Emergency & Trauma

June 16, 2025

From stadium to stents, quick response saves soccer fan

When her evening pivoted from cheering for Nashville Soccer Club to suffering a heart attack, well-coordinated teams kept Leigh Anne Clark’s heart and life safe.

By Jill Clendening
Nearly 500 paramedics and emergency medical technicians recently came to Vanderbilt to train in neonatal resuscitation practices.
June 12, 2025

Neonatal resuscitation initiative expands: First responders learn lifesaving techniques

Each day, 50 to 60 Nashville Fire employees participated, beginning with lectures and followed by hands-on group exercises facilitated by LifeFlight instructors.

By Kylie Avery
June 4, 2025

Expert tips for staying safe in the heat

Following basic summer safety tips will help keep your family safe and healthy as temperatures rise.

By Jessica Pasley
May 29, 2025

Vanderbilt Burn Center earns American Burn Association verification as devoted champion Phyllis Streiff reaches 41-year milestone

Phyllis Streiff and Nashville Fire Department Chaplain James Lassiter teamed up to raise money to open a burn unit at Vanderbilt. During its long and storied history, Vanderbilt has truly been a lifesaver for all burn patients as Tennessee’s only dedicated burn center serving both adults and children. 

By Craig Boerner
May 28, 2025

Vanderbilt LifeFlight receives four EMS Star of Life Awards

The annual awards honor heroic actions by emergency medical services providers who gave exemplary care to both adult and pediatric patients.

By Lindsay Anderson
May 22, 2025

Vanderbilt’s nationally recognized Trauma Center treats amazing array of injuries

On a given day, the Vanderbilt Trauma Center may admit multiple gunshot and motor vehicle accident victims. For 27 years, across nearly 100,000 admissions, the Trauma Center’s physicians, nurses and staff have been treating patients arriving from a region covering 80,000 square miles.

By John Howser
May 19, 2025

Saved by an angel — in Aldi

Steve Glaeser fell in an Aldi supermarket; a Vanderbilt Health critical care nurse saved his life.
By John Howser
April 28, 2025

New celebration photos: Michael Gooch wins award for excellence in emergency nursing and education

The award recognizes exceptional emergency nurses who are board certified and demonstrate a commitment to championing continuous learning and excellence in patient care through nursing certification.
By Kylie Avery
April 18, 2025

Veteran Emergency Operations leader John Morris Jr. to pass torch to Tucker Anderson, Michael Smith

Anderson and Smith have been named co-medical directors and will succeed Morris, who is stepping down from the role after over a decade of leadership.
By Evan Dorian
April 17, 2025

On a spring night in 1987, teenager Mike Harper was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center pinned to a car seat with a fence post through his body. Here is one of the most amazing stories of survival in the history of VUMC.

Mike doesn’t remember the names of all the people who took care of him while he was at VUMC so long ago, but he does have a message for any of them who read this.
By Wayne Wood
April 9, 2025

VUMC partners with public safety groups to combat distracted driving

A crash involving a distracted driver occurs approximately every 43 minutes based on statistics from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
By Jill Clendening
March 27, 2025

Experts urge helmet use as peak trauma season arrives

For the past 12 months, ATV injuries rank as the No. 7 mechanism of injury of pediatric trauma trends at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
By Jessica Pasley
March 12, 2025

Melissa Smith is dedicated to advancing care for trauma patients

“Melissa Smith is the heart and soul of the trauma program and is involved in every aspect of the oversight and functioning of the trauma service.”
By Jill Clendening