Kropski is a physician-scientist whose research has helped advance the understanding and potential treatment of interstitial lung disease.

Vanderbilt Health's fourth lung transplant patient is thought to be the world's record holder for longevity following a single lung transplant.

Through dramatic growth, the VTC is now the largest transplant center in the country by volume, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing.

She will serve as the 11th chair of the Department of Medicine and system physician-in-chief for Vanderbilt Health. Her appointment was effective Jan. 1.

For the second calendar year in a row, Vanderbilt Lung Transplant has the busiest program in the Southeast and leads the nation in innovation in organ preservation and regeneration.

Battlefield medics often have limited resources, time and expertise to provide life-sustaining, emergency care for those critically injured.

Anna Hemnes, MD, has been named director of the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, physician-in-chief of the Vanderbilt Lung Institute and director of the Center for Lung Research.