphy Dawson Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Mack Day Estate of Ella Ingram Deere Estate of Emilie deHellebranth Dr. Robert G. Demos* and Mrs. Jean Case Demos Estate of Lemuel W. Diggs Estate of E. H. and G. D. Doggett Estate of James. H. Donnell Estate of Reeva E. Donoghue Dr. Sabra F. Drake Estate of Mary P. Dudney Estate of Charles Eastridge Estate of Tom and Kathleen Elam Estate of Jacob Epstein Estate of J. W. Erwin Estate of James Etteldorf Dr. George E. and Mrs. Jane Hardy Fant Estate of Harley Flannigan Dr. and Mrs. James Christopher Fleming Estate of Julian G. Fleming Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. Fox, Jr. Estate of Dr. Harold H. Fry, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Jeff L. Fuqua Dr. Ted Galyon and Dr. Virginia Galyon* Estate of Daniel and Dorothy K. Gerwin Goldsmith Foundation, Inc. Estate of Ruth R. Goltman Estate of C.M. Gooch Estate of Marion H. Gore Dr. Mike Greer and Mrs. Vallerie Hixson Greer Dr. J. Carol Grigg and Mrs. Madeline Hope Berman
Drs. Gary A. and Ann McGuire Grooms Estate of Gene A. Guinn Estate of Lois S. Haas Mr. Christopher A. and Mrs. Watson B. Hall Dr. and Mrs. John E. Hamilton Dr. Ralph S. Hamilton* and Mrs. Barbara H. Hamilton Dr. and Mrs. Herman L. Hampton, Jr. Drs. Wahid T. and Samia Hanna Estate of George W. Hansberry Dr. James H. Harris, Sr. and Mrs. Judy Harris* Estate of Jessie H. and Julian Harrison Dr. and Mrs. Don C. Harting Estate of Dr. Frederick H. and Louise Rice Hartwig Dr. Fred E. Hatch, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Roger L. Hiatt Dr. and Mrs. Bobby C. Higgs Dr. and Mrs. David Edwin Hill Estate of C. Thomas Hill, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. George Alan Hill Dr. Leonard H. Hines and Mrs. Nancye E. Hines* Dr. and Mrs. J. Parks Hitch, Jr. Dr. Perry J. Hockaday Dr. and Mrs. John “Mac” Hodges Dr. John H. Hooker* and Mrs. Marlene Hooker Estate of R. James Hooper Estate of Virginia M. Hord Estate of George M. Houston Estate of John H. How Estate of Helen Humphreys Mr. and Mrs. Weldon R. Humphries Mr. Steven L. Hurdle and Ms. Debbie L. Fulton Dr. and Mrs. David M. Hurst Estate of Margaret Hyde Estate of Orren W. Hyman, Jr. Estate of Thomas Marion Jackson Estate of Fannie Lou Jamison Estate of Rona Jefferson Estate of Dr. Elizabeth Johnston Estate of Dorothy Cottier Jones Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Kaplan
Mrs. Sue H. Kaplan Estate of Dr. Edward A. Karl Estate of Dr. James A. Kaufmann Dr. and Mrs. William Jay Klopstock Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Kossmann Estate of Patricia Franke Kouns Estate of Dr. Ralph Kustoff Estate of Fred and Angeline J. Lambert Dr. and Mrs. Mack Alan Land Estate of Martha C. Lansing Estate of Joanna Morris Larson Estate of Elizabeth M. Latimer Dr. and Mrs. James Douglas Link Dr. and Mrs. Melvin Litch, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. W. Allen Loy Mr. L. Steve Lubin Estate of Dr. John R. Maddox, Jr. Estate of Mr. and Mrs. George Malloy Estate of Mrs. Evelyn G. Malloy Dr. and Mrs. Wayne Marley Estate of William P. Maury, Jr. Estate of Mary Garnette O. Mayberry Dr. and Mrs. John W. McCravey Drs. Martha A. McCravey and Alan B. Wood Mr. Gustaf R. McIlhenny Dr. and Mrs. William R. McKissick Estate of Edward D. Mitchell, Jr. Estate of Joseph N. Mitchell Dr. Billy G. Mitchell* and Mrs. Juanita Mitchell Estate of F. June Montgomery Estate of Charles S. and Lucille H. Moon Estate of Henry Moskowitz Estate of Morrie A. Moss Estate of Grace E. Moulder Estate of Sam D. Mount Dr. John P. Nash* and Mrs. Barbara Nash Dr. and Mrs. Charles R. Nelms, Jr. Dr. George L. Nelson Dr. and Mrs. Khuong Van Nguyen Estate of Jane L. Nuckolls Dr. Lester Carol Nunnally* and Mrs. Jeanne Nunnally Estate of Elihu I. Orleans Dr. and Mrs. John G. Paty, Jr. Estate of William T. F. Paul
Estate of Louis G. Pawelek Estate of F. Homer Payne Estate of Iris Annette Pearce Ms. Jolanda M. Penczner Estate of Tillie Wilson Perry Drs. John P. and June Helen Phillips Estate of Marie E. Phillips Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Pike Estate of Arthur R. Porter Estate of Joseph O. Priestley Estate of Viola W. Quigley Dr. and Mrs. William Gerald Rainer Estate of R. G. Reaves, Jr. Estate of Della Faye Reichert Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Richardson, Jr. Dr. Donald C. Riley Dr. and Mrs. Jack A. Rule Dr. and Mrs. John W. Runyan, Jr. Dr. Robert L. Sain Estate of Dr. Sam H. Sanders, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Santi Dr. and Mrs. Marshall Sashkin Estate of Dr. Phil C. Schreier Estate of Dr. Thomas E. Scott, Jr. Estate of P. K. Seidman Estate of Dr. Joseph S. Shavin Dr. Leroy Sherrill and Mrs. Margaret Sherrill* Estate of Mary E. Skinner Dr. Bruce C. Smith Dr. Michael J. Smith Estate of Norma Mary Smith Estate of Ben M. Spears Estate of Everett Speer Dr. and Mrs. Bruce William Steinhauer Estate of Dr. William A. Stem Estate of Sharon Stewart Dr. Lloyd J. Story* and Mrs. Ranny L. Story Estate of Warda Stout Dr. and Mrs. Timothy A. Strait Dr. and Mrs. Gary D. Strasberg Estate of Dr. Henry T. Stratton Dr. Hiram M. Sturm and Mrs. Ruth Sturm* Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Audrey W. Talley Drs. Norman and Carmelita Teeter James Tharp Trust
Dr. Michael C. Thomas Estate of R. Bernard Thompson Dr. Audrey W. Tuberville Estate of Mary Wade Vinsant Estate of A. H. Voss Estate of Dr. Parks Walker Dr. and Mrs. Hershel P. Wall Dr. John M. Wallace Estate of Mary Ellen Watkins Dr. and Mrs. Clarence B. Watridge Estate of Dorothy C. West Dr. and Mrs. James E. West Estate of Stanley R. White Estate of Dr. Olin O. Williams Estate of Dr. Harwell Wilson Estate of May D. Wilson Estate of Earl W. Winstead Dr. and Mrs. Frank G. Witherspoon, Jr. Dr. Robert E. Younger, III Estate of Estelle Zimmerman Estate of Elsie May Zofer *deceased This list compiled as of July 1, 2018
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Golden Graduate Homecoming 2017 Alumni from all six colleges at UTHSC, including 34 from the College of Medicine, traveled to Memphis to attend the 2017 Golden Graduate Homecoming, held October 11–13. This milestone celebration included dinner at The Rendezvous, open houses at the various colleges, a tour of the new Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation on campus, as well as the Golden Graduate Ceremony and Dinner at the historic Peabody Hotel. The 2018 celebration, which honors the class of 1968 and all prior years, is set for October 10–12. See you there!
Where are you now, thanks to ? Frances Lawhead, MD, FAAD, (COM ’06) HOMETOWN: Jackson, Tennessee WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: Memphis, Tennessee HOBBIES: Running, tennis, book club, and being with my kids FAMILY MEMBERS: Jake (husband), Children Sadie (6) and Iris (5)
WHY DID YOU SELECT UTHSC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE? The decision for me was between four medical schools. Being in a metropolitan area, Memphis was able to offer a diverse and large patient population, which ensured students would see a variety of conditions. Additionally, there were bright faculty members representing all specialties, and almost all other health colleges were represented on campus. The opportunities and possibilities were endless. I also knew students at UTHSC historically tested well on their national Step exams. Finally, the relative cost of education and low cost of living were great financial incentives. WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS? I’m part of a group, Memphis Dermatology Clinic, which values the same things I do. My primary focus of skin cancer prevention, identification, and treatment is exactly what I hoped to be doing at this point in my career. I somehow have the greatest patients and really enjoy taking care of them. I’m able to work full time and be a mom and wife. It can be a tightrope at times, but my family continually shows me grace, allowing me to take care of patients’ needs to the best of my ability. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH UTHSC? Medical students and residents shadow us at our clinic. My husband and I give monetarily as well.
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WHY DO YOU GIVE BACK? First, UTHSC was a critical step for me in my career as a physician. Secondly, as a West Tennessean and Memphian, having UTHSC at our doorstep is a huge resource, as well as a giant investment in our future. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER ALUMNI ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED? It doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment. Giving a small amount monetarily or agreeing to have a student shadow you is an easy way to start. WHAT ARE YOUR NOTABLE MEMORIES FROM YOUR TIME SPENT AT UTHSC? One of my then-scary, but now-favorite memories is how a couple of second- and third-year medical student friends diagnosed me with a DVT after they had just studied it in their pathology section during my first semester of medical school. They likely saved my life! My anatomy lab group, “Team Fascia Lata,” would go eat lunch together at the top of the GEB smelling of formaldehyde after class. Those were some of the worst sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.
In Memoriam 1940 Dr. William F. Mackey 1942 Dr. John Pervis Milnor, Jr. 1944 Dr. Fred E. Jenkins 1946 Dr. John E. Campbell, Jr. Dr. William H. Gardner 1948 Dr. Mario E. Ramirez 1949 Dr. David F. Busby Dr. Jack B. McConnell 1950 Dr. John C. Hardin, Jr. Dr. Ralph Kustoff Dr. Basil M. Yates
1955 Dr. Robert W. Beasley Dr. Robert M. Glasgow Dr. James B. Millis Dr. James A. Sheffield 1956 Dr. George L. Barker Dr. Kelly G. Gregory 1957 Dr. Alexander M. Burford, Jr. Dr. Bob Howe Dr. John E. Outlan Dr. Joyce Smith Dr. Donald E. Vaughn 1958 Dr. Nancy Carolyn Flowers Dr. Robert C. Ford, Jr. Dr. Michael E. Glasscock III Dr. John F. Gratz, Jr. Dr. Dewey W. Hood Dr. John R. Maddox, Jr. Dr. Joseph Leslie Milburn Dr. Andrew J. Yates
1952 Dr. Jack E. Dunlap Dr. Ralph S. Hamilton Dr. Melvin M. Kraus Dr. Albert B. McCreary Dr. Marvin W. Morgan Dr. Warner C. Zachary, Jr.
1959 Dr. Eugene C. Capps Dr. Elbert C. Cunningham, Jr. Dr. William V. Ginn, Jr. Dr. William Hall Preston, Jr.
1953 Dr. Charles M. Dorrough, Jr. Dr. Andrew K. Martinolich, Jr. Dr. Wesley G. Stephens
1960 Dr. Gene Caldwell Dr. Joel T. Hargrove Dr. Bruce Wayne Herndon
1954 Dr. James N. Rasberry Dr. Rudyard Beal Robison Dr. Asbury I. Wilson Dr. Creighton L. Wilson
1961 Dr. Lloyd J. Story
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1962 Dr. Robert P. Oliver, Jr. Dr. John M. Omohundro III Dr. Kenneth L. Raulston, Jr. Dr. Billy N. Riggins Dr. Joseph Edward Roe Dr. John L. Sonner II
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1963 Dr. Robert Franklin Adams Dr. Edward G. Green Dr. John A. Householder Dr. Clarence L. Jones, Jr. Dr. Charles Evan Parkin Dr. Donald A. Wright 1964 Dr. John Robert Adams Dr. Samuel J. Blackwell, Jr. Dr. Robert Buchalter Dr. Donald G. Catron Dr. Arthur L. Jones 1965 Dr. Charles Lawrence Barton Dr. Charles Newman Hatfield 1966 Dr. John L. Beauchamp, Jr. Dr. Harry Hugh Pendery 1967 Dr. Buford P. Davis, Jr. Dr. John M. Nardo Dr. Iris Grace Slowey 1968 Dr. Kenneth D. Sellers Dr. James F. Slowey III 1969 Dr. Marion A. McDaniel 1970 Dr. James Edgar Eaves Dr. Thomas R. Johnston Dr. E. Douglas Newton 1971 Dr. Alan M. Abromovitz Dr. Larry G. Maden 1972 Dr. William L. Bourland Dr. Deason Calvin Dunagan
1973 Dr. Robert Knox Fanning Dr. Michael Rawls Moore 1974 Dr. Bruce A. Bullwinkel Dr. Lloyd R. Hassler Dr. Charles Larkin Dr. William Anthony McIlwain Dr. Gudrun Meier-Hedde Dr. Charles E. Morton III
Former Dermatology Chief Elias Rosenberg, MD, Passes Away Elias Rosenberg, MD, professor emeritus and former division chief of Dermatology in the UTHSC College of Medicine, passed away July 21. He was recruited to UTHSC in 1962 to start the dermatology program, and would go on to train more than 100 dermatology residents, as well as hundreds of medical students and residents of other disciplines over the next 50 years.
1975 Dr. Michael B. Lady
During his career, Dr. Rosenberg was awarded the Rex Amonette Professorship in Dermatology at UTHSC. In 1998, he received the American Academy of Dermatology’s Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement Award.
1976 Dr. Allen F. Anderson Dr. Jesse James Cannon, Jr. 1980 Dr. Eugene N. Long
Dr. Rosenberg served with distinction on the faculty of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, UT Bowld Hospital, the United States Naval Hospital at Millington, Regional One Health (formerly The Regional Medical Center at Memphis), and the Memphis VA Medical Center.
1981 Dr William M. Leppert Dr. Suzanne Satterfield 1997 Dr. Cecil Paul Major, Jr. 1998 Dr. Randall Joseph Bartholomew Dr. James M. Rascoe, Jr. 2005 Dr. Jeffrey A Scrugham
This listing is inclusive from January 1, 2017 to June 20, 2018. To inform the UTHSC Office of Development and Alumni Affairs of any errors or omissions, or to make a donation in memory of a classmate or friend, please contact the office at 901.448.5516 or alumni.uthsc.edu.
Dr. Rosenberg also was acting dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine from 1975-1976.
Alumni Council 2016–2018 PRESIDENT Leonard Hines, MD ’64 Lenoir City, TN PRESIDENT-ELECT John P. Little, MD ’92 Knoxville, TN VICE PRESIDENT Ann M. Grooms, MD ’66 Gainesville, FL SECRETARY Michael D. Calfee, MD ’95 Gainesville, FL
John H. Burkhart, MD ’45 Knoxville, TN (deceased)
John P. Little, MD ’92 Knoxville, TN
Arthur R. Evans, Jr., MD ’50 Louisville, TN (deceased)
Molly J. Peeler, MD ’84 Knoxville, TN
Robert E. Clendenin, Jr., MD ’60 Union City, TN John P. Nash, MD ’56 Memphis, TN (deceased) John K. Duckworth, MD ’56 Nesbit, MS MEMBERS UT Medical Center-Knoxville Vacant
PAST PRESIDENTS Robert Kerlan, MD ’69 Germantown, TN
UT Medical Center-Chattanooga Michael S. Greer, MD ’78 Chattanooga, TN
Thomas Whitaker, MD ’70 Myrtle Beach, SC
St. Thomas Campus-Nashville Ryan Mire, MD ’98 Nashville, TN
Paul Huffstutter, MD ’73 Lenoir City, TN James W. Morris, MD ’72 Lebanon, TN William A. Sims, MD ’61 Decatur, AL James C. Fleming, MD ’74 Germantown, TN Mary C. Hammock, MD ’81 Chattanooga, TN Jerrall Paul Crook, MD ’58 Nashville, TN Albert J. Grobmyer III, MD ’62 Memphis, TN William N. Williford, MD ’70 Knoxville, TN Olin O. Williams, MD ’53 Murfreesboro, TN (deceased) John (Mac) Hodges, MD ‘63 Memphis, TN Joe W. Black, Jr., MD ’57 Knoxville, TN John K. Wright, MD ‘59 Nashville, TN
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TENNESSEE AT-LARGE Joe W. Black III, MD ’84 Knoxville, TN
MIDDLE TENNESSEE Jan DeLozier, MD ’82 Nashville, TN Morris D. Ferguson, MD ’56 Lebanon, TN E. Dwayne Lett, MD ’88 Lebanon, TN David Hill, MD ’80 Nashville, TN Christine Whitworth, MD ’83 Nashville, TN WEST TENNESSEE Michael D. Calfee, MD ’95 Union City, TN James T. Galyon, MD ’53 Memphis, TN Jeff Kerlan, MD ’98 Memphis, TN
Tyler Cannon, MD ’08 Memphis, TN
Gene Mangiante, MD ’75 Memphis, TN
Karen Codjoe, MD ’78 Jackson, TN
Bob Souder, MD ’74 Jackson, TN
Paxton Dickson, MD ’02 Germantown, TN Lori Emerson, MD ’83 Lookout Mountain, TN Leonard Hines, MD ’64 Lenoir City, TN Gary W. Jerkins, MD ’77 Nashville, TN Samuel G. Robbins, Jr., MD ’71 Memphis, TN East Tennessee Will Burkhart, MD ’82 Knoxville, TN Stephen Jackson, MD ’84 Cleveland, TN Tareck A. Kadrie, MD ’98 Signal Mountain, TN
OUT-OF-STATE AT-LARGE A. Austin Fite, MD ’71 Pacific Palisades, CA Ann M. Grooms, MD ’66 Gainesville, FL John E. Hamilton, MD ’84 Florence, AL Michael J. Smith, MD ’73 Tierra Verde, FL REGION I Gerald Reich, MD ’72 Rolling Hills, CA REGION II Ronald Jones, MD ’57 Dallas, TX
Leave Your Legacy REGION III VACANT ALABAMA VACANT ARKANSAS Charles James, MD ’86 FLORIDA Gary A. Grooms, MD ’66 GEORGIA VACANT KENTUCKY F. Gregory Cox, MD ’96 MISSISSIPPI VACANT
Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind? With a Planned Gift, you can: • Simplify your estate for your family • Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets • Benefit causes you hold dear
Legacy donors become members of the Hershel “Pat” Wall Legacy Society Dr. Wall’s 50 years of dedication as a student, faculty member, and administrator to UTHSC are unsurpassed. His legacy will live forever, as will the impact made by our donors. For more information about planned gifts to UTHSC and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu.
NORTH CAROLINA Jonathan Burdette, MD ’93 SOUTH CAROLINA John Mitchell, MD ’86 TEXAS Randal S. Weber, MD ’76 VIRGINIA VACANT EMERITUS A. Mitchell Burford, Jr., MD ’57 (deceased) Larry P. Elliott, MD ’57 Albert M. Hand, MD ’42 (deceased) Evelyn B. Ogle, MD ’47 (deceased) Leroy Sherrill, MD ’52 David H. Turner, MD ’52 (deceased) Ralph Hamilton, MD ’52 (deceased) John Nash, MD ’56 (deceased) Robert Kaplan, MD ’73 Rodney Wolf, MD ’61 HONORARY James Hunt, MD Joe E. Johnson, EdD James J. Neutens, PhD
For more information about getting involved in the College of Medicine Alumni Council, please contact Chandra Tuggle at ctuggle@utfi.org or 901.448.5042.
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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 4026 Office of Development and Alumni Affairs 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500 Memphis, TN 38163 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
The Departments of Surgery of the University of Tennessee Reception at The American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress
Monday, October 22, 2018 WESTIN COPLEY PLACE 10 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02116