Ashish Shah Archive — Page 1 of 4

Three men pose indoors; the center man in a white medical coat holds a North Patchogue Fire Department appreciation plaque, with a man in a black shirt on the left and a man in a navy shirt on the right.
October 14, 2026

Chance encounter brings New York firefighter to Vanderbilt Health for heart transplant

Bob Meyer got on the heart transplant list locally in New York. He had no way of knowing at the time that a chance encounter would point him to the Vanderbilt Transplant Center, and he would receive a new heart nearly 1,000 miles away.

Four masked surgical staff in gowns and gloves work around an anesthetized patient under bright operating-room lights during heart transplant surgery.
February 27, 2026

Multiple surgeries that open chest don’t add extra risk for transplant patients: Study

Researchers retrospectively reviewed 552 Vanderbilt Health patients from Jan. 2024 to Dec. 2025, placing them in 3 groups: those with no sternotomies, those with one, and those with two or more.

Vanderbilt Health performed a record number of solid organ transplants in fiscal year 2026 — 981 lifesaving procedures among its adult and pediatric programs. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
February 11, 2026

Heart preservation technique increases pool of organs available for transplant

The technique, termed REUP (rapid recovery with extended ultraoxygenated preservation), avoids traditional methods that reanimate the heart within or outside the donor’s body.

Members of the transplant team pose for a photo after surpassing 200 adult and pediatric heart transplants. (photo courtesy of Ashish Shah)
December 23, 2025

Vanderbilt Health performs record number of adult and pediatric heart transplants during 2025

As in prior years, the success of Vanderbilt Health’s transplant program is a testament to the greatness of individuals and innovations alike and to the tremendous power of teamwork.

André Churchwell speaks at a lectern, raising one hand beside a microphone against a brick wall. He wears glasses, a pink shirt, patterned tie and dark pinstriped suit.
October 17, 2025

Remembrances of Levi Watkins Jr., MD, shared to honor his legacy

Watkins was a leading surgeon, physician-scientist, mentor and role model for countless students, trainees and faculty members.

(iStock)
August 4, 2025

VUMC’s ECMO program sees substantial growth

ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, is a life-sustaining mechanical system that takes over for the hearts and lungs of critically ill patients, allowing them to rest and recover.