Evan Dorian Archive — Page 3 of 6

Photo of the exterior of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt shows the four new floors added atop the pediatric facility. (photo by Anne Rayner)
February 24, 2026

Grant supports study to improve detection of parathyroid glands in pediatric endocrine neck surgery 

Researchers will study the validity of near-infrared autofluorescence to improve detection of parathyroid glands during endocrine neck surgery, now looking at pediatric patients.

Before being sedated, Aaron Davis gives a thumbs up with his surgical team. (photo by Donn Jones)
February 12, 2026

Vanderbilt Health celebrates milestone for novel histotripsy procedure 

Appealing to patients for its noninvasive nature, it avoids many of the traditional drawbacks of surgeries that use incisions, including pain management. 

January 8, 2026

Melynor Fraker leads by helping her team members become the best versions of themselves, ever expanding what a regional hospital staff can do for its community

As the first recipient of the newly rechristened C. Wright Pinson Award, Fraker’s outstanding leadership reflects the award’s tradition of recognizing those who move VUMC forward.

December 12, 2025

How Scott Smith beat the odds to live a full life with hydrocephalus through over a dozen surgeries at Vanderbilt Health

The Tullahoma, Tennessee, native turned 60 this year — something that would’ve seemed like an impossibility when he was growing up with a neurological condition.

The device, which is surgically implanted but does not contain an internal battery, allows patients to control it externally without having to undergo subsequent procedures to replace a power source.
December 12, 2025

Vanderbilt Health now offering patients a new treatment for sleep apnea

The bilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation device is available to qualified patients who have not been able to benefit from CPAP.

(iStock)
December 10, 2025

Study finds that meditation may help stimulate the brain’s waste removal system, providing restorative benefits like sleep

New research is informing how mindfulness meditation contributes to improvements in cognitive health and may have relevance to treating a range of degenerative brain conditions.