Mission of Caring

March 20, 2026

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.

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

Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, talks about VUMC’s ongoing commitment to its core missions during the recent Leadership Assembly. (photo by Donn Jones)
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.

Photo of the exterior of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt shows the four new floors added atop the pediatric facility. (photo by Anne Rayner)
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.

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.

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.”