Matt Batcheldor

by Matt Batcheldor When Beverly Fite’s brother, Dan, needed a liver transplant, she had a feeling like a lot of potential living organ donors — she immediately knew she would be the one to donate. She had recently learned that Vanderbilt University Medical Center makes it possible for someone to donate part of their liver to a loved one, and the resulting partial livers in the donor and recipient can regenerate to become fully functional organs, typically within six weeks. After other relatives were tested and Beverly was determined to be the best match, she didn’t hesitate to donate her liver, which she did in May 2022. She has no regrets. “If you're given an opportunity to, do something,” she said. “Give a gift to someone who you love so dearly. … For me, this is my big brother. He was a huge part of just me becoming me.” Beverly, who is finishing nursing school at Auburn University, will be among the guest speakers at VUMC’s Donate Life Flag-Raising Ceremony, part of a national effort to raise awareness about the need for organ and tissue donors. The event, scheduled for noon on Friday, April 14 by the flagpole on the VUMC Plaza, celebrates families of deceased organ donors, living donors and hospital staff who care for donors and transplant recipients. This is the first year the event is being held in person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beverly’s brother, Dan, was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis at 12, and he came under Vanderbilt’s care when he came to Nashville to study at Belmont University. His doctors were able to manage his condition for years, through bouts of stabbing pain in his abdomen due to gallstones. Dan knew he would eventually need a new liver, but the scarcity of available deceased donor livers meant he could spend years on a waiting list as he got sick enough to qualify. That set in motion the search for a liver donor, starting with many of his cousins. When he found out his sister was his best match, he had mixed emotions. “I was relieved because it meant we were going to be able to get the surgery done,” he said, but “in the grand scheme of things, I probably would have rather had her not go through that. But now that we've all come through and all out on the other side, all I can do is just express my extreme gratitude and commend her bravery.” Both siblings had the opportunity to recover together over the summer of 2022 in a home in Nashville, supported by multiple family members, during Beverly’s break from nursing school. Through it all, the siblings’ bond, already close, became tighter still. For Beverly, seeing Dan for the first time after the surgery, made it all worth it. His skin, even the whites of his eyes, were no longer jaundiced. “I was getting to see just what a gift I was able to give him,” she said. “This is incredible. This is amazing.” Dan said he’s feeling fine for the most part and is incredibly grateful to his sister. “Bev, to me, is the best of us,” Dan said. “She is the most generous soul. And I am not only forever indebted to her, but I … admire her and want to be her when I grow up.”
April 6, 2023

Donate Life Flag-Raising Ceremony set for April 14

Vanderbilt’s Donate Life Flag-Raising Ceremony, part of a national effort to raise awareness about the need for organ and tissue donors is scheduled for noon on Friday, April 14 by the flagpole on the VUMC Plaza.

By Matt Batcheldor
April 6, 2023

System repairs donor lungs for transplantation

A Vanderbilt team has discovered that donor lungs rejected for transplant can be repaired using cross-circulation with a xenogeneic host.

By Matt Batcheldor
Creators of the diabetes toolkit included, from left, Charis Health Center’s Carolyn Moore and Lauren Smith and VUMC’s Lindsay Miller, Lucy Leon, Bianca Sarr, Hannah Beddoe, Autumn Montgomery and Kimberly Burkeen.
April 6, 2023

Nurses collaborate to create Diabetes Education Toolkit

Vanderbilt recently collaborated with Charis Health Center in Wilson County to create a Diabetes Education Toolkit to better serve Charis’ patient population.

By Matt Batcheldor
March 31, 2023

For Ali Grubbs, leadership means mentoring and empowering every employee

“My favorite part of this job is taking care of the people and engaging with our staff and helping them solve problems and achieve professional growth and development.”

By Matt Batcheldor
March 30, 2023

VUMC relaunching committee devoted to nurse well-being

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is relaunching its Nurse Wellness Committee, part of ongoing efforts to promote well-being and resilience in its nursing team.

By Matt Batcheldor
Vanderbilt heart patient Tony Raia, with his wife, Jenn, and daughter, Gabriella, 6, at their home in Franklin, Tennessee.
March 16, 2023

Multispecialty expertise key to heart patient’s recovery

Vanderbilt’s multispecialty expertise helped a seemingly healthy 54-year-old man who needed major heart procedures get back to the gym and live a healthy life.

By Matt Batcheldor
March 9, 2023

VUMC granted four-year reaccreditation by ANCC

Vanderbilt University Medical Center was recently granted reaccreditation for nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) in February from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
By Matt Batcheldor
March 2, 2023

Team seeks to raise awareness of peripheral artery disease

A Vanderbilt outreach team is visiting churches to raise awareness about peripheral artery disease.
By Matt Batcheldor
February 23, 2023

2022 another strong year for Vanderbilt Transplant Center

By Matt Batcheldor
February 23, 2023

Study sheds new light on hormone therapy as menopause treatment

Vanderbilt research shows that hormone replacement therapy can be safely administered depending on the method used and the patient’s age, time since menopause, and risk of cardiovascular disease.
By Matt Batcheldor
February 8, 2023

Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute acquires Clarksville’s VeinCare Centers of Tennessee

Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute has acquired VeinCare Centers of Tennessee, a Clarksville, Tennessee-based clinic offering minimally invasive vein treatments using cutting-edge technology.
By Matt Batcheldor
February 8, 2023

Study finds underperforming organ procurement organizations contribute to nationwide shortage

The number of potential organ donors in the United States could solve the shortage for most organs, but many organs are not recovered due to performance variations in the opaque organ procurement organization process, according to a just-published study with first and corresponding authors from Vanderbilt.
By Matt Batcheldor
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