Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Meet CJ! CJ is making a difference for patients and families at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital Surgery and Clinics in Murfreesboro. A valued team member for eight years, she was recently named one of the winners of the 2024 Medical Assistant of the Year Award! Known for her warm welcomes and attention to detail, CJ is described by colleagues as “a main resource” for Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) care and someone who “consistently focuses on making those she serves her highest priority.” When reflecting on this recognition, CJ said, “It’s another level to be recognized for what I do; I’m really humbled and honored.” Outside of work, CJ enjoys being a mom to her kids, who inspire her to be her best self every day. Please join us in congratulating CJ on this incredible achievement! Looking for a career where you can make a difference? Join us at https://bit.ly/42AivSB

The life of Billy Hudson, PhD, demonstrates the incredible impact of perseverance and the transformative power of mentorship. Growing up in poverty and overcoming a challenging childhood in rural Arkansas, Hudson became a renowned biochemistry professor and kidney disease researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He and his wife, Julie Hudson, MD, co-founded Aspirnaut, a nonprofit that has opened doors for more than 3,300 underserved students through STEM education and research opportunities. Through Aspirnaut, many of these students have participated in summer research programs, with over 140 going on to become physicians or scientists, or earning advanced degrees. “I see myself in those kids — their trauma, their pain and their success,” Hudson says. Learn more about Hudson’s inspiring journey and how Aspirnaut is helping the next generation achieve their dreams in People Magazine. https://bit.ly/3WFbewW

The National Academy of Sciences has announced that Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH, the Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will receive the 2025 NAS Award in Molecular Biology. Skaar, who directs the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, is being recognized for “pioneering work at the intersection of nutrition and infectious diseases,” according to the NAS. Congratulations, Dr. Skaar! https://lnkd.in/gYJTjrcj

What happens if you have cancer, and you’re allergic to the chemotherapy that offers the best – maybe only – chance of saving your life? Sam Manning faced that situation. She was diagnosed in 2021 with Stage 4 peritoneal carcinoma, a gynecological cancer that started in her abdominal lining. After surgery, she started chemo with carboplatin, a type of platinum drug. These are the most active chemotherapy agents for several types of gynecological cancers. Sam tolerated the carboplatin for a while. But one day it triggered hives and a severe anaphylactic reaction that sent her to the hospital. Doctors in our Drug Allergy Clinic are studying why chemo allergies happen and how best to help patients tolerate these life-saving drugs. In Sam’s case, Dr. Cosby Stone Jr., assistant professor of Medicine in Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, learned that she wasn’t doing well. He spent the night in the cancer unit with her, eventually designing a desensitization process that let her continue receiving carboplatin despite her allergy. Sam got small doses of carboplatin, which still triggered allergy symptoms, but those symptoms got weaker with each exposure. “Each treatment got slowly better as we worked on controlling her allergy symptoms with an improved, personalized protocol,” Stone said. “It allowed her to get another 10-20 treatments with this key drug for her cancer, despite being very allergic to it.” Sam’s case has provided the drug allergy team with valuable information on how to better treat other patients who are allergic to their chemotherapy. “Cancer has dragged me down,” said Sam, who was initially told she had one or two years to live. “But I’m here. I’m still here.” More of Sam's remarkable story: https://bit.ly/42z68q4

Vanderbilt Health is growing, and we want you to be a part of it! Join us next week, for our Winter Virtual Event Series: Fresh Starts, Endless Opportunities. This is your chance to connect with Vanderbilt Health leaders, learn about our culture and discover unmatched career opportunities. Learn more and RSVP here: https://bit.ly/4gPDYv4

Vanderbilt University Medical Center health plan members can now access the MyMaternity Health and MyOrthoHealth bundles at Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital, and the MyWeightLoss-Surgical Weight Loss Bundle at Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital. The program covers some of the most common and costly health procedures, and includes all necessary care services, such as imaging, labs, doctor visits, hospital stays and even related ER visits, exclusively through Vanderbilt Health providers. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/40r6sUP.

Vanderbilt University Hospital has again been nationally verified as a Level 1 adult trauma center by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. The hospital is the only nationally designated Level 1 adult trauma center in Middle Tennessee. Trauma patients come to VUH from a region covering 80,000 square miles, and approximately 9,400 acute trauma patients are treated at the hospital annually. We're honored to continue serving these patients when they need us most! https://lnkd.in/g-wrnA_y

Happy National CRNA Week! We’re grateful for all our certified registered nurse anesthetists and all they do to make health care personal. 💙 If you’re interested in joining us as a CRNA, find all open opportunities here: https://bit.ly/4eFw8mF

Good news: Vanderbilt Health is growing, and we want you to be a part of it! Our virtual recruitment event series is back, Feb. 3-7! This is your chance to connect with Vanderbilt Health leaders, learn about our culture and discover unmatched career opportunities. Learn more and RSVP here: https://bit.ly/4gPDYv4

Alexander Bick, MD, PhD and Jonathan Kropski, MD, have been elected to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected medical honor societies. They are among more than 3,500 ASCI members, 48 of whom are current, full-time faculty members of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Join us in congratulating them both on this outstanding achievement! https://lnkd.in/eiH8sTd7