December 15, 2016

Appointments in 2016 strengthen VUMC’s core missions

Ronald David Alvarez, M.D., Ellen Gregg Shook Culverhouse Chair in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was named chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC).
Alvarez succeeded Howard Jones III, M.D., Betty and Lonnie S. Burnett Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt, who stepped down in June but is continuing his clinical practice and serving as a consultant on outreach projects.

John W. Brock III, M.D., Surgeon-in-Chief for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vice Chair of the Section of Surgical Sciences, Director of Pediatric Urology and Monroe Carell Jr. Professor, was named Senior Vice President of Pediatric Surgical Services.

André Churchwell, M.D., the Levi Watkins Jr. M.D. Chair, professor of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering and Radiology and Radiological Sciences, and senior associate dean for Diversity Affairs, was named to serve in the newly created role of Chief Diversity Officer for VUMC.
In this new role Churchwell continues to oversee the Office for Diversity Affairs (ODA), which will have a continued vital role in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM), while also engaging with other leaders across VUMC to create new opportunities that will increase diversity and inclusion throughout the organization.

Allison DeMarcus, a committed philanthropic supporter, community volunteer and passionate member of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Board, was named Children’s Hospital board chair. She is serving a two-year term.
DeMarcus has been a member of the Children’s Hospital board since 2012. She is also an active supporter of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Friends of Children’s Hospital through her role as co-executive director of the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant.

Rizwan Hamid, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, was named chief of the Division of Pediatric Genetics and Genomic Medicine, effective Jan. 1, 2017.
He succeeds John Phillips, M.D., David T. Karzon Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, who led the division for more than three decades.

Karen Hughart, MSN, R.N., was named senior director of Nursing Informatics, where she will lead the nursing enterprise in implementing new clinical systems in a partnership with clinical leaders throughout VUMC.

Scott McCarver, MHA, Associate Operating Officer for Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital and Clinics, has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital.

Erin Morrison, Senior Director of Community Development for VUMC Development since 2011, was named Executive Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) for VUMC Development. In this role Morrison leads the CFR team and works closely with team members Adele White and Dawn Blache and others in VUMC Development to focus on gift opportunities for the Medical Center through corporate and foundation relationships.

Jameson Norton, MBA, was named CEO of the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital (VPH).
Norton was CEO of North Tampa Behavioral Health, a facility in the Acadia Health system.

Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, B.F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology and professor of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology and Otolaryngology, was named Executive Vice President for Research at VUMC. She continues to serve as the Cancer Center’s director.
Pietenpol assumed a portion of the responsibilities held by Lawrence “Larry” Marnett, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for Research and senior associate dean for Biomedical Sciences, as he transitioned to the newly created position of dean of Basic Sciences in the School of Medicine for Vanderbilt University.

Michael Regier, J.D., was named to the newly created role of General Counsel and Secretary for VUMC. Regier came to VUMC from Atlantic Health System where he served as Vice President for Legal Affairs and Chief Legal Officer.

Anna Rodriguez, MSN, MHA, is leading the oncology nursing enterprise as Associate Nursing Officer at VICC, having replaced Carol Eck, who spent more than 30 years in nursing leadership at VUMC.

Carmen Solórzano, M.D., professor of Surgery and director of the Endocrine Surgery Center at VUMC, was named chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery in the Department of Surgery.
Solórzano joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2010 and specializes in endocrine surgery, including neoplasms and cancers of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands, the pancreas and digestive system, as well as neuroendocrine tumors.

J. David Sweatt, Ph.D., the Evelyn F. McKnight Endowed Chair of the Department of Neurobiology, director of the Civitan International Research Center, and director of the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, was named chair of Vanderbilt’s Department of Pharmacology.

Christopher Williams, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology, was named associate dean for VUSM’s Physician-Scientist Education and Training Program (PSTP) and director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).