Reporter

August 17, 2020

Cashew shell compound appears to mend damaged nerves

In laboratory experiments, a chemical compound found in the shell of the cashew nut promotes the repair of myelin, a team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported Aug. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

By Paul Govern
August 17, 2020

Rathmell named chair of Department of Medicine

After serving as interim chair since Jan. 1, Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, Cornelius Abernathy Craig Professor of Medicine, has been named chair of the Department of Medicine in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief for the Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital and Clinics.

By John Howser
August 14, 2020

Study finds patients’ access to opioid treatment cumbersome

Women are having a difficult time getting into treatment for opioid addictions, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published today in JAMA Open.

By Craig Boerner
August 13, 2020

ACM gift aims to improve lives of children with autism spectrum disorder

ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, has made a generous gift to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for programs and research demonstrating the healing power of music to improve the lives of children with autism spectrum disorder.

By VUMC News and Communications
August 13, 2020

Acupressure studied to treat neonatal opioid withdrawal

Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently completed a study to create a standardized protocol for using acupressure to treat newborns with opioid withdrawal syndrome.

By Kelsey Herbers
August 13, 2020

Study suggests new threshold for diagnosing PAH

Doctors diagnosing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — elevated pulmonary pressure due to an issue in the small vessels of the lung — rely on a hemodynamic threshold set in the early 1970s to determine whether patients would be candidates for pulmonary vasodilator therapy.

By Matt Batcheldor
August 13, 2020

Children’s Hospital ECMO program lands excellence award

For the fifth straight time, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s heart-lung support program has received the ELSO Award — Gold Level for Excellence in Life Support by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO).
By Christina Echegaray
August 13, 2020

Newer targeted therapy prolongs life for lung cancer patients

Patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer treated with ensartinib fared better and lived longer than those who received crizotinib, according to results of a phase 3 study.
By Tom Wilemon
August 13, 2020

Facility dog Squid makes Children’s Hospital debut

Every day, thousands of highly trained and dedicated employees enter the doors of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. All are part of a team that supports, comforts and provides care to patients and families.
By Jessica Pasley
August 12, 2020

Ceremony launches medical students’ education journey

In keeping with tradition, the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine first-year class held its White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 5. Despite a few aspects of the ceremony being altered due to physical distancing measures put in place with COVID-19, the students enjoyed the right of passage marking the beginning of their medical education journey.
By Kathy Whitney
August 12, 2020

Congenital heart patient receives unexpected transplant

For years, doctors told Piper Davis it was impossible to have a heart transplant. She was born with just one ventricle, or pumping chamber, instead of two. A generation ago, such patients didn’t survive into adulthood.
By Matt Batcheldor
August 12, 2020

Clarke Named Senior Vice President of Laboratory Services for VUMC

Ken Clarke, MBA, MHA, joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center Aug. 1 as Senior Vice President for Laboratory Services.
By Nancy Humphrey
August 11, 2020

Risk marker for repeat sinus surgery

An inflammatory factor in mucus could be a biomarker of treatment-resistant chronic sinusitis used to determine which patients are at risk for repeat sinus surgery.
By Leigh MacMillan