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As a mentor VUMC nurse Ebony Israel-Grover, RN, left, shares her own health care journey and advice with Pearl-Cohn High School sophomore Lamya Robertson. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
Pearl-Cohn High School senior Jennifer Gomez Ceba, right, meets with her mentor, Vanderbilt Health nurse Che Curtis, MBA, MSN, RN. (photo by Kylie Avery)

STriVE volunteer program volunteers pose for a photo on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. (photo by Erin O. Smith)

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Mission of Caring

Kris Rehm on caring for children beyond the clinic and in the community

Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and we know their health is shaped by much more than clinical care.

60 summers of service: Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital’s teen volunteer tradition

 By Sandra Wooten
Inspiring the Future

Service and Scholarships: Clarksville Volunteer Auxiliary recognizes VolunTeen graduates

 By Sandra Wooten
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders

STriVe is back! Teen volunteers return to Monroe Carell this summer

 By Jessica Pasley
Photo Feature

Camp TALKS offers connection to children who stutter

 By Jessica Pasley

Vanderbilt Health in your neighborhood

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Aspirnaut: ready, set, LAUNCH

From the Archive: look back at the early days of Billy Hudson’s Aspirnauts

Inspiring the Future

Billy Hudson named 2026 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient

Leaders in government, business, military, media and technology will be honored with the prestigious Ellis Island Medals of Honor on May 16 during gala on Ellis Island.

 By Craig Boerner and Bill Snyder
Voice

VUMC’s Aspirnaut program celebrates 15th anniversary, and NBC News returned to highlight its students

 By Bill Snyder

$5 million gift from Springer-Lu Family Foundation to support VUMC’s Aspirnaut program

 By Sarah Wolf
Training Tomorrow’s Leaders

High school researchers at VUMC glimpse the future

 By Bill Snyder
The 2023 Aspirnaut summer research interns, flanked by the program’s co-founders, Julie Hudson, MD, left, and Billy Hudson, PhD, back row, right. (photo by Susan Urmy)

Student researchers at VUMC earn accolades for their report

A research paper co-authored by 23 high school and undergraduate students participating in Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Aspirnaut summer research program has been selected as one of the “Editor’s Picks” by the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Mega-fun, MEGAMicrobe

Allyson Ray, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in lab of Ann Tate, PhD (Biological Sciences), introduces a student to the wonderful world of microbes during MEGAMicrobe, Sept. 27 at the Jones Paideia Magnet School in Nashville. (photo by Susan Urmy)

MEGAMicrobe 2025

The event was held Sept. 27 at Jones Paideia Magnet School in Nashville.

Chenyu Zhu takes a look at tardigrades, or water bears, through a microscope. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
Photo Feature

MEGAMicrobe 2024 photo gallery

Scientists from Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center led several activities to illustrate the important roles that microorganisms play in the environment and human health.

Children had a field day on Oct. 19 exploring with Vanderbilt scientists the “great big world of tiny microbes” — bacteria, viruses and other germs. The third annual MEGAMicrobe event, hosted by the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation (VI4), was held at Granbery Elementary School in Brentwood. MEGAMicrobe’s goal is to make science fun and accessible. For more information, go here.

MEGAMicrobe 2019

Children had a field day on Oct. 19 exploring with Vanderbilt scientists the “great big world of tiny microbes” — bacteria, viruses and other germs.

MEGAMicrobe 2018

Gennifer Goode, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Interdisciplinary Science and Research (ISR) Program, steadies a transparent “lightboard” while 10-year-old Malakai Zundel creates his version of a germ during the second annual MEGAMicrobe event hosted Oct. 27 by the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation.

MEGAMicrobe – 2017

More than 200 children attended last week’s MEGAMicrobe, which offered explorations into the world of microbes and immune defenses.

Learning and Playing

Vanderbilt Health in the Community

High school students explore health careers during afternoon of experiential learning

Leaders from across Vanderbilt Health operations and clinical departments participated as panelists and tour stops for this group.

The Be In The Zone program included a daylong event where students experienced a mock trauma simulation in the ED. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
Pediatrics

Program shows students that distracted driving can take many forms

Research has found that dialing a phone number while driving increases a teen’s risk of crashing by six times, and texting while driving increases the risk by 23 times.

Diabetes education, fun come together at Camp Sugar Falls

In between zip-lining through the woods and playing ball, 13-year-old Rhett Stanley takes a break from summer camp, pulls a tiny bag from his backpack and quickly tests his blood glucose level. Then, just as quickly, he’s back to the fun.

Inspiring the Future

Five Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital interns graduate from Project SEARCH Transition-to-Work Program

Tennessee has more than 18 Project SEARCH sites, including Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital. The state ranks among the top three for employing people with disabilities through the model.

Brayden Thrasher, 7, attends Camp Hope, a three-day experience for burn survivors. (photo by Donn Jones)
Pediatrics

Camp Hope: A place of healing and happiness for burn survivors

At Camp Hope, Vanderbilt personnel, adult burn survivors and others volunteer to create activities to promote physical and emotional healing for the children.

Pediatrics

Champ of the Game program celebrates five years of inspiration

What started as a simple proposal to create a moment during each home game for a hospitalized patient to root for the home team and share the excitement from fans and players in the arena has become a welcomed tradition. 

Photo Feature

Picture Perfect Pair: Kangaroo-A-Thon 2025 (slideshow)

“Kangaroo Care” is more than just a practice — it’s a powerful connection between parent and child that creates lasting benefits for both.

Neil Jess, BSN, RN, CNOR, and Pearl-Cohn High School student Aries Beck. Neil Jess, BSN, RN, CNOR, and Pearl-Cohn High School student Aries Beck.
Inspiring the Future

Nurses mentor Pearl-Cohn High School students considering health care professions

The mentorship program — a partnership between VUMC Nursing and Metro Nashville Public Schools — connects staff nurses to students eyeing nursing and health care professions like Aries Beck, who wants to be a neurologist and got her first glimpse at medicine in second grade at Vanderbilt Brain Institute’s Brain Blast.

 By Matt Batcheldor
Inspiring the Future

From NIL to MIL: Vanderbilt launches mentorship-focused partnership with Iris Medical Group
(courtesy of Butterfly Records)
Inspiring the Future

Dolly Parton honors milestone birthday by giving back to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt

 By Vanderbilt Health News
Shown here are (front row, from left) Katrina Pryor, Miguel Coleman, Brianna Wilson (back row, from left) Dawn Howard, Lonnie Purcell, Tohmanih Waggoner and Anthony Johnson.
Pediatrics

Project SEARCH job skills program expands into off-site pharmacy services

 By Jessica Pasley
As a mentor VUMC nurse Ebony Israel-Grover, RN, left, shares her own health care journey and advice with Pearl-Cohn High School sophomore Lamya Robertson. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
Nursing

Empowering future nurses: Vanderbilt Health’s mentorship initiative

 By Kylie Avery

Growing with Middle Tennessee

From regional hospitals and specialty clinics, Vanderbilt Health shows up where Tennesseans live because health doesn’t begin or end at the clinic door.

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Vanderbilt contributes $22.13 billion to Tennessee, Nashville economies since 2019 

New VUMC hospital expansion to be named Jim Ayers Tower

By Nancy Humphrey

Medical Center North at 100: Celebrating a century of progress, innovation and change

By Wayne Wood, Jill Clendening and Evan Dorian

New Vanderbilt Medical Laboratories facility, renovations will benefit patients

By Jill Clendening

Vanderbilt Health acquires Tennova’s Clarksville hospital and related physician clinics from Community Health Systems

By John Howser

VUMC and Heritage Medical Associates to share medical records beginning Nov. 1

By Paul Govern

Expanded space enhances care for pediatric cancer patients

By Nancy Humphrey

Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital becomes county’s first trauma center

By Vanderbilt Health News

Vanderbilt Imaging Services Q&A: expanding community access and supporting system growth 

By Holly Fletcher
Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital’s (VWCH) Emergency Department transitioned to become part of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Emergency Medicine.

Investments advance emergency medicine services at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital

By Kelsey Herbers

Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital: 5 years

By Danny Bonvissuto
Each room of the new space at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt allows for rooming-in options for families seeking overnight accommodations. (photo by Susan Urmy)

Final floor’s opening completes expansion of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt

By Christina Echegaray
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Lebanon is located at at 1616 West Main St., Suite 101, in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Lebanon moves to new location 

By Tom Wilemon

New Vanderbilt University Hospital Labor and Delivery entrance helps patients bypass Emergency Department

By Danny Bonvissuto
The move of Vanderbilt LifeFlight’s fixed-wing air ambulance to Lebanon Municipal Airport allows for quicker response times to emergency requests.

LifeFlight moves fixed-wing air ambulance base to Lebanon

By Jerry Jones

Vanderbilt LifeFlight expands ground ambulance service to Tullahoma

By Jerry Jones

VUMC leases former AT&T Center in Brentwood for future development

By John Howser

From steakhouse to sanctuary: Vanderbilt Birth Center celebrates 10 years

By Danny Bonvissuto