Vanderbilt University Medical Center

The wait is over—Match Day is here! Our medical students are taking the next step in their careers, learning where they will continue their training and contribute to the future of health care. Congratulations on this incredible achievement! @[ Vanderbilt Universit](urn:li:organization:4565)y @[ Vanderbilt University School of Medicin](urn:li:organization:15101506)e

Every day, Jamie Colombo, DO, helps change the lives of children with complex heart conditions. As assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology and co-director of the Single Ventricle Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, she provides expert care while collaborating with colleagues to advance pediatric cardiology. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, reading, traveling, and exploring Nashville’s vibrant restaurant scene.

We’re so proud of our MyHealth Bundles team and the incredible work they’ve done since the program’s inception. You can learn more about MyHealth Bundles for Employers here: https://bit.ly/4htevXZ

For the first time, a Vanderbilt Health patient has been implanted with a novel left atrial pressure monitoring device, part of a clinical trial being conducted at only five centers in the United States. The V-LAP device allows medical teams to monitor the pressure inside a patient’s heart in real-time, allowing them to make better decisions about the patient’s medications and improving outcomes. https://lnkd.in/gKFrZqXf

When asked who inspired Dr. Ginny Barton, an OB-GYN, to pursue this career path, she mentions Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female to earn a medical degree in the U.S., and whose birthday, Feb. 3, is honored as National Women Physicians Day. Learn more about Dr. Barton, in her own words: “This hospital as a whole has grown tremendously. While I joined the hospital as a physician in 2011, I’ve grown up here. Not only working in medical records and the outpatient lab, but frequently visiting my mom during her 30 years as an employee. This gives me very unique perspective on the hospital as a whole and the community’s perspective of us.” “As part of Vanderbilt, this has become a hospital where our family, friends and community are proud to receive care. The growth of our nursery/neonatal intensive care unit also comes to mind as the most substantial development in our hospital, and that is in large part due to Vanderbilt’s support and guidance.” “My favorite memory of working here is when I had my children here. I had the privilege of being taken care of as a patient by the fantastic nurses I work with every day. When I had my twins, doctors and staff stayed when they didn’t have to in order to make sure each of my babies had their own team.” “My favorite Nashville spot is The Listening Room. I love country music and to hear those songs performed by the writers who created them and hear the stories of how they came about is fascinating.”

Getting lost in Labor and Delivery was just part of the adventure, especially in those early days when new sections were constantly being renovated. Now, Dr. Lindsey Zamora is helping shape the future of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt Health. Since joining in 2019, she has seen tremendous growth in clinical care, from expanding Labor and Delivery services to opening new clinics across Middle Tennessee. As an associate professor and section head of Global Women’s Health, she is passionate about improving care both locally and globally. One night she will never forget is delivering three sets of twins. Beyond patient care, she teaches in the Master of Public Health program and draws inspiration from her mentor Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, whose work helped establish an OB-GYN residency program in Guyana. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking at Radnor Lake and Percy Warner Park with her husband and two daughters. She sees patients at the Vanderbilt Center for Women’s Health Smyrna and delivers at Vanderbilt University Hospital.

Juan Carlos Salazar, MD, MPH has been named the chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and physician-in-chief for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Dr. Salazar joins VUMC with more than three decades of experience in academic leadership, medical education and NIH-funded research. Join us in welcoming him, and his family, to Nashville! https://lnkd.in/eHtKnBhE

The Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation has awarded us a $1 million grant to support research aimed at dramatically expanding the efficacy of immunotherapy for colorectal cancer. Currently, only people with microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer, which accounts for about 10% of patients, respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors, but Vanderbilt researchers have discovered proteins that could be targeted to potentially benefit the other 90%. The work is the latest collaboration between Robert Coffey, MD, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, and Ken Lau, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, to understand the mechanisms of colorectal cancer. It builds on recent discoveries by their research teams. Together, they identified three immune exclusion biomarkers associated with the 90% of colorectal cancer cases that are microsatellite stable and have a paucity of CD8 T cells. https://bit.ly/3DAg5cM

"Integrating caregiving status as a form of preventive medicine might be something that we all want to consider." In the latest episode of the miniVHAN podcast, terrell Smith, recently retired Senior Director of Patient and Family Engagement at Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network, shares the importance of screening caregivers for distress and support needs early on so care teams can better support them throughout the journey. Stream the full episode, then check out our caregiver support resources, including free services to support transportation, house care needs, meals and more: https://lnkd.in/e7pSnHk9.

A modified bone marrow transplant procedure for sickle cell disease co-developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco, can cure the disease, a new NEJM Evidence study has found. Of 38 adults with severe SCD who participated in the study, more than 97% no longer required immunosuppressive therapy one year after the transplant, the researchers reported. The two-year survival rate was 95%. Adetola Kassim, MD, MS and Michael DeBaun, M.D., MPH discuss the recent findings in the article below. https://lnkd.in/edMV9Y_M