D epartment
of
M edicine
Con ne c ti ng T e c h n o lo g y , Ed uca t i o n a n d D i s cove ry w ith H um anis m in Me dicine
Vol. 11 Issue 4 Oct. 2022
Robotic Bronchoscopy and guides them to the nodule of concern. Dr. Bevill, along with Drs. Branca, Callison, and Soto are trained in this procedure. Dr. Josan, one of the new pulmonary and critical care attendings, is also trained in robotic bronchoscopy and is looking forward to practicing here at UTMCK. There is a large population of individuals in East Tennessee with lung nodules and therfore, a high prevalence of lung cancer. Dr. Bevill, (pictured), hopes that by being able to diagnose and treat earlystage cancers this procedure will improve our survival of lung cancer overall. He believes this new technology will allow our pulmonologists more confidence in diagnosing smaller lesions with less risk for the patients. Historically, interventional radiologists biopsied most of these nodules located in the periphery of the lung. Dr. Bevill and other trained medical specialists are now able to confidently assess these smaller nodules in the periphery and can also provide mediastinal staging at the same time, allowing one procedure for both lung cancer diagnosis and staging. This technology also decreases procedural side effects such as pneumothorax, during biopsies of high-risk patients. Since implementing this procedure at UTMCK in the spring of 2022, over 60 robotic bronchoscopies have been performed.
Robotic bronchoscopy is an exciting new technology that we have here at UT Medical Center. It is similar to navigation bronchoscopy but allows the proceduralist more confidence in reaching smaller and more challenging nodules. The physician uses a controller to more precisely maneuver the flexible bronchoscopy tube which is usually smaller than one used in traditional bronchoscopy. Additionally, a 3-D map of the patient’s own lung is displayed on the computer screen, having been previously mapped out on a CT scan. Robotic bronchoscopy enables the proceduralist to accurately visualize the tube in relation to the lung
Points of View
The process of hiring new attending physicians at the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) is complex. Other than a residents outpatient clinic and three resident in-patient teams, the department does not provide any other clinical services. This means that any recruitment involves negotiation between the GSM and individual clinical practices, many of which are now hospital owned via University Health Service or UHS. The need for additional physicians is driven by clinical demand and often originates in the private practices or on the hospital side of the enterprise. Less commonly, the DOM recruits for additional faculty members to enhance our teaching or research mission. Thus, most recruited physicians have a contract with the clinical enterprise for their role as clinician educators. Some physicians have faculty appointments to support their role as educators and only a smaller number have paid faculty appointments if they engage in the teaching program as chairs, program directors, or clerkship directors. Faculty appointments need the approval of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. Thus, most recruitments involve multiple stakeholders. Over the past continued on page 2
RECRUITING QUALITY FACULTY PHYSICIANS Most of the 17 Divisions that comprise the Department of Medicine (DOM), the largest department in the Graduate School of Medicine (GSM), have seen steady growth over the past few years. We have added more categorical residents over the years, as well as increased the Rajiv Dhand, MD, Chair number of fellowships offered with the addition of the hematology/medical oncology fellowship in July this year. The number of fellows in the cardiovascular and pulmonary/critical care medicine fellowships also grew to a complement of 9 fellows each. Recent recruitment of new attending physicians has expanded the number of physicians working throughout the Department of Medicine to over 189 physicians. 1