Advocates Genomic Sequencing to Diagnose Rare Childhood Diseases
Finkel one of first to identify immature T-cells as active players shaping immune response to infection
Pediatric Rheumatologist
Terri H. Finkel, MD, PhD, has done groundbreaking research on immunology, pediatric rheumatology and genomic sequencing of rare diseases in children.
Article on page 3
Measles Resurgence in Tennessee: An Avoidable Public Health Emergency Measles, declared just 25 years ago to be eliminated in the United States, has returned in 2025 with unsettling force, producing the highest national case count in more than three decades.
Article on page 7
See more local news in Grand Rounds on page 8
The Dos & Don’ts If You Receive a Notice of Intent to Sue Letter
By JENNIFER HARRISON
A “notice of intent” (NOI) letter from a patient (or patient’s next of kin if a wrongful death matter) puts healthcare providers, medical groups, hospitals, etc. on notice of a potential lawsuit against you and maybe others. This article focuses on the NOI letter to the provider and/or the provider’s group. An NOI letter is a statutory requirement in Tennessee, and the letter is most often drafted and signed by the patient’s attorney. Two purposes of the NOI letter are to give the provider(s) notice of a potential lawsuit and an opportunity (time) to evaluate the patient’s allegations for possible early settlement. A patient must wait at least 60 days from the NOI letter before a formal lawsuit can be filed in court. If the NOI letter (and any attachment) meets the legal requirements, the original statute of limitations to file a lawsuit is extended by 120 days.
The attachment is usually a HIPAAcompliant medical authorization that permits the provider to obtain medical records from each provider being sent a notice.
What follows are some helpful tips if you receive an NOI letter.
DO:
• Read it IMMEDIATELY.
• PROMPTLY give everything you received to your office administrator, who should immediately send
Creation of OrthoSouth’s Spine Institute Brings Unique Care to
By JAMES DOWD
Creation
In a landscape where spine care has long been segmented by specialty and siloed expertise, a new model of multidisciplinary collaboration is taking root at the OrthoSouth Spine Institute. The Institute represents a unique and unified approach to spine care, bringing together orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons
under one comprehensive umbrella — not just in name, but in practice.
Jason Weaver, MD, a long-standing member of the Semmes Murphey neurosurgical group and now part of OrthoSouth Spine Institute, said the practice is the first of its kind in the region.
“Two new surgeons came on board last year and it was a pivotal moment,” Weaver said. “We put our
heads together to collaborate across specialties to create a true multidisciplinary spine institute.”
Sam Schroerlucke, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon who has been in Memphis since 2010, said the partnership between spine surgeons and neurosurgeons makes perfect sense.
“In every city, there’s often a divide between spine surgeons and
Endoscopic spine surgery is a minimally-invasive surgical procedure that effectively relieves back and leg pain related to nerve compression. Dr. Chad Campion is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeon who specializes in minimally-invasive techniques, including endoscopic spine surgery.
I firmly believe that surgery should be the last option for treating spine issues. That’s why my team explores all the non-surgical options available for each patient. And when you do need surgery, we’re with you every step of the way. We’ll guide you through the surgery, rehab, and into a future free from pain.”
Chad E. Campion, M.D. Fellowship-trained Spine Surgery
Pediatric Rheumatologist Terri H. Finkel Advocates Genomic Sequencing to Diagnose Rare Childhood Diseases
Finkel one of first to identify immature T-cells as active players shaping immune response to infection
By BECKY GILLETTE
Pediatric Rheumatologist Terri H. Finkel, MD, PhD, has done groundbreaking research on immunology, pediatric rheumatology and genomic sequencing of rare diseases in children. She has 11 patents — including five that have been licensed and brought to market. Finkel has been awarded about $17 million in grant research funding over a career focused on investigating how infection sparks autoimmune disease.
Finkel made the cover of the Rolling Stone during the height of the HIV epidemic and has published more than 168 manuscripts in peer-reviewed medical journals. She has worked at some of the most highly regarded children’s hospitals in the country, diagnosing, treating and easing the suffering of infants and children with rheumatological diseases.
Finkel also devotes time to teaching and mentoring medical students, residents and faculty, and played a lead role in organizing and directing COVID-19 testing at the Tiger Lane tents when she first came to Memphis in 2020 after being recruited as professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. In 2024 Finkel was appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UTHSC and Pediatrician in Chief at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
Finkel’s passion for investigating medical clues that help advance medical science is combined with a dedication to healing children, particularly those with rare, hard-to-diagnose diseases. She isn’t bothered by long hours in research, teaching,
collaborating with other scientists and physicians and seeing patients.
“I love everything about what I do,” Finkel said. “I love research. I love teaching. I love hands-on medical care. There are not enough hours in the day.”
A lot of her research has been investigating “the most important organ you have never heard of,” the thymus gland in the chest that shrinks as people age. It is even hard to find the thymus after the teenage years.
“The thymus is a critical part of our immune system,” Finkel said. “My work on the thymus at National Jewish Medical and Research Center (now National Jewish Health)—an outstanding immunology, rheumatology and pulmonary center in Denver, CO—is what established my scientific career. I did my postdoctoral fellowship there after my pediatric residency.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 5)
Terri Finkel
The
Dos & Don’ts, continued from page 1
it to the insurance company…OR
• (You) PROMPTLY send everything you received to the insurance company.
• Understand that Tennessee statutory clocks are now ticking.
• Request your preferred healthcare liability attorney if you have one. Insurance companies usually either: 1. assign your preferred attorney or choose one for you; 2. investigate the allegations; or 3. wait until the patient fi les a formal lawsuit before assigning an attorney.
• WAIT to access the patient’s records unless/until given permission to access YOUR records at the clinic where you work. This permission will come from your insurance claims expert or your attorney.
• Re-read the tip immediately above. You may be dying to review those records, but there is a very good reason for this tip.
• (Assuming you have been given permission to access YOUR records and/or you have a recollection of your care and treatment) Be prepared to have a substantive, confidential conversation with your insurance claims person and your
All your rehab needs in one place: Home.
attorney. You are the expert who provided care and treatment to the patient, so you are in the best position to assist with the initial investigation.
• Be patient while the NOI letter makes it way to your defense team.
• Be responsive and cooperative with the professionals on your defense team. They are trying to help you navigate this initial process.
• Expect follow up correspondence from an insurance claims person, your group’s administrator, and/ or your attorney.
• Ask questions of your insurance claims person and/or attorney. There are no stupid questions (and if there are, they’re confidential; it’s ok). Please ask questions.
• Let it go for now. This is often difficult for some providers, but it is usually most beneficial to you if you can mentally box up and shelve this situation while your defense team is being assembled to best protect your interests.
DO NOT:
• Ignore that letter!
• Delay getting the NOI letter to your office administrator or insurance company.
An NOI letter, what you do with it, and what you do in response to it (all of which typically happens before you speak with your attorney) usually dictates initial investigations and legal strategies and activities.
• Discuss, write, text, email, send a pigeon, use Morse code, etc. regarding the contents of the NOI letter or the patient’s care and treatment with anyone (including other providers listed in the NOI letter) except the insurance company and/or your attorney until further notice.
• ACCESS ANY RECORD THAT IS NOT YOURS AND IS NOT AT THE CLINIC. For example: if your care and treatment is only documented in a hospital record, do NOT access that hospital’s EMR. This is a common situation. Discuss with your attorney.
• Make any changes, revisions, addendums, or other entries to the patient’s medical record.
• Attempt to contact the patient or the patient’s attorney.
• Take it personally or lose sleep over this (at least not for long). Talk with your insurance claims person and/ or your attorney about the process. Those conversations are valuable.
• Think the NOI letter means you are soon to lose your professional license, practice privileges, reputation as an excellent healthcare provider, job, livelihood, sports car, kid’s tuition, etc. NOI letters do not always evolve into lawsuits. Please go back to breathing.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)
Pediatric Rheumatologist Terri H. Finkel,
continued from page 3
I had world famous mentors there and was grateful to be part of their world.”
Finkel was the first to identify that immature T-cells could go rogue, leading to autoimmune disease. “The thymus is where T-cells grow up and mature,” Finkel said. “T-cells guide a lot of what happens to train our immune system to fight infection without triggering autoimmune disease.”
That discovery led her into the HIV arena. “It was earlier thought that HIV kills T-cells by infecting them,” she said. “But what I showed through my work, published in Nature Medicine, was that HIV-infected T-cells don’t die for a while because HIV turns on the cell’s survival genes. I discovered that it’s when these infected cells touch other uninfected cells, that’s the ‘kiss of death’ that could lead to AIDS.”
She considers her 12 years with National Jewish a remarkable time. She was doing well, had a big lab, and her husband had a private practice in pediatric neurology. Then she was recruited to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), one of the top children’s hospitals in the country, as Chief of the Division of Rheumatology and awarded the Endowed Chair of Pediatric Rheumatology at the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia.
She was there for 12 years, and was quite happy with running a big lab and directing several large NIH grants. Then she was recruited to build a new children’s hospital, Nemours Children’s Hospital (part of what is now Nemours Children’s Health) in Orlando, Fla.
“That was too much of an adventure to not pursue,” she said. “My husband was willing to come with me and that is where his research career exploded. His work furthered the development of a genetic therapy to treat babies with spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that, in its most severe form, leads to death by two years of age if untreated.”
While at Nemours as Chair of Pediatrics, Pediatrician in Chief and Chief Scientific Officer, she was executive lead on two projects: PedsAcademy, a bedside teaching program for patients, in partnership with the College of Education at the University of Central Florida, and PEDSnet, a national online database and children’s research network, partnering with children’s hospitals across the U.S. to discover and deliver the best possible medical care to children. In 2014, Finkel’s work was honored in the U.S. Congressional Record.
She moved to Memphis after her husband, pediatric neurologist Richard S. Finkel, MD, was recruited by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to lead a pioneering translational neuroscience program.
Both have thrived in Memphis. In addition to her other roles, Finkel is also an adjunct faculty member and Faculty Liaison for Le Bonheur at St.
Jude. She recently hired a new Chief of Rheumatology who is an expert in chronic pain syndrome or fibromyalgia in adults.
“If we can get children with chronic pain syndrome into intensive physical and occupational therapy combined with good sleep habits, 85 percent of them get better,” Finkel said. “We try to get the children off pain killing drugs after they come to us. Pain medications treat pain but not the underlying problem. There is lots we don’t understand about chronic pain in children, but we do have ways to treat it. If families accept the regimen, children can be much better in a month and get to the point of no pain within three months.”
Finkel is particularly drawn to diagnostic work.
“That is the source of my interest and love for genetic and genomic exploration,” Finkel said. “I work to find the root cause of a child’s disease through genomic sequencing. It helps define if the illness is heritable. Curiously, you can have the same gene in parents, children, aunts, uncles and cousins. But some people are affected and some are not. I’ve been working in this area to find the triggers for heritable diseases ever since I was at CHOP. There are 7,000 known genetic diseases. We have validated about 450 that are treatable. There is still a lot of work to do, clearly, since most of the diseases we’re able to identify are not yet treatable. But there has been such an explosion in the rare disease community, hand in hand with pharmaceutical companies working to discover treatments for those diseases, that we’re going to scale that mountain in a decade. We are going to learn how to treat many more of these diseases.”
Another project she is very proud of is All Kids Academy, an educational program for hospitalized children, especially those hospitalized long term. That program is the result of a partnership with the University of Memphis Early Childhood Education Program and their College of Education.
Another significant accomplishment was successfully advocating for legislation to provide TennCare coverage for rapid whole genome sequencing of newborns and children exhibiting signs of rare genetic diseases. This allows physicians to diagnose and treat rare childhood illnesses sooner.
“This will save the lives of many children in Tennessee over the years,” she said. “It also affirms the importance of access to rapid whole genome sequencing.”
For health and recreation, Finkel loves to hike the beautiful paths at Shelby Farms.
“Memphis is my favorite of all the places we’ve lived, and Le Bonheur my favorite children’s hospital for its great comradery,” Finkle said. “I’m very positive about Memphis and where we are headed.”
The Finkel’s have two children. Valerie, 40, is a farmer, after earning two degrees in philosophy. Paul, 35, is an electrical and computer engineer.
What does that look like?
URGENT CARE
Patients with urgent injuries or in acute pain may be sent directly to our Urgent Orthopedic Care office at 6286 Briarcrest Ave. in Memphis.
WALK-IN READY
Patients in acute pain needing to see a provider the same day may be seen by walking in to one of our 3 walk-in clinics, or by making a same-day appointment at any of our 8 convenient locations
CONVENIENT HOURS
Early, weekend, lunchtime, and after hours, your patient’s time is our time
ONLINE BOOKING
Use our convenient Book Online portal to book your patient’s visit before they leave your office.
VIP TREATMENT
From streamlined processes to comfortable waiting spaces and personable team members, the OrthoSouth experience is designed to provide fast, friendly, and convenient care to the most important person in the room - your patient.
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Creation of OrthoSouth’s Spine Institute,
neurosurgeons, with different practices and different philosophies,” Schroerlucke said. “We felt the best patient outcomes would come from collaboration and no other practice in our area has that combined expertise.”
The Spine Institute is a joint effort to streamline spine care from diagnosis through rehabilitation, combining the full spectrum of operative and non-operative treatments. The program integrates orthopedic spine surgery, neurosurgery, interventional pain management, as well as physical therapy services across Memphis.
True to its mission, the OrthoSouth Spine Institute is functionally and operationally collaborative. Monthly case conferences are attended by all involved specialists and serve as both educational forums and decision-making hubs.
Judith Lee-Sigler, MD, who was instrumental in operationalizing the Spine Institute model, said the collaborations focus on the providing comprehensive patient care.
“These are not superficial meetings,” Lee-Sigler said. “We present upcoming cases, review recent outcomes, and ask hard questions. When patients know their case has been reviewed by 9 or 10 specialists, they feel that level of attention and it builds confidence.”
To enhance efficiency and continuity of care, patient navigators assist in streamlining diagnostic workflows and guiding patients through a sometimes-complex care journey. This ensures that treatment plans — surgical or otherwise — are developed with a cohesive understanding of each patient’s pathology and progress.
The Spine Institute’s surgical capabilities span the full spectrum, from outpatient microdiscectomies to complex tumor and deformity reconstructions. Through partnerships, including one with the Memphis Grizzlies organization, the team has access to the most advanced MRI and
3D imaging available in the region.
“We’re using some of the most sophisticated diagnostic and imaging tools available, which means we’re getting patients to the right diagnosis faster,” Weaver said. “That means everything in spine care.”
“We’re ahead of the curve regionally in our use of robotics and minimally invasive techniques,” Schroerlucke said. “These tools are not only improving outcomes, but also enabling more procedures to be done safely in the outpatient setting.”
On the non-operative side, the Institute incorporates highly specialized pain management protocols, including epidural injections, nerve blocks, trigger point injections, Botox for spasticity, and implantable stimulators. All are tailored to patient-specific pathology.
“We don’t just try a range of treatments and hope something works,” Lee-Sigler said. “There’s a structure and a system to determine what’s actually helping before progressing to surgery.”
Perhaps the most transformative aspect of the Spine Institute is the cultural shift it represents. All three physicians emphasized that this is not a marketing initiative or a collection of independent practitioners, it’s a
continued from page 1
fundamentally different way of practicing medicine.
“This is not about seeing more patients, it’s about doing it better,” Schroerlucke said. “Anyone who’s ever treated spine patients knows how difficult and nuanced it is, so we’re bringing more expertise to the table.”
That spirit of shared responsibility across orthopedic and neurosurgical disciplines has improved care and generated buy-in from the wider medical staff, especially as early success stories began to emerge.
“This is more fun, too, Weaver said. “We’re working with likeminded people who check their egos at the door and collaborate to do what’s best for the patients’”
The Spine Institute continues to evolve, with future plans for expanded services, rotating leadership on its internal Spine Board, and growing regional referral networks. For patients in the MidSouth and beyond — from Arkansas to Mississippi to East Tennessee — this represents a new standard of spine care.
“Patients tell us it’s a relief because they know everything’s in one place,” Lee-Sigler said. “They don’t have to do anything extra, and that level of peace of mind changes everything.”
Jason Weaver
Sam Schroerlucke
Judith Lee-Sigler
Measles Resurgence in Tennessee: An Avoidable Public Health Emergency
By GRANT K. STUDEBAKER, MD, FAAFP, FASAM
Measles, declared just 25 years ago to be eliminated in the United States, has returned in 2025 with unsettling force, producing the highest national case count in more than three decades. Tennessee has not escaped this resurgence, with six confirmed cases reported through July this year.
Although such numbers may appear modest at first glance, the epidemiological risk they represent is substantial. In communities where vaccination coverage has fallen below critical thresholds, even a few cases can trigger a large-scale outbreak. Measles is not merely contagious; it is among the most transmissible diseases known to humankind, with a basic reproduction number (R₀) estimated at 12 to 18, meaning a single infected individual can transmit the virus to an average of 12 to 18 susceptible contacts. By comparison, seasonal influenza has an R₀ of approximately 1 to 2, and COVID-19 has an R₀ of approximately 4.22 with a standard deviation of 1.69. This extraordinary transmissibility means that a very high proportion of the population must be immune to prevent sustained spread. Epidemiologic modeling shows that for measles, immunity must be maintained above roughly 92 to 94 percent to interrupt transmission. In practice, a target of at least 95 percent is necessary to account for the realities of population health, including imperfect vaccine response, rare cases of waning immunity, the continual entry of unvaccinated newborns, and clusters of under-immunized individuals. Falling below this threshold removes the protective buffer provided by herd immunity, allowing each imported case to ignite rapid chains of transmission that can transform a single exposure into a community-wide outbreak.
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains one of the safest and most effective tools in the modern medical arsenal. The two-dose series confer long-term immunity in approximately 97 percent of recipients. Yet, according to the CDC, the national kindergarten coverage for MMR has now fallen to around 92.5 percent, dipping below the herd immunity threshold. This decline reflects a confluence of factors: missed well-child visits and delayed immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in nonmedical exemptions in certain jurisdictions and persistent misinformation, particularly the thoroughly debunked claim linking MMR vaccine to autism. The erosion of public confidence in vaccines, fueled by social media echo chambers and political polarization, has transformed what should be a straightforward public health success into an urgent national challenge.
The national picture underscores the gravity of the situation. As of August 5, 2025, the United States has reported 1,356 confirmed measles cases across 41 jurisdictions, the highest total since 1992.
Thirty-two documented outbreaks account for nearly 90 percent of cases. By mid-April alone, the nation had recorded 800 cases, representing a 180 percent increase over the total for 2024. Hospitalizations have occurred in 13 percent of patients, and three individuals have died. 92 percent of those infected were either unvaccinated or of unknown vaccination status, making this, not a failure of science, but of coverage.
Tennessee’s experience mirrors the broader national trend. As of April, 2025, six measles cases had been confirmed in the state, beginning with an index case in Rutherford County. Four cases were reported by early April, followed by two additional cases within weeks. All confirmed infections occurred in unvaccinated individuals. Although Tennessee has previously made substantial gains in childhood immunization, raising coverage for the combined seven-vaccine series among children aged 19 to 35 months from 44.8 percent in 2009 to 79.3 percent in 2017, progress has since stalled, and rates have begun to decline in some communities. The statewide nonmedical exemption rate remains relatively low at 1.9 percent, yet, this average masks dangerous geographic clustering. Even a small number of exemptions, when concentrated within schools or neighborhoods, can erode local herd immunity and create fertile ground for an outbreak.
Addressing this crisis requires a multi-pronged approach that integrates clinical practice, community engagement and policy reform. At the provider level, motivational interviewing (MI) has emerged as an effective, evidence-based strategy for addressing vaccine hesitancy. By employing empathetic, nonjudgmental dialogue and reflective listening, MI helps parents voice concerns and arrive at informed decisions grounded in trust rather than confrontation. Studies show that postpartum MI interventions significantly increase vaccine coverage at 3, 5, and 7 months of age. At the same time, providers should employ presumptive language, presenting vaccination as a routine and expected part of care, and pair it with a strong, confident recommendation. This approach has been consistently associated with higher uptake. Programs such as the CDC’s Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers (IQIP) initiative can further support clinicians in refining their communication skills and addressing barriers in their practice workflows.
Community engagement is equally essential to sustaining high immunization coverage. In populations with entrenched hesitancy, particularly where cultural or religious beliefs shape health decisions, partnerships with local and faith leaders can strengthen credible information and frame vaccination as a shared community responsibility. Culturally tailored messaging, delivered by trusted voices within the
continued on next page >
Measles Resurgence,
community, has been shown to increase acceptance and strengthen public confidence in vaccination.
From a policy perspective, Tennessee should focus on strengthening implementation of its existing statewide vaccination requirements rather than introducing new mandates. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-5001, school immunization rules are uniform across the state, but enforcement could be enhanced by standardizing the process for claiming religious exemptions, requiring annual renewal on an affidavit, and auditing exemption patterns to identify and address geographic clustering. Consistent application of these measures, along with rapid exclusion protocols during outbreaks, would help close vulnerabilities in community protection. Policy should also address adult immunity. Adults born after 1957 should have documentation of at least one MMR dose, with two doses recommended for higher-risk groups such as healthcare personnel, college students, and international travelers. Those vaccinated with inactivated measles vaccine between 1963 and 1967, or with unknown vaccine type, should be revaccinated with a live MMR dose. While routine serologic testing is not necessary, it can be considered in select cases when documentation is uncertain.
Enhanced surveillance will be essential for early detection and rapid response. Tennessee’s electronic laboratory reporting and syndromic surveillance systems (tn. gov/health/cedep/reportable-diseases/ measles-rubeola.html) already integrate clinical, laboratory and public health data, enabling the near real time identification of emerging clusters. Wastewater monitoring
The
Dos
& Don’ts,
continued from page 4
• Use any email, text, or other means of corresponding with your claims person or your attorney if that mode of communication is not private to you.
My lighthearted approach in offering these tips should not be perceived as minimizing their importance. They are very important. An NOI letter, what you do with it, and what you do in response to it (all of which typically happens before you speak with your attorney) usually dictates initial investigations and legal strategies and activities. Tennessee has laws that govern what a patient must do before filing a lawsuit against a healthcare provider. Your attorney will have an opinion on whether the patient followed the law and whether the NOI letter and/or the attachment should be challenged in court. Some healthcare liability lawsuits get dismissed early on these technical challenges. Hopefully, these tips will help you help your attorney if a technical challenge is on the horizon. And if there is no technical challenge, at least it won’t be because you didn’t read this article.
continued from page 7
for measles, while not yet implemented in Tennessee, has shown promise in recent pilots elsewhere and could serve as an additional early warning tool in high-risk areas. Vaccination remains the primary defense, but established post-exposure prophylaxis with MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure and immune globulin within six days for susceptible high-risk individuals can help reduce the spread. There are currently no FDA approved antivirals for measles; however, investigational monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals may eventually provide adjunctive options for severely ill or immunocompromised patients, particularly in healthcare settings.
The resurgence of measles is a preventable tragedy. Tennessee’s six cases in 2025 should not be dismissed as statistical noise; they are a warning beacon. Failure to act now risks allowing small sparks to ignite into statewide or regional outbreaks. Achieving and maintaining MMR coverage above 95 percent is both a scientific necessity and a moral imperative, one that will require coordinated commitment from clinicians, policymakers, community leaders and the public.
The tools to control measles are available, the evidence supporting their use is overwhelming, and the stakes could not be higher. As National Immunization Awareness Month provides a platform for renewed attention, Tennessee has an opportunity and an obligation to rebuild public trust, close coverage gaps and ensure that measles remains a preventable disease rather than a recurring reality. In public health, delay is the enemy; the time to act is now.
GrandRounds
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s PATH Forward plan Includes One Percent Workforce Reduction
PATH, or Planning, Alignment, Transformational and High Performance, will create the groundwork for the healthcare system’s future as we build a strong workforce to care for our patients and support our employees.
“As part of our mission to serve the entire community, we regularly examine our service offerings and processes to ensure that they align with community needs and follow best clinical practices in a rapidly changing healthcare environment,” said Methodist president and CEO Dr. Michael Ugwueke. “Our PATH Forward reaffirms our commitment to the Memphis area.”
After careful analysis of operations and current patient volumes, the decision was made to discontinue a declining service and reduce the size of the workforce. “These changes align with our goal of maintaining long-term strength and high-quality services,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Monica Wharton.
has announced Archie Drake will join the healthcare system in September as president of Methodist University Hospital.
Drake joins the Memphis-based healthcare system after almost six years with Tenet Healthcare, most recently as chief executive officer of Children’s Hospital of Michigan, a U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospital.
Drake joins Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare with more than 35 years of experience in the industry, serving in leadership roles in Texas and Archie Drake
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Greg Campbell
Jennifer Harrison is the Managing Partner in the Memphis law office of Hall Booth Smith, PC. She is a former CVICU nurse and occupational health nurse. She has a Master of Law in Trial Advocacy and is licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. She has been recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America, Peer Reviewed by Martindale-Hubbell, and as a Tennessee Super Lawyer.
The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the content, the author and publisher make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, or suitability of the information contained herein. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated organization. Always consult with a qualified professional before making decisions based on this content.
Effective August 1, Methodist consolidated Obstetric services currently provided at Methodist South with those at Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown and Methodist Olive Branch Hospitals. This decision follows a consistent decline in birth volumes in the Methodist South service area and reflects a 43 percent decline in deliveries over the past five years. Currently, the hospital averages 1.3 births per day. Methodist South’s emergency department will continue to provide necessary obstetrics-related emergency care needs.
As part of this systemwide realignment, MLH is implementing a reduction in force that will affect approximately 161 Associates, or about 1 percent of its 12,000-person workforce across the system. Impacted associates who are not able to find new roles within the MLH system will be offered severance pay and career transition support.
“Our healthcare system has navigated complicated environments for more than 107 years through innovation, compassion and dedication to our workforce, our community, and the patients and families we serve,” said Dr. Ugwueke. “We believe these changes will help us continue our tradition of high-quality, compassionate care while building a foundation for the next 107 years and beyond.”
Methodist University Hospital Announces New President
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
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Michigan. He started his career as a nurse working as a bedside caregiver for ten years before advancing to leadership roles.
“Archie is a visionary leader and is focused, hands-on and deeply connected to patient and employee needs,” said Monica Wharton, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with Methodist. “We are thrilled to welcome Archie to the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare family and the team at Methodist University Hospital.”
Mid-South Internal Medicine Takes Pleasure in Welcoming Dr. Sarah Holt
The exclusive ASCO annual Leadership Development Program offers 16 mid-career oncology physicians the opportunity to cultivate valuable leadership skills, gain insight into ASCO’s roles and mission, and participate in developing the future of cancer care programs within ASCO. The program began in 2009, and graduates of the program have advanced to academic cancer center leadership positions, ASCO board member positions and leadership positions at the National Cancer Institute.
save lives, which is why they are integral to treatment provided at Baptist Cancer Center. Community site engagement will become even more critical as SWOG evolves to expand remote care and conduct more decentralized trials.”
is a global cancer research community that designs and conducts publicly funded clinical trials.
Alicia Barnes, DO, MPH, Named Inaugural Urban Child Institute Endowed Chair of Excellence for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Dr. Sarah Holt completed her residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, where she served as Chief Resident of Internal Medicine. Holt is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She received her medical degree as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Lake Erie College in Florida. Holt joined the group of 10 Primary Care Doctors in June 2025 and is accepting new patients.
Mid-South Internal Medicine
Welcomes Dr. Jeremy Avila
Lammers graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine, completed internal medicine residency training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and completed hematology/oncology fellowship training at Vanderbilt University. He was the chief of oncology at Meharry Medical College prior to moving to Baptist Cancer Center in 2018.
Lammers endeavors to implement innovative processes at an organizational level to overcome healthcare disparities and to ensure the best possible cancer care for every patient. He leads the Community Breast Cancer Sub-committee at SWOG Cancer Research Network and is the ECOGACRIN Cancer Research Group site principal investigator for the Baptist Mid-South Minority and Underserved National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) grant. Clinically, he cares for patients in the multidisciplinary breast and lung cancer programs at Baptist.
Osarogiagbon is a globally recognized lung cancer specialist who spearheads Baptist Cancer Center’s Mid-South Miracle initiative, a multifaceted program comprising seven components to help reduce MidSouth lung cancer deaths by at least 25 percent by 2030. A community oncologist, Osarogiagbon serves as principal investigator for the Baptist Memorial Health Care/Mid-South Minority Underserved National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) and is past chair of the Hope Foundation for Cancer Research. He was named to the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Advisors, and his work has been published in numerous journals, including JAMA, the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
As a member of the SWOG lung and cancer care delivery committees, he has served as a leader of the SWOG NCORP site principal investigator sessions at group meetings.
SWOG Cancer Research Network
Alicia Barnes, DO, MPH, has been named the inaugural Urban Child Institute (UCI) Endowed Chair of Excellence for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
As the first recipient of the endowed chair, Barnes will serve as the director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UT Health Science Center. The division, which is affiliated with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the Memphis Shelby County Schools system, supports education and training for medical students, residents, and fellows, and provides consultation-liaison and outpatient psychiatric care at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
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Dr. Jeremy Avila comes to MSIM with 10 years of experience in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Avila completed his residency at The University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine where he served as Chief Resident of Internal Medicine/ Pediatrics. Avila is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Pediatrics, and the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. He is a current Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Lammers Becomes First Memphis Doctor to Join Exclusive
ASCO Leadership Development Program
ASCO is a diverse, international network of more than 50,000 oncology professionals that provides the highest quality resources in education, policy, the pioneering of clinical research and advancement of care for patients with cancer.
Dr. Raymond Osarogiagbon Becomes First Executive Officer for Community Site Engagement with SWOG Cancer Research Network.
Dr. Philip Lammers, chief of medical oncology and medical director of oncology research for Baptist Cancer Center, recently became the first physician in Memphis and the MidSouth to be selected for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Leadership Development Program.
This new role will help increase clinician engagement with SWOG and SWOG trials at community practice sites, as well as ensure communitybased investigators can participate in all stages of study development and execution. Most people treated for cancer in the United States are seen in community-based sites and enrolled by community practice providers.
“I am thrilled to take on this inaugural role with SWOG to advance cancer care and help save cancer patients’ lives,” said Osarogiagbon. “We know clinical trials and research
Sarah Holt
Jeremy Avila
Philip Lammers
Raymond Osarogiagbon
Alicia Barnes
GrandRounds
Barnes will develop and lead initiatives in clinical care and research focused on early childhood mental illness and its associated risk factors. These include adverse childhood events, specific traumas, poverty, neighborhood and domestic violence, neglect, and direct and indirect consequences of mental illness.
She formerly served as the associate director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being (CYAW) at UT Health Science Center.
This role allows the division to build on a decade of community engagement at the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being. Barnes’ goal is to innovate and create a collaborative ecosystem that can provide sustainable mental health solutions that support Memphis youth and their families.
Barnes is also the president of the Tennessee Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and has served on the executive council of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Regional One Health Names Executive Leaders
Regional One Health recently promoted two leaders to its executive team.
Angel Parker-Heffner, MSN APRN FNP-C CNML CPHON, has been named vice president of operations for Regional One Health.
In this new role, Parker-Heffner will oversee Food and Nutrition Services, Environmental Services, Laboratory, Radiology, Inpatient Pharmacy, Respiratory Therapy, and Acute and Burn Rehabilitation Services.
Parker-Heffner is an accomplished healthcare professional with more than 15 years serving in leadership roles. She joined Regional One Health in 2021 as a nurse manager, where she played a pivotal role in the successful establishment of our first inpatient oncology. Parker-Heffner was promoted to the director of Inpatient Oncology and Special Services in 2024. In this role, she focused on operational effectiveness and proactive planning to create an environment conducive to both employee and patient success.
and the Regional One Health Cancer Center.
Throughout her career, Rooks has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to improving patient care and services.
Before joining Regional One Health, Rooks worked at multiple hospital and medical practices in Memphis, including serving as the interim CNO at St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Rooks earned an associate degree
in nursing from Southwest Tennessee Community College, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Baptist Health Sciences University, and an MBA from Bethel University in McKenzie, Tenn.
Researcher Awarded $3.24 Million to Develop Promising New Breast Cancer Treatment
Wei Li, PhD, distinguished professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science
Center and director of the College of Pharmacy’s Drug Discovery Center, has received a $3.24 million grant from the National Cancer Institute. The five-year award will support the development of a new type of therapy for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of the disease.
Li’s research focuses on developing a new kind of drug designed to attack a cancer-driving protein often found at high levels in triple-negative breast cancer. This protein, MDM2, has
Tiffany Rooks, MBA, RN, NE-BC, CHPQ, has been named vice president of oncology services at Regional One Health. She joined the hospital system nearly five years ago as the inaugural director of the Regional One Health Cancer Center. In this new role, Rooks will oversee the system’s academic oncology practice
Angel Parker-Heffner
Tiffany Rooks
GrandRounds
been linked to faster tumor growth and worse outcomes for patients. Earlier compounds attempted to stop MDM2 by blocking its interaction with p53, a protein that can trigger cancer cell death when freed from MDM2. However, this approach can activate a feedback loop that causes cells to produce even more MDM2, potentially making tumors more aggressive.
Li’s team is taking a different approach. The researchers have discovered a compound that can break down MDM2 directly, stopping it at the source. In early laboratory models, this new compound has already shown the ability to shrink tumors, offering hope for a more effective treatment.
“This work could lead to an entirely new class of therapies for triple-negative breast cancer,” Dr. Li said. “We’re hopeful that by directly removing the MDM2 protein from cancer cells, we can help more patients respond to treatment regardless of their tumor type.”
If successful, the research could lead to a first-in-class therapy that opens new treatment pathways not only for triple-negative breast cancer, but potentially other cancers where MDM2 is a key driver.
UTHSC Grad Student Awarded Prestigious Fellowship to Improve CAR T-Cell Therapy for Cancer Patients
Michaela Meehl, a graduate student in the College of Graduate Health Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has received a prestigious predoctoral fellowship from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to support her research on improving one of the most promising cancer treatments available today, known as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. The $131,712 award provides funds for three years of research.
CAR T-cell therapy is a cuttingedge treatment that uses a patient’s own immune cells, reengineered outside of the patient, to fight their cancer. A breakthrough for many patients, the results vary, even among patients receiving CAR T-cells for the same cancer. Interestingly, this phenomenon also occurs in the laboratory setting when CAR T-cells are created from healthy T-cell donors
Meehl’s research focuses on understanding why that happens. “We’ve seen that some donor T-cells lead to powerful cancer-fighting CAR T-cells, while others don’t work as well,” she explains. “This project is about understanding what makes those effective donor T-cells different.”
The project will be conducted at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an NCI-designated Comprehensive
Cancer Center, under the mentorship of Giedre Krenciute, PhD. Meehl will examine the unique phenotypes of T-cells that contribute to CAR T-cell performance. Her research will focus on characteristics such as:
• T-cell memory – how long cells “remember” and respond to threats
• Exhaustion – whether the cells wear out too quickly
• Polyfunctionality – the ability to perform multiple immune functions
• IL-9 secretion – a specific immune signal that may boost effectiveness
Meehl’s findings could help scientists design CAR T-cell therapies that are more consistent and effective across all patients. By identifying the biological traits that drive success, researchers could improve how CAR T-cells are selected, engineered, and personalized in the future.
Meehl’s award is part of the National Institutes of Health’s Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award program, commonly known as an F31 grant. These fellowships are among the most competitive research training awards for PhD students in the biomedical sciences.
Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab Exec Elected President of THCA
Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab’s Executive Director, Bobby Meadows, III, has been elected as the incoming President for the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Health Care Associate (THCA). This is the first time a Memphian has held the position in almost 20 years.
After attending Marshall University and starting his career as a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), Meadows earned a business degree in healthcare management from the University of Alabama before achieving a chain of successes managing several sizable nursing home facilities. He has served as Executive Director of MJHR for 13 years, and under his direction, the organization has added two new services lines and undergone a $7 million addition to create their state-of-the-art rehab gym. In 2022 and 2023, the Home was ranked as the #1 nursing home in Tennessee by Newsweek, and in 2024, the Ronna K. Newburger Adult Day Center was opened on MJHR’s campus.
Founded in 1947, the Tennessee Health Care Association is dedicated to helping maintain the high standards of licensed long-term care facilities in the Volunteer State.
Staying Cool Under Pressure
Six Strategies for Dealing with Market Volatility
When the market’s temperature keeps changing, it’s easy to feel the heat — or as if you’ve been left out in the cold. Your workplace retirement plan can withstand these swings if you know how to keep your cool. Here are some smart strategies to help your retirement savings thrive despite unpredictable financial climates.
1. Don’t Let The Heat Get To You
Market drops can make you sweat but pulling your money out during a downturn locks in losses. Historically, markets bounce back over time. Instead of reacting emotionally, stick to your long-term strategy and ride out the fluctuations.
2. Keep Your Portfolio Well-Balanced
A stable retirement plan is like a well-regulated thermostat — balanced and consistent. Diversifying your investments across asset classes like stocks, bonds and cash equivalents helps reduce risk and smooth out the impact of volatile markets. Regularly review and rebalance your portfolio to stay on track.
3. Stay Invested During Cold Spells
When the market cools off, don’t freeze your contributions. Continuing to invest during downturns means you’re buying shares at lower prices, setting yourself up for potentially greater growth when the market warms up again.
4. Don’t
Get Burned By Market Timing
Trying to guess what market will do is nearly impossible. Therefore, it’s important to stay disciplined by making consistent contributions and avoiding rash decisions based on short-term movements. Missing even a few of the market’s hottest days can seriously dampen your long-term returns.
5.
Adjust Your Risk As You Approach Retirement
As you get closer to retirement, consider dialing down an appropriate amount of risk to help preserve your savings. Gradually shifting to more conservative investments can help protect your nest egg from sudden market chills.
6. Consult With A Market Climate Specialist
When the financial climate leaves you feeling uncertain, an experienced advisor can help you put things in perspective and maintain a steady investment strategy. Don’t hesitate to seek guidance tailored to your unique situation.
Call Bluff City Advisory Group 901-365-3447 or please visit www.bluffcityadvisory.com
Keeping your cool during market volatility takes patience and strategy. Stay calm, keep contributing, and stick with your long-term goals.
Chirag Chauhan, MBA, AIF®, CFP® is the managing partner of Bluff City Advisory Group in Memphis, Tennessee For more info, please visit bluffcityadvisory com.
Chirag Chauhan, AIF®, CFP®
Bobby Meadows
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