UTHSC College of Medicine Magazine - Winter 2022

MEDICINE

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER WINTER 2022

Training the Future of Medicine

“I am beyond grateful to donors who have so selflessly helped me in achieving my dreams. Thank you again for your investment in students like me and in our education. Your gift will help toward my student loan debt and will lessen much of the financial stress that comes with medical school.”

Second-year medical student

Payton Grande

UTHSC Chancellor

Peter Buckley, MD

Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Ken Brown, JD, PhD, MPA, FACHE

Robert Kaplan Executive Dean and Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs Scott E. Strome, MD, FACS

Senior Executive Associate Dean and COO, Clinical Affairs Jon McCullers, MD

Dean, College of Medicine – Chattanooga James Haynes, MD, MBA, FAAFP

Interim Dean, College of Medicine – Knoxville Robert Craft, MD

Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education – Nashville Gregory James, MD

Interim Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Charley Deal, PhD, MBA

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs Chandra A. Tuggle

Director of Alumni Programs College of Medicine

Bettye Durham

Senior Director of Development College of Medicine

Kelly Davis

Vice Chancellor for Communications Sally Badoud, MBA

Editor Peggy Reisser, MASC

Designer Adam Gaines

Writers Peggy Reisser, Erika Wynn

Photographers

Caleb Jia, Jay Adkins, SAGE

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status. Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations.

In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University.

Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901-448-7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E073201(006-230614)

From the Executive Dean

It is an absolute privilege to share with you this issue of the UTHSC College of Medicine magazine, as we continue our work to achieve excellence in each of our four mission areas – education, clinical care, research, and community outreach.

Some highlights of our collective accomplishments include doubling the federal research funding to the college since 2018, reducing medical student debt to below the national average, achieving a 50% female enrollment in the first-year class, and continuing to grow world-class clinical programs in Memphis and throughout the state.

Additionally, we are working to strengthen relationships with partner hospitals across Tennessee, as we seek to capitalize on our footprint that spans the state. Finally, we are focusing on philanthropy, recognizing the critical impact donor funds have on our ability to achieve our missions.

I am reminded of the words of one of our alumni donors, David A. McMillan, MD. He recently shared that while he had received an excellent medical education from the College of Medicine, he did not feel appreciated or part of the UTHSC family. However, he was so proud of the efforts of the college to combat COVID-19, he sought to re-engage. He served as a volunteer at our vaccination sites, witnessing our students’ passion for helping others, as well as the quality and humanism of our learners.

He also heard from our students that the college has a more modern approach to education. It maintains the same academic rigor, while ensuring that students have all the emotional support; top-quality equipment and facilities, such as the Center for Health Care Improvement and Patient Simulation on the Memphis campus; clinical experiences; and advising, so that they can mature into outstanding physicians.

After seeing this firsthand, he viewed the college through a different lens and is planning a significant

We are learning from our past to create a better tomorrow, and your partnership is needed and truly valued.

We still have much work ahead, as we seek to secure our accreditation status, improve the health of our communities, promote a more equitable and inclusive environment, and foster the careers of more women in medicine. These are just a few of the goals included in our strategic planning process. I look forward to working with all of you, as we celebrate our past and chart our course for an incredible future. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time and thank you for allowing me the privilege to

From the Chancellor

Even before I became the chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in February, I was aware of the College of Medicine’s outstanding effort to educate and train the physician workforce for Tennessee and deliver the highest-quality care for the citizens of this state.

My short time at the helm of the university has only amplified by admiration for the College of Medicine and the students, faculty, staff, and alumni, who are so vital to this effort.

I have been pleased to see the college advancing its academic mission to prepare the next generation of physicians to care for the unique needs of Tennesseans, not just in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, where our campuses are located, but in the underserved rural areas that surround those cities.

Researchers in the college have successfully increased federal funding awards to fuel their investigations to uncover the cures that will improve the lives of Tennesseans today and tomorrow.

Additionally, the college has turned its focus outward, partnering with the communities it serves to make an impact on health locally, nationally, and globally.

The College of Medicine truly is among the stars in the UTHSC portfolio, and we are grateful for your support to keep that star shining.

I want to express my thanks to you, our College of Medicine alumni, for all your well wishes since I joined UTHSC. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many of you and truly value your advice and support.

I encourage you to feel pride in your College of Medicine and to connect with the college in whatever way you can.

Whether you share time, talent, or funds with the college, please know that you are making a difference, not only in your alma mater, but in the health of all who live in Tennessee.

Sincerely,

Peter Buckley, MD Chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

From the Alumni Council Immediate Past President

Dear Friends and Fellow Alumni, It has been an honor to serve as president of the UTHSC College of Medicine Alumni Council for the past two years. We have much of which to be proud and for which to be excited under the leadership of Executive Dean Scott Strome, who has been present for four years, and Chancellor Peter Buckley, who arrived in February.

One of the things for which I am most pleased is the focus on our students and their medical education. The leadership team places great emphasis on student support through academic and career counseling, mentoring, regular town hall meetings, reducing student debt, growing scholarships and educational resources, and much more.

UTHSC and the medical students have become very involved in the community, as shown by their leadership of COVID testing and vaccination programs for the entire city of Memphis, setting up neighborhood health hubs, work at clinics for the underserved, and many other programs locally and across Tennessee. Clinical care and research have grown significantly as well. I could go on, but will not in this limited space.

Having been on the CoM Alumni Council representing Florida for nearly 20 years, my husband, Gary, and I have had the chance to see the problems, challenges, and improvements firsthand at the college. I believe you would be impressed and pleased. I encourage you to get involved and help us further support our students and the outstanding progress in our college.

Sincerely,

Ann McGuire Grooms, MD, ’66 Alumni Council Immediate Past President

ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Over the past year, the College of Medicine graduated 174 new physicians to care for the citizens of Tennessee and beyond. The college continued its success in holding in-state tuition steady and reducing out-of-state tuition, reduced student debt below the national average for medical schools, increased scholarships and recorded outstanding Match Day results. The college increased its international outreach through its Center for Multicultural and Global Health and ranked No. 26 for Primary Care by U.S. News & World Report.

• The college’s Student Debt Action plan aims to improve financial literacy, increase scholarship opportunities, reduce out-of-state tuition, and reduce costs when possible. The percentage of graduates with debt is now below the national average for medical schools.

• UTHSC College of Medicine is tied for No. 30 of 161 for medical schools with the most graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas.

• The Accelerated 3-Year MD Program, for students who know they want to enter the fields of family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, medicine-pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology, had its inaugural class of five M1 students last fall and three in the spring. The college is hoping to expand the program, which is designed to increase the ranks of primary care physicians for Tennessee

• UTHSC has the only state-funded, public Physician Assistant program in Tennessee. Part of the UTHSC College of Medicine since 2016, the PA program has a 10-year accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.

• The UTHSC College of Medicine-Chattanooga was awarded Institutional ACGME accreditation for being in substantial compliance with all Institutional and Common Program Requirements with no institutional citations (effective 1/12/21).

• UTHSC CoM in Chattanooga established a Family Medicine Rural Resident Track in Pikeville, Tennessee (Bledsoe County).

• The College of Medicine in Knoxville launched new fellowships in pain medicine and maternal fetal medicine in July 2021. Three additional fellowships were established this year: hematology-oncology, palliative and hospice medicine, and regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine.

• The Culinary Medicine program resumed in person on the Memphis campus with a goal to “train the trainer,” or teach medical students about nutrition and healthful cooking, so that they can guide their patients in the future.

2022 Match Day: By the Numbers

166 Number of medical students in all matches 53% Primary Care 19% Surgical Specialties 28% Non-Primary Care 39% Matched into UTHSC Residencies. Total 64, including 44 in Memphis, 7 in Chattanooga, 7 in Nashville, 6 in Knoxville

MATCH DAY A JOYOUS CELEBRATION OF THE PAST AND FUTURE

During Match Day 2022 in March, 166 medical students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center learned where they will spend the next three to seven years as resident physicians.

Students gathered on the UTHSC campus in the Nash and Mooney buildings to celebrate their career placements from the National Resident Matching Program, which included many top-level programs across the country.

“This Match Day was incredibly special for me personally, as I am so proud of each student, and a virtual ceremony cannot truly capture the moment when our soon-to-be doctors open their envelopes to find out where they will train for the next few years,” said Catherine Womack, MD, associate dean of Student Affairs and Admissions in the College of Medicine. “UTHSC’s College of Medicine has a long tradition of training excellent physicians, and our Match Day results show that. We know that our students do so well in the match because they have such excellent

classroom training the first two years in Memphis and the last two years in Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, Knoxville, and/or Chattanooga,”.

Throughout the United States, medical schools celebrate Match Day on the third Friday of March each year, with the celebration of match results being a time-honored tradition.

“This clinical training across our great state produces a high-quality resident. Our graduates from the UTHSC College of Medicine will be highly accomplished, and we look forward to hearing all about their incredible endeavors,” Dr. Womack said. “This year we are so fortunate to have many of our students staying in the UT System, 39%. Fifty-three percent of our students have chosen to train in primary care and 19% will learn to practice surgery or a surgical specialty. As dean of students, I look forward to hearing about all the amazing things that they will accomplish in the future.”

“Match Day was such a wonderful celebration, and one that our class worked so hard for over our medical school career,” said M4 Class President Jacob Woodruff, who matched into the General Surgery specialty at Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University. “This year’s Match Day felt particularly special because we were able to celebrate it in person after two years of remote festivities due to COVID. My class fought through a rigorous clinical medical school experience that was compounded by a worldwide pandemic, and this day was a testament to successfully overcoming these obstacles as a group.”

The UTHSC College of Medicine held ceremonies for Match Day at its Knoxville and Chattanooga campuses, where students and faculty also celebrated.

Physician Assistant Program Dedicated to Extending Care Across Tennessee

The UTHSC Physician Assistant Program began in 2014 and has been part of the UTHSC College of Medicine since 2016.

It achieved a 10-year accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc., in 2019, the highest accreditation given.

Paul “PJ” Koltnow, MS, MSPAS, PA-C, director of admissions and an assistant professor for the PA program, said it received more than 2,000 applicants for its 30 student slots in 2021.

The program is dedicated to increasing the number of students from Tennessee who apply and attend, with the idea that they will remain in the state after graduation to help fill gaps in the health care workforce, Koltnow said last fall to a group of UT System leaders including President Randy Boyd.

“We have a duty as the state’s public PA program to serve the state,” Koltnow said.

UTHSC PA STUDENT CLINICAL ROTATIONS

4 UTHSC campuses: Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville

Half of students stay in Memphis, 6 in Chattanooga, 5-6 Knoxville, 3-4 Nashville

11 clinical rotations, 9 required and 2 electives

Memphis rotations at Regional One Health, Le Bonheur, Baptist and Methodist hospitals on academic teams

Jackson TN: UTHSC Family Medicine out-patient clinics

Chattanooga: Majority of rotations at Erlanger Hospital on academic teams

Shainberg Scholars Program Promotes Understanding of Other Cultures

Two students made up the first cohort of the Herbert Shainberg Scholars Program. As part of this new student exchange program, Colbe Earles and Macy Cottrell studied at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) earlier this year. The program gives fourth-year students at UTHSC’s College of Medicine the chance to experience health care from a cultural, ethnic, and religious perspective.

While Dr. Earles is now a family medicine resident in Alabama and Dr. Cottrell is a pediatrics resident in Texas, they both hope to remain involved with global health in the future. Both described their experience in Israel as eye-opening.

Dr. Earles recounted his experience: “This March, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to spend a month in Beer Sheva, Israel, rotating at Soroka Medical Center. Living in Israel and participating in that system taught me a lot. I learned about disease processes, like leishmaniasis, that I would have never experienced in the United States. I learned about how Israel’s health care system works and the major differences between theirs and ours. I gained more knowledge about how different cultures view medicine and, after living in a non-English speaking country for a month, left with much more empathy for patients who don’t speak English. Finally, thanks to living in international dorms, I developed friendships and connections with people from across the globe. One of the coolest aspects of the trip was meeting medical students from all over the world. These students have similar passions and goals to me and will be lifelong connections. I’m not sure what exactly my future will look like but providing health care to those who would not otherwise have

access, whether here or abroad, is at the center of it, and experiences like this are invaluable to realizing that goal.”

Dr. Cottrell had participated in medical mission trips to Central America, leading to a love of medicine and learning about foreign cultures. She studied in Israel for a short period in 2015. “Being there made me realize how determined and strong its citizens are. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. Because of these qualities, as well as its technological advancements and deeply rooted culture, I am looking forward to spending more time there and with its people in the future. I enjoyed learning from and with them,” she said.

The Shainberg Scholars Program is named for Herbert Shainberg, a Memphis businessman who owned a department store on Main Street in Downtown Memphis and was known for being a philanthropist in the community. The program is part of the Center for Multicultural and Global Health (CGMH) in the College of Medicine. The CMGH was created with the intention of better understanding people from other cultures, whether in Memphis or abroad. Both Dr. Earles and Dr. Cottrell underwent a rigorous selection process that included a written application, a personal essay, and interviews with a selection committee.

The cohort will grow in the coming years, eventually including up to 10 medical students from both universities. As the relationship between UTHSC and BGU continues to develop, students from Memphis will eventually be able to access BGU’s international sites, including Sri Lanka and Tanzania. In addition, BGU students will have access to UTHSC’s campuses across Tennessee.

Drs. Colbe Earles, left, and Macy Cottrell, second from right, spent a month at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel as part of the Shainberg Scholars program.

CLINICAL CARE

$ 344 M 8 1,419

The College of Medicine strengthened ties with partner teaching hospitals across the state, adding new faculty leaders and new training programs in service of its mission to improve health care for all Tennesseans.

CORE TEACHING HOSPITALS

• Regional One Health

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

• Memphis VA Medical Center

• Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

• Ascension Saint Thomas System

• Erlanger Health System

• The University of Tennessee Medical Center

• West Tennessee Healthcare – Jackson Madison County Hospital

AFFILIATED TEACHING HOSPITALS

• Baptist Memorial Healthcare

• St. Francis Hospital

• Methodist University Hospital

ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CLINICAL CARE

• UTHSC’s pediatric partner teaching hospital Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, which is staffed primarily by College of Medicine faculty, was named a Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report for the 11th consecutive year, with recognition in eight specialties. including cardiology and heart surgery, gastroenterology and GI surgery, neonatology, neurology and neurosurgery, nephrology, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology.

• The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Memphis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System reinforced their partnership to care for the military veterans in the Mid-South and to train the next generation of health care professionals who will provide that care.

• For the blanket of support across nearly 22 months of the pandemic, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland honored UTHSC College of Medicine leaders, Executive Dean Scott Strome, and Senior Associate dean for Clinical Affairs Jon McCullers, along with other health care and civic leaders, with its 2022 MLK Luminary Awards, the highest honor the city gives.

• UTHSC and Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville launched a new pilot rural-track residency program in Middle Tennessee to help address the shortage of physicians in rural areas of the state. UTHSC CoM alumnus Thomas Atkins, MD, was selected as the program’s inaugural rural-track resident.

• The Pulmonary and Critical Care Division in the College of Medicine in Knoxville received an Exemplary Service Recognition Award for providing an instrumental role in the management of the patients suffering from COVID-19- related illness in 2020-2021.

• Erlanger Medical Group and University Surgical Associates became affiliated practices in Chattanooga

• A new Urologic Robotics Fellowship was established in the College of Medicine in Chattanooga

Expanding Biorepository Key to Precision Medicine of the Future

It looks like just a small freezer from the outside, as it runs at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis. But what’s inside could unlock mysteries.

Shelves hold trays of tiny vials of DNA—all labeled, bar coded and stored at 20 degrees below zero.

The collection of tubes—thousands and thousands of them—represents the genetic essence of the region and the best chance of unlocking diseases quicker or developing medicines to combat diseases. Each holds the DNA of a child whose parents gave UT Health Science Center and Le Bonheur permission to study it. This biorepository has turned into one of the richest representations in the nation of people of African descent, a windfall of enormous proportion.

“We think we are contributing very robustly to this shortage that occurs globally in reference databases,” says Chester Brown, MD, PhD, St. Jude Chair of Excellence in Genetics at UTHSC and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

Of the combined samples in biorepositories around the world, only about 3% represent people of African ancestry.

“And that’s being very generous,” said Dr. Brown, who also is a UTHSC professor of pediatrics; professor in the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics; and chief of the Genetics Division at Le Bonheur.

In partnership with Regeneron Genetics Center, the first 10,000 DNA samples have been sequenced—that is, the DNA has been extracted letter by letter to decipher each participant’s genetic code; 44 percent of those samples represent people of African ancestry. The power of that DNA is putting UTHSC on the human genome map.

In 2021, the Genomic Information Commons (GIC), a group of seven children’s hospitals sharing their patient DNA data, invited UTHSC and Le Bonheur to join its network. The Memphis genetic data, stripped of any personal identifying

information, will be available to researchers in the group to advance scientific and medical discoveries.

“It’s a feather in our cap because they recognize what good work we have done,” says Terri Finkel, MD, PhD, a professor and associate chair in the UTHSC Department of Pediatrics, vice chair of clinical affairs at Le Bonheur, and Children’s Foundation of Memphis Chair of Excellence.

The Memphis project is called Biorepository and Integrative Genomics (BIG).

When UTHSC began drawing blood samples for BIG at Le Bonheur in 2015, other groups had been building biorepositories for more than a decade. From the start, UTHSC developed a different plan. Instead of simply extracting DNA from leftover blood samples, UTHSC leaders emphasized making patients and families key participants, including getting their full consent to sequence the DNA and study the results.

“We recognized that genomic medicine is the future and that we needed to be part of it,” says Jon McCullers, MD, chair of UTHSC’s Department of Pediatrics. “It was very clear to us at the time that Black-American populations were being left out. The argument I made at the time was this is the population we serve. If we are going to be doing precision medicine, and not just at Le Bonheur but across the health systems in Memphis, we had to have this resource. Otherwise, half our population can’t use it.”

Seven years later, UTHSC and Le Bonheur have more than 12,000 DNA samples from pediatric patients. Each is attached to the patient’s electronic medical record.

As of January, about 10,000 samples containing 100 terabytes of data have been sequenced, thanks to a partnership with Regeneron Genetics Center. The company sequenced what both sides hope is only the first batch of samples from UTHSC and Le Bonheur.

Through its contract with UTHSC and Le Bonheur, Regeneron has access to the UTHSC samples. The company is interested in amassing a biorepository from all regions of the world and eventually developing pharmaceuticals tailored to variations in genes.

The next step is enlarging the biorepository beyond the pediatric hospital in Memphis. Hence, what is known as the 100,000 Genome Project is on the horizon at UTHSC.

“My dream is that we are going to expand this network throughout the entire state,” says Executive Dean Strome, who also heads the Tennessee Rare Disease Network.

OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

With the Help of its Board of Visitors, the College of Medicine is firmly embedded in the communities it touches. From increasing access to health care, to helping its neighbors live healthier lives, the college is taking care out of the hospitals and into community.

• The College of Medicine opened the first UTHSC Health Hub in the Uptown neighborhood in Memphis. The Uptown Hub is the first in what is hoped will be many locations established by the college to provide a convenient entry point to primary care with an emphasis on obesity, hypertension, and diabetes – all of which are linked to increased mortality. (Photos 1 and 2)

• In January as the Omicron variant surged, UTHSC and its clinical practice partner, University Clinical Health, opened a drive-through COVID-19 testing site for the Memphis community on the UTHSC campus. When the site closed in late February, more than 4,800 tests had been administered.

• Physicians at the UTHSC Hamilton Eye Institute donated their services to restore sight to approximately two dozen Mid-South individuals during the fifth-annual Ivan Marais Cataract-A-Thon in June. The all-day outreach offered free cataract surgeries to individuals who otherwise could not afford the procedure. Since the first Cataract-A-Thon in 2017, more than 130 people have had their sight restored. (Photos 3 and 4)

• The Frayser Community Garden, a collaboration of the college, the City of Memphis, and the citizens of the Frayser community, had its first fall planting and a tasting of its first harvest - greens from the garden. “This is a partnership between UTHSC and our communities and the city, where we can start to provide together healthy fruits and vegetables from areas that were formerly blighted land in Memphis,” Dean Strome said during the planting. (Photos 5 and 6)

• To spread the message that healthful eating is a key to overall good health, the College of Medicine, in collaboration with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, hosted a Culinary Medicine continuing education class for health care professionals in Knoxville in August. The Introduction to Culinary Medicine class, the first of its kind in Knoxville, uses the same Health Meets Food™ curriculum that is used in the college to train students and residents with the aim that they will pass the knowledge to their patients,

• College of Medicine students volunteered for the St. Jude Group Garden Day, during which they helped to transition to the Fall/Winter season by clearing out garden beds and planting new crops.

• The College of Medicine established a connection with physicians from Ukraine visiting in Memphis in July to provide advice and support in the future. The physicians were hosted by Friendship Force of Memphis through the Open World Program. (Photo 7)

• The Center for Multicultural and Global Health in the college hosted its inaugural Multicultural and Global Health Symposium. The free symposium brought together local, national, and international speakers to discuss the theme of “Re-Imagining Multicultural and Global Health in the Age of COVID.”

RECENT MAJOR GRANT AWARDS

From the National Cancer Institute to a team lead by researchers from UTHSC for a study that will fill critical gaps in knowledge around obesity-mediated cancer risk. Liza Makowski, PhD, professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, is the lead investigator.

From the National Cancer Institute to test the use of health information technology in managing obesity among disadvantaged groups. Karen Johnson MD, MPH, Endowed Professor of Women’s Health and chair of Preventive Medicine, is leading a clinical trial to determine whether an existing weight-loss intervention method can be modified and delivered via primary care IT to target high-risk, underserved populations in the Delta region.

From the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to the Tennessee Heart Health Network led by Jim Bailey, MD, Robert S. Pearce Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine and director of the Tennessee Population Health Consortium, to identify evidence-based interventions to aid primary care providers across the state in treating cardiovascular disease.

From the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to upgrade the equipment and infrastructure in the UTHSC Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) on the Memphis campus to enhance the university’s research of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Colleen Jonsson, PhD, Van Vleet Professor of Virology and director of the RBL, is the project director and principal investigator for the award.

From the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to Kenneth Ataga, MD, director of the Center for Sickle Cell Disease at UTHSC, for a project that enlists artificial intelligence in the fight against sickle cell disease.

$ 3.16 MILLION

From the National Cancer Institute to a UTHSC-led team to develop a drug that boosts the immune system response in cancer patients to destroy tumor cells. Gabor Tigyi, MD, PhD, Harriet Van Vleet Endowment Professor in the Department of Physiology, is the lead investigator. Sue Chin Lee, PhD, associate professor in the same department, is a principal investigator.

$1.9 MILLION

From the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to Sam Dagogo-Jack, MD, A.C. Mullins professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, along with Nawajes Mandal, PhD, associate professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology, Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, for their work to advance the understanding of the pathophysiology of prediabetes, diabetes, and related complications.

$1.8 MILLION

From the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to Jonathan Wall, PhD, professor in the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville, for his study titled “Developing a Theranostic Immunotherapy for Systemic Amyloidosis.”

• The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) awarded the 2022 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health to Altha J. Stewart, MD, senior associate dean for Community Health Engagement and associate professor of psychiatry. The foundation described Dr. Stewart, who was the first African American president of the American Psychiatric Association, as “a pioneering voice in America about structural racism and its impact on mental health treatment for people of color.” The award honors Dr. Stewart for her dedication to helping disadvantaged and underserved people who are living with mental illnesses.

• Ronald Cowan, MD, PhD, Harrison Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, recently was named to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) Scientific Council.

• The College of Medicine/Erlanger Health System expanded Industry funded clinical trials on that campus.

• The 43rd group of Medical Student Research Fellows (MSRF) embarked on summer research projects culminating in presentations to College of Medicine faculty.

• Keiichi Sumida, MD, MPH, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Nephrology and Thirumalini Vaithianathan, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, were named recipients of the inaugural College of Medicine Faculty Research Growth Award that grants funding toward their research.

• Julio Cordero-Morales, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Physiology, was asked to serve as chair of a Gordon Research Conference in 2026. He is the first Latino to receive this honor.

• Adebowale Adebiyi, PhD, professor of physiology, was appointed the Dr. Eldon D. and Ruth Connell Professor for his excellence in research.

• Graduate research assistant Mariah Taylor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry had the chance to assist in COVID-19 pandemic research in a way that few at her level have experienced by working in the UTHSC Regional Biocontainment Laboratory to help increase understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, its development, and its future.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

The College of Medicine has initiated several programs to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion among the faculty, staff, and students. These include events to interest high school students in medical careers, programs to mentor underrepresented students and residents, and initiatives to increase the ranks of females in the college. “Effective medical care must be delivered by an exceptionally skilled, compassionate, and diverse workforce,” Dean Strome said.

• With its new Learning and Engagement for Aspiring Physicians (LEAP) program, the college aims to produce a group of more diverse physicians in the future. In March, 35 high school students participated in the full-day inaugural event designed to encourage underrepresented students to pursue careers in medicine. The program offered students insights into medicine through panel discussions and simulation exercises in the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation on the Memphis campus.

• UTHSC and the Bluff City Medical Society are partnering on two mentoring programs to improve the academic environment for medical students and postgraduate trainees traditionally underrepresented in medicine. Project STAR (Student Advancement and Retention) for medical students and Project REZ (Resident Empowerment Zone) for postgraduate medical trainees are also designed to aid in the recruitment and retention by the College of Medicine of underrepresented medical students, residents, and fellows, and ultimately

to increase the diversity in the ranks of the physician workforce. The programs kicked off their second year in late September.

• The College of Medicine in Knoxville had a successful Disparities Awareness Month in January, an inaugural event across multiple departments with 11 lectures, many given by outside experts.

• A Committee to Advance Women in College of Medicine was established. Five CoM faculty members attended the 2022 Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar of the Association of American Medical Colleges and six attended the mid-career meeting. The CoM also sent faculty to the minority leadership conference and the mentoring program

• College of Medicine staff are participating in a Diversity and Inclusion Engagement Series that includes workshops and invited speakers.

• Medical students have the opportunity to participate in an Anti-Racism book club.

Drs. Panda and Womack Receive INSPIRE Awards

Mukta Panda, MD, MACP, F-RCP London, and Catherine Womack, MD, FACP, have received the American Medical Women’s Association INSPIRE Award for their accomplishments as exceptional women physicians. The awards honor women physicians who exemplify the highest values in vision, integrity, collaboration, and service.

Malkin Joins College of Medicine

Andrea Malkin, JD, joined the College of Medicine as chief of staff in June from the Lewis Thomason law firm. In this newly created role, Malkin will assist in overseeing operations and strategic planning for the college.

Learning about Accessible Health Care

Khadijat Aregbe, second-year student originally from Nigeria, president of the Student National Medical Association, and founder of the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Student Interest Group, had the opportunity as a suture tech to experience the organ retrieval process. “Health care doesn’t care about your culture, language, borders, or boundaries,” she said. “It is universal to everyone, so my goal is to try to make it possible that good health care is not only accessible to western countries.”

Dermatology Students Give Lesson to High School Students

First-year students Taylor Dent and Lilly Campbell gave a Sun Protection Outreach Teaching by Students (SPOTS) lesson in an AP Biology Class at White Station High School. SPOTS is a community outreach program in which medical students are trained to teach school-age children about the importance of early detection and prevention of skin cancer. Students from the Dermatology Interest Group at UTHSC enjoyed setting up, teaching, and mentoring local students at White Station.

Class of 2026 White Coat Ceremony

The College of Medicine welcomed the Class of 2026 and celebrated its commitment to the study and practice of medicine during its White Coat Ceremony at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts on August 14. The keynote speaker was Lt. General John G. Castellaw, USMC (Ret).

Students attend SBAS Conference

Six students attended the 2022 SBAS (Society of Black Academic Surgeons) Conference in Philadelphia and presented under the guidance of Denis Foretia, MD, assistant professor of surgery and director of the UTHSC Center for Multicultural and Global Health. The students are Chris Harper, M4; Payton Grande, M2; Mitchell Clayton, M3, Research Resident Andrew Fleming; Muyoka Mainam PGY-4; Alisa Phillips, M3.

Student Receives Prestigious Research Award

Jeremiah Holt, MD/PhD student, received a prestigious F30 fellowship from the National Cancer Institute to study cancer genomics in various cancers linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). He is working under the direction of Neil Hayes, MD, director of the Center for Cancer Research and chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology.

NEW LEADERSHIP

hospitals improve quality, depth, and breadth of services, and grow residency positions where it makes the most sense. I’d also like to establish rural health care initiatives around the region to improve the health care to folks who live in rural areas and grow our research.”

Dr. Haynes said he also aims to improve faculty development, providing junior faculty a clear path for academic growth and promotion, as well as to partner with the community to improve the health of the citizens in the Chattanooga area.

A native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Dr. Haynes received his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed his residency in family medicine at Eglin Regional Hospital at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

His extensive military service encompasses two tours of duty in the Middle East, including a tour of duty in Iraq as part of a critical care evacuation team. Dr. Haynes was named the Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians’ Family Physician of the Year in 2003 and served as the family medicine consultant to the Surgeon General of the U. S. Air Force from 2005 to 2007.

James W. Haynes, MD, MBA, FAAFP, has been named dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine – Chattanooga. Dr. Haynes has served as the interim dean in Chattanooga since December 2021.

“I am grateful for the opportunity, and I believe we have a bright future here,” Dr. Haynes said. The College of Medicine – Chattanooga includes 400 faculty members, approximately 190 residents and fellows, and approximately 250 students, who rotate for training annually, he said.

“Building upon 50 years and the good relations we’ve had with Erlanger (Health System), we can build a strong health care system that provides care to all the citizens of our community, North Georgia, Western North Carolina, and northeast Alabama,” he said.

A family medicine physician and a more-than-20-year veteran of the United States Air Force, Dr. Haynes listed several priorities for his new role, including “to use our academic infrastructure and resources to help our affiliated

Dr. Haynes has taught in Graduate Medical Education for more than 20 years and has served as the chair of the Department of Family Medicine in Chattanooga since 2019. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is a past president of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.

“I am delighted that we were able to successfully recruit Dr. Haynes to serve as the dean of our Chattanooga campus,” Executive Dean Strome said. “He is a fantastic leader, who seeks to grow the UTHSC College of Medicine by building bridges with all our relevant stakeholders. Our future is incredibly bright with Dr. Haynes at the helm in Chattanooga.”

R. Phillip Burns, MD, FACS, who served 46 years as the chair of the Department of Surgery in the College of Medicine – Chattanooga, said, “I can’t think of a better choice than that of Dr. James Haynes as the dean of the College of Medicine in Chattanooga. He is not only a great teacher and administrator, but I have been particularly impressed with his contributions to leadership in organized medicine, both in our local community and the state.”

Craft Named Interim Dean of UTHSC College of Medicine in Knoxville

Robert M. Craft, MD, has been named the interim dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine in Knoxville. Dr. Craft succeeds Paul J. Hauptman, MD, who served as dean for four years. Dr. Hauptman will become the dean of the University of Nevada-Reno School of Medicine and chief academic officer of Renown Health.

“Dr. Hauptman’s diligent and dedicated leadership has left the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine on very solid ground with a truly fantastic team,” Dr. Craft said. “This firm foundation will provide the launchpad for the next phase of strategic growth and development.”

In addition to interim dean, Dr. Craft now serves as senior vice president and chief academic officer of the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he completed his residency in 1993. After a fellowship in neuroanesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Craft joined UTHSC in 1994 as an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology. He was later promoted to professor and served as the department’s vice chair, residency program director, and chair.

“As a native Tennessean and alumnus of three UT campuses, I consider this role as a career capstone that fills me with thankfulness for the University of Tennessee and a strong desire to ably serve my alma mater in this capacity,” Dr. Craft said.

“I am thrilled that Dr. Craft has accepted our offer to serve as interim dean of the Knoxville campus,” Executive Dean Strome said. “His exceptional leadership experience and commitment to both UTHSC and the medical center will advance both institutions as we serve our patients in Knoxville and the surrounding region and provide an outstanding environment for education and clinical practice.”

New Faculty and Promotions

Devra Becker, MD

Dr. Becker joined the College of Medicine in late June as the chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Surgery. Previously, she was an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh in its Department of Plastic Surgery.

John Schorge, MD

Dr. Schorge is the new chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN). He joined UTHSC in April, coming from Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

Mansour A. Parsi, MD, MPH, MBA

Dr. Parsi was named as the Hyman Professor of Medicine and the chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Parsi, who was recruited from Tulane University, also serves as the vice chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine, and the medical director of the Gastroenterology Service Line at Regional One Health.

Erica Mitchell, MD, MEd SE, FACS, DFSVS

Dr. Mitchell joined UTHSC as a professor in the Department of Surgery, chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery, and the medical director for vascular and endovascular surgery at Regional One Health. Dr. Mitchell was the medical director of the vascular lab, cardiovascular service line, and Salem Health section chief at Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics in Oregon.

J. Richard Walker III, MD, MS, FACEP

Dr. Walker has been named chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UTHSC. He is also the founder and director for the Emergency Medicine Residency program at UTHSC.

Matthew W. Wilson, MD, FACS

Dr. Wilson has been named the Barrett G. Haik Endowed Chair for the Department of Ophthalmology in the College of Medicine and director of the Hamilton Eye Institute. Dr. Wilson served as the acting chair of the UTHSC Department of Ophthalmology since April 2021 and was the vice chair of Academic Affairs for the department since 2013.

Julio Lanfranco Molina, MD

Dr. Molina was named chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. He is a physician at Regional One Health and an associate professor and program director for the Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship.

Shelley Ost, MD

Dr. Ost is the new chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine. A Memphis native, Dr. Ost completed her residency at UTHSC in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.

Alicia Diaz Thomas, MD, MPH

Dr. Thomas, a pediatric endocrinologist, was named associate dean of Faculty Affairs. A professor in the Department of Pediatrics and attending physician at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Dr. Diaz Thomas also serves as the program director of the pediatric endocrinology fellowship program.

Alumnus and Family Give Back to the College So Future Physicians Can Succeed

By Peggy Reisser

Austin Fite, MD, spent 40 years caring for the underserved in inner-city Los Angeles.

When the UTHSC College of Medicine alumnus got ready to retire, he decided to keep doing what he had always done, helping those in need. This time, he would provide assistance through philanthropy, donating to institutions that had helped him or his family along the way and were doing good in the various communities that had touched their lives.

Dr. Fite, his wife, Lauren, and their children established the Fite Family Endowed Scholarship in the UTHSC College of Medicine to support UTHSC medical students with financial need.

“I was remembering how when I graduated, I had some debt, but I was able to get a bunch of scholarships and some loans and it wasn’t too onerous for me to pay it off,” he said. “But I will never forget how, as we finished and watched our class go off for our residencies, it just broke my heart to see some of them who were just loaded down with such debt that they were making career choices about what branch of medicine they would go into based on how much money that career choice would make so they could pay off their debts quickly, rather than choose one that may have been more their passion or that they were more gifted in that paid less.”

Alumnus Austin Fite, MD, right, is shown with Wesley Slaven, MD, who was a recipient of the scholarship that Dr. Fite and his family established in the College of Medicine.

“So, I thought, in some small way, I can at least help a student or two here not have to waste time,” Dr. Fite continued. “The other thing that broke my heart was how many of the students in my class had to hold jobs because there was no way they could make it through medical school without some part-time job. That’s not what you’re in medical school for. You need every single moment to either be cramming in info in the basic-science years, or seeing patients and doing clinical work, or recovering and sleeping, and you don’t need to be trying to hold down a job, but unfortunately, that’s the reality.”

Dr. Fite reached out to the College of Medicine. “I got such a great education that gave me 40 years of wonderful practice and a great retirement, so it was time to think about giving back,” he said.

Dr. Fite speaks fondly of the College of Medicine students who have benefited from the Fite Family Scholarship. Wesley Slaven, MD, from East Tennessee, was supported by the scholarship and is now in his residency in Louisville. “He’s doing what he always wanted to do, which is emergency medicine,” Dr. Fite said. The two keep in touch.

Afghan War veteran, Anthony Reedy, MD, also benefited from the scholarship and is now in his residency at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He was drawn to physical medicine and rehabilitation during his second tour in Iraq, when his friend was severely injured. “It made me reflect on what I wanted to give to others,” he said.

“When I first received the scholarship, I thought it was a wonderfully kind gesture, and then I got to meet him (Dr. Fite) and understood it was just his nature,” Dr. Reedy said. “As I get older, I know that there are many people who come and go from our lives, and some of those people are very special to us and make a lasting impact. Dr. Fite is definitely one of those people for me.”

Isabella Hendrickson, Class of 2025, is from Fairview Tennessee, and another student benefiting from the scholarship. “Being able to attend UTHSC College of Medicine has been a dream come true,” she wrote in a letter of thanks for the assistance. “Everyone is so kind, encouraging, and willing to help each other. It felt like a family, and coming out of my first year, I have found that still to be very accurate. I also love that it feels like UTHSC will do anything to help its students succeed, which is important to me.”

Hendrickson is interested in women’s health and is planning on going into OB/GYN or urology and then doing a fellowship in urogynecology.

“This scholarship is incredibly meaningful to me because it lightens the burden that I will have in loans, which provides me with comfort and hope for the future,” she wrote. “As my goal is to help others, your generous donation helping me will allow me to do just that.”

Dr. Fite serves on the college’s alumni council and is committed to encouraging other council members and CoM alumni to give back to their alma mater and the medical profession. “The more we can do to provide assistance, I think that will just enhance the experience (for students), and hopefully, the quality of our future doctors,” he said.

Dr. Fite and his wife, Lauren, and their family established a scholarship to help reduce medical student debt.

Alumnus David A. McMillan, MD, Praises Changes in Program, Endows Scholarship

By Erika Wynn

Despite the success of his more-than-30-year career, UTHSC College of Medicine alumnus (‘82) and retired emergency medicine physician David A. McMillan, MD never felt a strong desire to give back to his alma mater. As Dr. McMillan celebrated his 40th reunion from the College of Medicine, he reflected on his time there.

Dr. McMillan joined the UTHSC College of Medicine from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

“Medical school back then was like Marine boot camp. I have a 3.75 GPA and am a member of Phi Beta Kappa. However, I got here and realized I was just one of 250; you may be at the bottom of this 250,” he said. “It was difficult for me to get through those first two years. I may have looked like a duck, calm on the surface but paddling like hell under the surface.”

It was by chance that Dr. McMillan reconnected with his alma mater during a difficult time for everyone. Dr. McMillan found himself at the City of Memphis vaccination site at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, while trying to receive his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. During a snowy Valentine’s Day, he remembers receiving the text offering the shot for those who could make it by 1 p.m. Dr. McMillan did make it, and when he arrived, he noticed a few volunteers brandishing a familiar logo - UTHSC.

Dr. McMillan took this as an opportunity to lend a hand and asked one of the UTHSC volunteers for information on how he could also volunteer. “I felt so proud that UT(HSC) was taking the lead, and where there was confusion and chaos, UTHSC said, ‘we’re going to plant our flag and give legitimacy to this operation and show how it can be successful.’ ”

After his experience volunteering at the vaccination site, Dr. McMillan continued to serve as a mentor to students in the college. Through this, he realized that a lot had changed in medical education since his time as a student.

“Things are totally different. There was no tutoring. Back then, they didn’t care if you made it out, because there was someone waiting to take your place. Mental health wasn’t acknowledged, and you had to suck it up. But I talk to some of these younger people, and they tell me it is so much better.” He sees the mental health resources, simulation labs, and technology available to students

as game changers in how the College of Medicine approaches medical education today.

Dr. McMillan has decided to cement his restored relationship with UTHSC through the endowment of a scholarship in the College of Medicine in his estate plans. Sarah Shore, a fourth-year student in the College of Medicine who worked as a medical scribe for Dr. McMillan, helped him decide on who the scholarship should benefit. Initially, Dr. McMillan thought to endow a scholarship exclusively for fourth-year students interested in emergency medicine. However, Shore convinced him to support students throughout medical school, while focusing a portion of the scholarship for those at the very point in medical school that he had struggled the most –the first two years.

Dr. McMillan was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma in 2015, leading to his retirement from practice. For him, this scholarship represents a legacy of reaching back and helping those the way he wishes he’d been helped more than 30 years ago.

“We have come full circle from, ‘You didn’t help, why would I want to help you?’ to now being proud to be a part of the UTHSC College of Medicine,” Dr. McMillan said. “If you want to leave a legacy, what better way than to have students be able to say, ‘I got the David McMillan Scholarship.’ ”

Dr. McMillan is grateful for his contribution to medicine and his desire to see current and future College of Medicine students benefit from similar, but much more conducive, medical school experience at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

“I’m out of the game. I’m happy. It is a different world. I enjoyed it, and I had a lot of experiences in 36 years. If you ask people, I think they would say he was a great doctor, and if people say that, I would think I did alright.” Dr. McMillan pauses before he continues, “To have people like Sarah Shore and my niece, Lillian McCampbell, who is a first-year, speak well of me makes me think I did good and impacted others, and the medical world is in good hands.”

For questions about gifts and scholarship support, please reach out to the UTHSC Office of Development at 901.448.5516 or giving@uthsc.edu.

2022 Outstanding Alumnus Award Winners

Stewart Edwards “Ed” Dismuke, MD ‘71, MSPH

Dr. Dismuke was raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where his parents worked for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (originally part of the Manhattan Project). Majoring in biology, he received an undergraduate degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. In medical school at what was then the University of Tennessee–Memphis, Dr. Dismuke was an active student leader, serving as student government president and liaison to the school’s Board of Trustees. He received his MD degree and was named the Alpha Omega Alpha Distinguished Graduate for his class. Prior to his internship, he spent six months as a research fellow in rheumatology. After a three-year residency in Internal Medicine at UT–Memphis, he served as chief medical resident.

He was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Fellow in General Medicine. Dr. Dismuke also received an MSPH in epidemiology from the School of Public Health.

Returning to the faculty at the University of Tennessee, he eventually became a tenured associate professor in Medicine and Preventive Medicine. For five years he had a career development award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health in Preventive Cardiology. In addition to teaching and research, he practiced general internal medicine and preventive medicine. His primary interest focused on health promotion disease prevention.

In 1991, Dr. Dismuke became professor and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Kansas in both Kansas City and Wichita. He built the department from five faculty to more than 30 on two campuses with annual extramural funding of over $3 million. From July 2001 until September 2008, Dr. Dismuke served as dean of the regional medical school campus in Wichita, KS.

In 2012, Dr. Dismuke returned to Memphis to accept a job with the new University of Memphis School of Public Health. He served as interim director of the Division of Health Systems Management and Policy until January 2014. Having a special interest in community health improvement and the social determinants of health, he has been very active in health improvement efforts in both Shelby County and the City of Memphis, especially through the “Triple Aim Initiative” and the “Health Systems Curriculum.”

Ryan D. Mire, MD ‘98, FACP

Dr. Mire is a private practice internist in Nashville and serves as president and a member of the Board of Regents for the American College of Physicians (ACP). He is a past-president of Heritage Medical Associates. He received his undergraduate degree from Rhodes College, graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, and completed his residency at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was chief resident.

Nationally, he was the recipient of the Walter J. McDonald Award for early career physicians in 2014 and locally was a recipient of the Tennessee Chapter Laureate Award in 2020. Dr. Mire is an associate professor of Clinical Medical Education for the UTHSC College of Medicine and currently a member of the executive committee for the UTHSC College of Medicine Alumni Council.

K. Elliot Tenpenny, MD, ‘09

Dr. Tenpenny, serves as director of the International Health Unit for Samaritan’s Purse. Dr. Tenpenny is a native of Tennessee, and he received his postgraduate medical doctorate at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. He subsequently completed his residency and served as chief resident in Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Tenpenny was part of the post-residency program with World Medical Mission, serving overseas for two years. During this program he trained in surgery at CME Nyankunde Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo and served at Pioneer Christian Hospital in the Republic of Congo.

He now works to develop and maintain the emergency medical response readiness of the International Disaster Response Unit, including the management of the Emergency Field Hospital. Recently, in response to COVID-19, he served as the Emergency Field Hospital director in New York City and California. Dr. Tenpenny also served in this role in Ukraine; in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian; Mosul, Iraq, during the battle for Mosul; and Ecuador after the 2016 earthquake. Additionally, he was the area coordinator and cholera treatment center manager in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew and managed the Samaritan’s Purse Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2019.

We Are Grateful to Our Legacy Society Members!

Estate of Hermon T. Abernathy Estate of Reba Absher

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Acevedo Estate of Anita O. Agnew Dr. and Mrs. A. Julian Ahler

Estate of Nina Rice Albright Estate of Emerson A. Alburty Estate of Mr. and Mrs. John S. Allen Estate of William W. Allen Dr. Jack B. Alperin and Ms. Lynn Manaster Dr. and Mrs. Rex A. Amonette Dr. and Mrs. Coleman Lee Arnold Dr. and Mrs. Larry T. Arnold

Estate of Dr. E.R. and Anna Kathryn Atkinson Dr. Nancy J. Auer

Estate of Dr. Troy P. Bagwell

Estate of Mrs. Carolyn B. Bailey Estate of John W. Bailey Estate of Leon T. Banakas Drs. Freddie T. and Marji Barron Drs. Randall V. and Jo Ann F. Bass

Estate of Mildred P. Bassett Estate of Joe D. Beals, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Peter T. Beaudette Dr. and Mrs. W. Richard Beaver Estate of Cynthia Ann Beer Estate of Abraham P. Behrman Estate of Herman Bensdorf II

Estate of Dorothy Swan Benson Dr. Gerald and Mrs. Allison Berkowitz

Estate of James M. Blake Estate of Glenn Johnson Blassingame Estate of Edward H. Bloch

Estate of William Webster Bond Estate of William and Kathryn S. Bowld Estate of Vera Brown Estate of Mertie W. Buckman

Estate of William L. Bullen Estate of Chloe M. Burch Estate of Ephraim E. Camp Dr. and Mrs. Donald C. Chase Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Christenberry, Jr. Estate of Jane Alvis Clarke Dr. and Mrs. Joel B. Clements

Estate of Dr. William B. Clotworthy, Jr. Estate of Edwin W. Cocke, Jr. Estate of David D. Coleman

Estate of George D. Conger Estate of Dr. and Mrs. E.D. Connell Dr. and Mrs. James Martin Cooper Estate of Dr. George A. Coors

Estate of D. Richard Coriale Estate of Dr. Lewis T. Corum Mrs. Ruth C. Coughlin Estate of Mrs. Shirley Covington Dr. and Mrs. James T. Craig, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Alvin H. Crawford Estate of Lloyd Vernon Crawford Ms. Betsey Beeler Creekmore Dr. and Mrs. Jerrall P. Crook, Jr. Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence B. Crowson, Jr. Estate of Ruth B. Crumley Dr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Currey Dr. and Mrs. Shannon R. Curtis Estate of Peggy Murphy Dawson Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Mack Day Estate of Ella Ingram Deere Estate of Emilie Dehellebranth Dr. Robert G. Demos* and Mrs. Jean Case Demos Estate of Lemuel W. Diggs Estate of E. H. and G. D. Doggett Estate of James. H. Donnell Estate of Reeva E. Donoghue Dr. Sabra F. Drake Estate of Mary P. Dudney Estate of Charles Eastridge Estate of Tom and Kathleen Elam Estate of Jacob Epstein Estate of J. W. Erwin Estate of James Etteldorf Dr. George E. and Mrs. Jane Hardy Fant Estate of Harley Flannigan Dr. and Mrs. James Christian Fleming Estate of Julian G. Fleming Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. Fox, Jr. Estate of Dr. Harold H. Fry, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Jeff L. Fuqua Dr. Ted Galyon and Dr. Virginia Galyon* Estate of Laurence B. Gardiner Estate of Daniel and Dorothy K. Gerwin Goldsmith Foundation, Inc. Estate of Ruth R. Goltman Estate of C.M. Gooch Estate of Marion H. Gore Dr. and Mrs. James A. Greene Dr. Mike Greer and Mrs. Vallerie Hixson Greer Dr. J. Carol Grigg and Mrs. Madeline Hope Berman Drs. Gary A. and Ann McGuire Grooms Estate of Gene A. Guinn Estate of Lois S. Haas Mr. Christopher A. and Mrs. Watson B. Hall Dr. and Mrs. John E. Hamilton

Dr. Ralph S. Hamilton* and Mrs. Barbara H. Hamilton

Dr. and Mrs. Herman L. Hampton, Jr.

Drs. Wahid T. and Samia Hanna Estate of George W. Hansberry Estate of Martha Hardiman Estate of Harold P. Hargreaves

Dr. James H. Harris, Sr. and Mrs. Judy Harris* Dr. and Mrs. John S. Harris Estate of Jessie H. and Julian Harrison Dr. and Mrs. Don C. Harting

Estate of Dr. Frederick H. and Louise Rice Hartwig Estate of Dr. Fred E. Hatch, Jr.

Drs. Anne G. and William R. Hayes Estate of Dr. Roger L. and Nancy Hiatt

Dr. and Mrs. Bobby C. Higgs

Dr. and Mrs. David Edwin Hill

Estate of C. Thomas Hill, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. George Alan Hill Dr. Leonard H. Hines and Mrs. Nancye E. Hines*

Dr. and Mrs. J. Parks Hitch, Jr. Dr. Perry J. Hockaday Dr. and Mrs. John “Mac” Hodges Dr. John H. Hooker* and Mrs. Marlene Hooker

Estate of R. James Hooper

Estate of Virginia M. Hord Estate of George M. Houston Estate of John H. How Estate of Helen Humphreys Mr. and Mrs. Weldon R. Humphries

Mr. Steven L. Hurdle and Ms. Debbie L. Fulton Dr. and Mrs. David M. Hurst Drs. Kim Tin Huynh and Minh Quang Thai Estate of Margaret Hyde Estate of Orren W. Hyman, Jr. Estate of Thomas Marion Jackson Estate of Fannie Lou Jamison Estate of Rona Jefferson Estate of Dr. Elizabeth Johnston Estate of Dorothy Cottier Jones Estate of Evelyn V. and Olin C. Julian Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Kaplan Mrs. Sue H. Kaplan Estate of Dr. Edward A. Karl Estate of Dr. James A. Kaufmann Dr. and Mrs. William Jay Klopstock Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Kossmann Estate of Patricia Franke Kouns Estate of Dr. Ralph Kustoff Dr. and Mrs. Roger S. Labonte Estate of Fred and Angeline J. Lambert Estate of Martha C. Lansing Estate of Joanna Morris Larson Estate of Elizabeth M. Latimer Dr. and Mrs. James Douglas Link Dr. and Mrs. Melvin Litch, Jr.

Estate of Cynthia Lott Dr. and Mrs. W. Allen Loy Estate of Dr. John R. Maddox, Jr. Estate of Mr. and Mrs. George Malloy Estate of Mrs. Evelyn G. Malloy Estate of Sylvia Marks Dr. and Mrs. Wayne Marley Estate of William P. Maury, Jr. Estate of Mary Garnette O. Mayberry Dr. and Mrs. John W. McCravey Drs. Martha A. McCravey and Alan B. Wood Mr. Gustaf R. McIlhenny Dr. and Mrs. William R. McKissick Dr. and Mrs. W. David McKown Dr. David A. McMillan Estate of Edward D. Mitchell, Jr. Estate of Joseph N. Mitchell Dr. Billy G. Mitchell* and Mrs. Juanita Mitchell Estate of F. June Montgomery Estate of Charles S. and Lucille H. Moon Honorable Kenneth L. and Mrs. Linda Moore Estate of Henry Moskowitz Estate of Dr. Maurice Moskowitz Estate of Morrie A. Moss Estate of Grace E. Moulder Estate of Sam D. Mount Dr. John P. Nash* and Mrs. Barbara Nash Dr. Charles R. Nelms, Jr.* and Mrs. Gretchen Goerdel Nelms Dr. George L. Nelson Dr. and Mrs. Khuong Van Nguyen Estate of Jane L. Nuckolls Dr. Lester Carol Nunnally* and Mrs. Jeanne Nunnally Estate of Elihu I. Orleans Dr. and Mrs. John G. Paty, Jr. Estate of William T. F. Paul Estate of Louis G. Pawelek Estate of F. Homer Payne Estate of Iris Annette Pearce Ms. Jolanda M. Penczner Estate of Tillie Wilson Perry Drs. John P. Phillips* and June Helen Dunbar Estate of Marie E. Phillips Ms. Zona Hill Phillips

Dr. Benjamin F. Pike* and Mrs. Linda P. Pike Estate of Arthur R. Porter Dr. and Mrs. Bill Scott Portis Estate of Joseph O. Priestley Estate of Viola W. Quigley Estate of W. Gerald Rainer Estate of Ann S. Keith Rea Estate of R. G. Reaves, Jr. Estate of Della Faye Reichert Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Richardson, Jr. Dr. Donald C. Riley

Dr. James D. and Mrs. Patricia C. Rucker

Dr. and Mrs. Jack A. Rule

Dr. and Mrs. John W. Runyan, Jr. Dr. Robert L. Sain

Dr. Harvey S. Sanders

Estate of Dr. Sam H. Sanders, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Santi Dr. Marshall Sashkin and Mrs. Molly Goltman Sashkin* Estate of Dr. Phil C. Schreier Estate of Dr. Thomas E. Scott, Jr. Estate of P. K. Seidman

Estate of Dr. Joseph S. Shavin Dr. William A. and Mrs. Catherine Clark Shell Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Leroy Sherrill

Estate of Mary E. Skinner Dr. and Mrs. Bruce C. Smith Dr. Michael J. Smith Estate of Norma Mary Smith Estate of Ben M. Spears Estate of Everett Speer Dr. John R. Staley, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Bruce William Steinhauer Estate of Dr. William A. Stem Estate of Sharon Stewart Dr. Lloyd J. Story* and Mrs. Ranny L. Story Estate of Warda Stout Dr. and Mrs. Timothy A. Strait Dr. and Mrs. Gary D. Strasberg Estate of Dr. Henry T. Stratton

Dr. Hiram M. Sturm and Mrs. Ruth Sturm*

Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Audrey W. Talley James Tharp Trust Dr. Michael C. Thomas Dr. Carolyn Crump Thompson Estate of R. Bernard Thompson Dr. Audrey W. Tuberville Estate of Mary Wade Vinsant Estate of A. H. Voss Estate of Dr. Parks Walker Dr. and Mrs. Hershel P. Wall Dr. John M. Wallace Estate of Mary Ellen Watkins Dr. and Mrs. Clarence B. Watridge Estate of Dorothy C. West Dr. and Mrs. James E. West Estate of Stanley R. White Estate of Dr. Olin O. Williams Estate of Dr. Harwell Wilson Estate of May D. Wilson Estate of Earl W. Winstead Dr. and Mrs. Frank G. Witherspoon, Jr. Dr. Robert E. Younger, III Estate of Estelle Zimmerman Estate of Elsie May Zofer

*denotes someone who is deceased, but spouse is still living

estateplans@uthsc.edu

Thank You to Our Outstanding Board of Visitors!

Ron Belz

COO, Belz Enterprises

Tim Brahm CEO, Ontologix

J.R. Greene

CEO Psychiatric Medical Care

Estella H. Mayhue-Greer

President and CEO Emeritus, Mid-South Food Bank

Bryan Jordan

President and CEO Emeritus, First Horizon National Corp.

Kevin Kane President/CEO, Memphis Tourism

Robert Kaplan, MD Dermatologist, UTHSC CoM Class of 1973

Jeff Kerlan, MD

Cardiologist, Stern Cardiovascular Foundation, Alumni Council Representative, UTHSC CoM Class of 1998

Nathan Lubin

CEO, Lubin Enterprises Inc.

Mark S. Norris, Sr. United States District Judge, Adams & Reese, LLP

Jill Notowich Owner, DebraJill

Mearl Purvis. Former anchor, FOX13 News

Elkan Scheidt Principal, Shelby Ventures LLC

Jim Shaheen Founder and President, Strategic Behavioral Health

Jill Steinberg Attorney/Shareholder; Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz

Andy Taylor Co-Owner/Founder, Gerber/Taylor Management Company

Henry Turley Founder, Henry Turley Company

Scott Vogel CEO, Incyte Intelligence Security

Upcoming UTHSC College of Medicine Events

March 17, 2023

American Academy of Dermatology Reception New Orleans, LA

March 24-25, 2023

College of Medicine Spring Council Meeting Birmingham, AL - Renaissance Ross Bridge

April 14-16, 2023

African American Medicine Alumni Reunion Memphis - Peabody/UTHSC Campus

September 22-23, 2023

College of Medicine Alumni Weekend Memphis – Peabody Hotel/UTHSC Campus

For more information, please contact the Office of Alumni Affairs: 901.448.5516 or utalumni@uthsc.edu

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 4026

Office of Development and Alumni Affairs 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500 Memphis, TN 38163 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Make plans to come back to Memphis and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus for the College of Medicine African-American Alumni Reunion.

April 14-16, 2023

Honoring the legacy of Beverly Williams-Cleaves, MD, Class of ‘69

Registration details and hotel information are coming soon. Until then, please get in touch with classmates and let them know about this upcoming event!

If you have questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at 901.448.5516. We look forward to seeing you!