Christina Echegaray

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has been named an accredited center of care by the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF), a national nonprofit committed to improving the health outcomes and quality of life for children with cardiomyopathy.

Haley Vance, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC, has been elected president of the Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA). Vance, who is an acute care pediatric nurse practitioner for Pediatric Neurosurgery, will serve a two-year term, which began in September and ends in September 2019.

Turner Construction crews recently hoisted the final steel beam to top out the structure of the four-floor expansion project at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Children’s book author Christina Geist recently visited patients at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and read her latest book, “Buddy’s Bedtime Battery.” She was joined by her husband, television personality and journalist Willie Geist, who anchors MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and NBC’s “Sunday Today with Willie Geist.”

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, Predators executive leaders, executives from Tri Star Energy (Twice Daily) and team mascot Gnash recently presented the proceeds of the team’s 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Pediatric allergic diseases — food, drug, seasonal allergies — and anaphylaxis, a potentially life threatening allergic reaction, are on the rise and researchers are working furiously to understand, prevent and treat these conditions.