Wayne Wood

Robert Vantrease at work (photo by Anne Rayner) Robert “Bobby” Vantrease, an award-winning artist who retired in 2013 after 64 years at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) died July 7. He was 89. Mr. Vantrease, who retired as the longest-serving employee at the Medical Center, served as director of… Read More

iStock Recreational water illness is the overall term for sickness caused by bacteria or viruses in pools, lakes, rivers and other places people like to swim or play in hot weather. And the way these illnesses are often spread comes down to fecal contamination in the water. Even… Read More

The United States Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., MBA, will moderate a discussion, “Clinical Prescribing Behavior for Opioids,” at noon on Wednesday, June 22, at the Cal Turner Family Center for Student Education, 1011 21st Ave. N. This Grand Rounds is sponsored by Meharry Medical College… Read More

John Sawyers, M.D., whose decades-long career as a surgeon culminated in the chairmanship of the Vanderbilt Section of Surgical Sciences from 1983 to 1995, died Friday, March 18. He was 90. Dr. Sawyers was known for his surgical skill and his steady manner both in the operating… Read More

Allergies have a seasonal rhythm to their comings and goings, and we are in the midst of one of the biggest allergy seasons of the year: tree pollen season. Read More

For many years, patients who came to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) for care would receive a survey asking, among other things, about how they rated the experience — including the professionalism and friendliness of the physician or other health care provider. Read More

This weekend many eyes will be glued to the television so as not to miss a single play—or a single commercial—of the Super Bowl broadcast. But a child safety expert at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt says… Read More

 We’re now more than a month into the new year, and those optimistic resolutions that greeted 2016 have—heavy sigh—not exactly worked out as you hoped. A Vanderbilt expert on lifestyle changes says that those who… Read More

A comfort, not a hazard. When you are home sick, snuggling up with your dog or cat may feel like just what the doctor ordered. And a Vanderbilt infectious disease doctor, while stopping short of actually prescribing in-home “pet therapy” for colds or… Read More

Champagne (Jenny Mandeville/Vanderbilt) New Year’s Eve is expected to bring tens of thousands of revelers to downtown Nashville for the Bash on Broadway, and there will be thousands more at private parties and celebrations all over the region. Corey Slovis, M.D., chair of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt,… Read More

The leading cause of injury death in Tennessee is not motor vehicle crashes, gunshot wounds or drowning—it is poisoning. And the main source of that poisoning is not the furniture polish or drain cleaner stored under the kitchen sink (dangerous… Read More

A traveling exhibit, “Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War,” will debut next week in the History of Medicine Room at the Annette and Irwin Eskind Biomedical Library (EBL) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The exhibit,… Read More

(iStockphoto) Vanderbilt psychiatrist Judith Akin, M.D., who frequently counsels people who are having a hard time through the holidays, has a quick guideline: set a course “between Hallmark and heartache” and aim to have a “pretty good little Christmas.” In other words, she says,… Read More

Along with the hustle and bustle of the season come the displays of the seasonal foliage. How toxic are our holiday plants?  Donna Seger, M.D., Medical Director of the Tennessee Poison Center, housed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, offers this summary of some… Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center dietitian and certified personal trainer Jessica Bennett is asked frequently this time of year: How can I enjoy holiday parties and meals with family and not gain weight? Read More

Most of the people who work in critical care medicine have cared for patients who have had near-death experiences, but many patients are reluctant to discuss such experiences with caregivers, said Debbie James, MSN, R.N., a critical care nurse and senior nursing instructor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Read More

Charlene Dewey, M.D., assistant dean for Educator Development and associate professor of Medical Education and Administration, has been selected as an honoree by the YWCA and its Academy for Women of Achievement (AWA). Read More

Three areas of Vanderbilt University Medical Center won Top Performer Awards in the 2015 Excellence in Healthcare Award, sponsored by Professional Research Consultants Inc. (PRC), Vanderbilt’s patient satisfaction surveyor until recently. Read More

Most spiders are non-venomous and most spider bites are harmless. They may cause some local redness and pain, but can usually be managed at home by washing, applying ice and keeping the area clean. But poisonous spiders thrive in many temperate areas of the United States, and… Read More

Soldiers who served in the glaring desert sunlight of Iraq and Afghanistan returned home with an increased risk of skin cancer, due not only to the desert climate, but also a lack of sun protection, Vanderbilt dermatologist Jennifer Powers, M.D., reports in a study published recently in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Read More