Mission of Caring Archive

pregnant belly

Weekly buprenorphine injection proves more effective for pregnant women with opioid use disorder

Vanderbilt Health’s Firefly program continues to lead the way in caring for pregnant women with substance use disorder.

By Jessica Pasley

Great Saves event reunites former patients with those who provided lifesaving care

They and their families shared their journeys back to health, from initial illness followed by weeks to months in the SICU, to their ongoing rehabilitation and recovery.

By Jill Clendening

Tender Paws and Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital celebrate a fetching 25-year partnership

Composed of community volunteers and their specially trained dogs, Tender Paws teams regularly visit inside the hospital, providing emotional support that complements clinical care.

By Sandra Wooten

Memorial fund honors patient whose life was saved by Vanderbilt Health neurosurgeons

Charlotte Davis’ family, grateful for Vanderbilt Health’s role in extending her life, has set up a fund in her memory to support neurosurgical research and patient care.

Six Vanderbilt faculty named honorary fellows of prestigious scientific society

The 2025 fellows have been invited to the annual AAAS Fellows Forum May 29 in Washington, D.C.

Champ’s Cupboard expands reach, services after strong first year at Monroe Carell. Read the Impact Report.

In the program’s first year, the team distributed a frozen meal or box of nonperishable food items to 235 families in the hospital, with 98% of recipients saying the food was helpful.

By Christina Echegaray

March 18, 2026

Vanderbilt Center for Cognitive Medicine enrolls first Down syndrome participant for Alzheimer’s disease study

Evan Dewey and his family travel from Atlanta to participate in the ABATE study, a clinical trial evaluating a treatment that could reduce the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease development in individuals with Down syndrome

By Danny Bonvissuto

March 12, 2026

Vanderbilt Health President and CEO Jeff Balser to retire

Jeff Balser’s announcement culminates a career-long journey that began at Vanderbilt in the mid-1980s as a medical student and doctoral dual degree candidate.

By John Howser

March 9, 2026

Pediatric sedation program earns prestigious Center of Excellence designation

To earn the designation, hospitals go through a rigorous application and evaluation process, for which only about 50% of applicants successfully achieve the designation. In this latest cycle of applicants, Monroe Carell was one of only 10 hospitals awarded the distinction.

By Christina Echegaray

March 5, 2026

Multidisciplinary clinic improves care for cleft lip/palate patients

A patient care coordinator now works to ensure that families receive a comprehensive care plan rather than needing to coordinate multiple disparate parts of their child’s treatment on their own.

By Evan Dorian

March 2, 2026

Vanderbilt Health to become Tennessee Titans’ official health care provider

As a founding “Cornerstone Sponsor” in the new Nissan Stadium, Vanderbilt Health will partner with Nissan Stadium on a family zone designated as the “Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Terrace.”

February 13, 2026

30 years of changing health care culture: How Vanderbilt Health’s CPPA pioneered professional accountability

Three decades later, CPPA is a cornerstone of health care culture transformation, around the U.S. and the world reaching hundreds of thousands of clinicians.

By Holly Fletcher

February 5, 2026

Welcoming Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital into the Vanderbilt Health family: Photo gallery

Vanderbilt Health staff traveled from around the region for an Employee Welcome Event on Wednesday, Feb. 4, to greet new colleagues at Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital, which officially joined the enterprise Feb. 2.

By Susan Urmy