Vanderbilt University Medical Center is implementing a new policy which standardizes and expands the role of a medical chaperone, an individual who serves as a witness for both a patient and their clinician during a sensitive medical examination or procedure.

Patty Wright, MD, professor of Medicine and associate division director for Clinical Affairs in the Division of Infectious Diseases, has been named as Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Chief of Staff for Adult Ambulatory Services for Davidson County. She will begin serving in this role on July 1.

Diarrhea has many causes, and when there are prolonged or severe symptoms clinicians sometimes consider lab testing to help guide treatment. But sometimes they stray from published guidelines in the direction of overtesting.

Relying on a core team of physicians and pharmacists, the Vanderbilt Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (VASP) is seeking to ensure optimum use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC).

Everyone knew everyone in Patty Wright’s hometown of Scottsville, Kentucky, population 4,336.