Following a Thanksgiving surge that led to record numbers of admissions of patients with COVID-19, residents and fellows from multiple disciplines have come together under the direction and supervision of critical care attendings to provide the best care to critically ill patients in Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.

In early March Vanderbilt University Medical Center established a telephone hotline for its patients and employees concerned that they could be ill with COVID-19. The hotline has since received more than 20,000 calls.

Exactly 88 years from the day he was born at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, J. Kenneth Jacobs, MD, professor of Surgery, emeritus, returned to the institution to present a financial gift to the Section of Surgical Sciences to support the future education and research efforts of surgical residents.

Kyla Terhune, MD, MBA, associate professor Surgery and director of the Surgery Residency Training Program in the Section of Surgical Sciences, has been named Vice President for Educational Affairs for Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Her appointment is effective July 1.

George Washington University biomedical engineering student Sydney Bailes spent her summer carefully creating silicone layers of precise consistencies, and she hopes to spend winter break continuing work on the project that can one day help junior surgical trainees practice a critical skill — inserting surgical instruments for abdominal surgeries.

Dr. Wonder Drake and Dr. Kyla Terhune have been named as the 2017-18 Chancellor’s Higher Education Fellows, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos announced today.

The General Surgery residency program at Vanderbilt School of Medicine is getting a new program director, but it won’t be a new face.