Connecting Technology, Education and Discovery with Humanism in Medicine Vol. 14
CORNET: Collaborative Research Network
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is pleased to announce new CORNET (Collaborative Research Network) Award recipients whose innovative, cross-disciplinary projects exemplify the institution’s commitment to advancing health outcomes through collaborative research.
Dr. Rajiv Dhand, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at the UTHSC College of Medicine – Knoxville campus and UT Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM), is partnering with Dr. Qiang He, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UT Knoxville. Their research will examine the association between the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and the complex microbiome linked to environmental contamination of endotracheal tubes. This collaboration aims to deepen our understanding of critical care infections and inform new strategies to reduce VAP in hospitalized patients.
Another CORNET-funded project brings together investigators from UTHSC campuses in Memphis and Knoxville to study the intersection of oral and systemic health. Dr. Anastasios Karydis and Dr. Douglas Dixon, associate professors in the Department of Periodontology at the UTHSC College of Dentistry, are collaborating with Dr. Paul Terry, professor in the Department of Medicine at UTHSC College of Medicine – Knoxville, and Dr. Syed Hasan Raza, associate professor
Rajiv Dhand, MD, Chair
Points of View
They don’t listen! It is a common refrain one hears from patients and their families about physicians. They complain that their physicians are always in a rush and are busy with their laptops, often do not make eye contact while talking, and many don’t take the time to explain the nature of their problems and the reasoning behind their approach to investigation and treatment. This perception becomes more prevalent when patients are not getting better, and the clinician recommends changes without fully considering the patient’s concerns.
One wonders if this perception of physician interactions with patients is accurate. Indeed, some data show that, on average, physicians interrupt their patients between 12 and 15 seconds after
in the Division of Rheumatology at UTHSC College of Medicine –Memphis. Their study explores the impact of periodontal therapy on rheumatoid arthritis outcomes, aiming to enhance quality of life for patients with these coexisting chronic conditions.
In addition to these research advancements, faculty and clinical teams at the UT Graduate School of Medicine have achieved significant milestones in cardiovascular care. Dr. Raj Baljepally and the cardiac catheterization laboratory team at The University of Tennessee Medical Center successfully performed East Tennessee’s first coronary Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB) procedure using the AGENT™ DCB. This achievement marks a critical step forward in interventional cardiology. The team also performed the region’s first renal denervation procedures for the treatment of resistant hypertension—expanding access to innovative therapies for complex cardiovascular conditions.
These accomplishments reflect UTHSC’s and UTGSM’s shared mission to improve health through excellence in education, research, clinical care, and public service—locally and across the state of Tennessee.
they start speaking. A typical outpatient doctor visit involves taking a history, doing a physical examination, reviewing the results of investigations, discussing further investigation and treatment plans, refilling medications, and scheduling follow-up visits. That’s a lot to go over in a short time. This leads to time pressure on physicians to complete the outpatient visit within the allotted 15-minute slot for most visits.
How did visits get so truncated? No one knows when 15 minutes for a doctor’s visit became the norm. Still, many believe that Medicare’s 1992 adoption of “relative value units,” or RVUs, to calculate doctors’ fees is responsible for this change. Before that, physicians’ fees were based on so-called usual and customary fees. RVUs consider the physician’s effort and cost of running a practice and are not based on how much time they spend with their patients. To remain financially viable, physicians attempt to see as many patients as possible, leading to back-to-back 15-minute appointments throughout the day.
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Advances in Amyloid Research – Dr. Joe Jackson
The Amyloidosis and Cancer Theranostics (ACTP) Program at University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville has been a national leader in developing diagnostics and therapeutic agents for patients with amyloidosis. Dr. Joseph Jackson, PhD is an Assistant Professor in Immunology, virology, and oncology, and has been a major part of ACTP projects. Dr. Jackson received a PhD in Microbiology at the University of Tennessee in 2019. He then joined the NIHfunded ACTP program, where the focus remains on developing biologic agents for imaging and treatment of systemic amyloid. Dr. Jackson and colleagues recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in April 2025. Their phase one study demonstrated that a technetium-99m-labeled peptide could detect amyloid cardiomyopathy. Dr. Jackson has an integral role in an upcoming project that will investigate how collagen limits immune cells detection and destruction of amyloid. Dr. Jackson and other researchers at UTMC have shown a determination in enhancing detection and treatment of patients affected by amyloid.
Effect of COVID-19 & Respiratory Diseases – Dr. Paul Terry
Dr. Paul Terry, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Medicine whose research as an epidemiologist focuses on assessment of chronic disease incidence and risk due to environmental, lifestyle, medical, pharmacological, genetic, and societal factors. One area that took center stage was how the COVID-19 pandemic affected our patients but specifically those with underlying respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, and those diagnosed with long-covid after the pandemic diminished. The first research question looked at the relationship of COVID-19 and asthma (of varying severity) considering the CDC recommendations at the start of the pandemic. During the early days of the pandemic, the CDC’s guidelines recommended, “that people with asthma (in general) had higher risk of severe illness and mortality from COVID.” However, Dr. Terry’s research found that asthma patients have no significant increased risk of COVID-related morbidity or mortality. Subsequently, the CDC modified the information on their webpage. However, Dr. Terry’s follow-up research “clarified that there are indeed subpopulations with severe forms of asthma that may need to be cautious when dealing with COVID-19.” Since this research article was published, about 4 years ago, it has been cited over 125 times.
The second research question looked more at the diagnosis of “long-COVID” that has taken the world by storm and has quickly become one of the world’s leading debilitating chronic conditions. His analysis of long-COVID found supporting evidence that both asthma and COPD increase the risk of long-COVID, including COVID-related fatigue, suggesting a complexity of underlying mechanisms at work within individuals’ immune systems and inflammatory response. Regarding this hot-topic, Dr. Terry stated, “until our study was published, there was no comprehensive analysis of lower respiratory inflammatory conditions and long COVID. Our study suggests that this association is an important consideration in future efforts to prevent and treat long COVID.” Overall, when asked about the big-picture take away of these research topics, Dr. Terry commented that, “we (as research and healthcare communities) have the potential to prevent considerable morbidity and mortality by understanding the short- and long-term risks to humans from COVID-19. Through our recent work, we have made some progress delineating the associations, which is an important first step in research aimed at understanding the association mechanistically and preventing as much morbidity as possible. Future research should address the biological mechanisms underlying the epidemiology, which will be key to prevention.”
Publications by Department: December 2024 – March 2025
• Coombes T, Almeida S, Budoff M, Shaikh K. The RUCkus Around Plaque. Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. 01/01/2025; 19 (1) : 159-161. PMID 39794234
• Feuchtner GM, Lacaita PG, Bax JJ, Rodriguez F, Nakanishi R, Pontone G, Mushtaq S, Buechel RR, Gräni C, Patel AR, Singulane CC, Choi AD, Al-Mallah M, Andreini D, Karlsberg RP, Cho GW, Rochitte CE, Alasnag M, Hamdan A, Cademartiri F, Maffei E, Marques H, Gonçalves Pereira PM, Gupta H, Hadamitzky M, Khalique O, Kalra D, Mills JD, Nurmohamed NS, Knaapen P, Budoff M, Shaikh K, Martin E, German DM, Ferencik M, Oehler AC, Deaño R, Nagpal P, van Assen M, De Cecco CN, Foldyna B, Brendel JM, Cheng VY, Branch K, Bittencourt M, Bhatti S, Polsani Md V, Wesbey G, Cardoso R, Blankstein R, Delago A, Pursnani A, Alsaid A, Bloom S, Kamperidis V, Barbieri F, Aquino M, Danad I, van Rosendael A. AI-Quantitative CT Coronary Plaque Features Associate with a Higher Relative Risk in Women: CONFIRM2-Registry. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2025 Mar 31. doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.125.018235. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40162910
Pulmonary Critical Care Publications
• Dhand R, Treat S, Ferris J, Terry P, Walker T, Elder S, Church D, Dennis D, Faircloth B, Onar G, Heidel E, Biney I, Valdes M, Bhagat M, Fuerst N, Cusick S. Safety, Efficacy, and Feasibility of Nebulized Long-Acting Bronchodilators vs Short-Acting Bronchodilators in Hospitalized Patients With Acute Exacerbations of COPD. CHEST. 12/01/2024; 2 (4) : 1-10
• Terry P, Heidel RE, Wilson AQ, Dhand R. Risk of Long COVID in Patients with Pre-Existing Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. BMJ Open Respiratory Research. 01/30/2025; 12 (1) : 1-10. PMID 39884720
Resident Highlight – Dr. Isaac Daffron
This edition of the InTouch newsletter features Dr. Isaac Daffron, one of the rising interns in our IM program, about his story and what makes him an amazing asset to this program. He is an East TN native, originally from Alcoa, TN and most of his family lives nearby within Blount County. He attended high school at the Maryville Christian School and then moved to South Carolina, eventually graduating from Anderson University in Anderson, SC. While in undergrad, Dr. Daffron became a Cancer Scholar during his Junior year, participating in bench research in the study of the effects of red clover and blue false indigo plant on triple negative breast cancer cells. He then matriculated into the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, graduating in 2024.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion – Dr. Andrés Quiceno Cardiovascular
He is an avid Christian and has fulfilled many opportunities to serve the less fortunate in various ways both near and abroad. He, along with his previous church group, traveled as part of a missionary trip to many cities throughout Brazil (Campo Grande, Engenheiro Beltrão, Capanema, and Curitiba) to build chapels for local congregations within the area. During these mission trips, he also preached in three separate services in Brazil with the assistance of an interpreter. While in medical school, he took up a culinary class where he learned recipes for food more appropriate for patients with specific comorbidities. According to Dr. Daffron, he still uses many of these recipes today and points his patients toward his recipe resource at culinarymedicine.org. Although he has not had as much time to serve the community while in residency, he remains active as a member of the Broadway Baptist Church in Maryville, TN, attending services regularly and meeting with its other members in the young adult group. Currently, he remains uncertain about his decision on what he wants to do at the end of residency. His initial interest was in hematology/ oncology but now he is leaning towards pursuing a career in palliative care as he enjoys sitting and talking with patients and their families while helping them navigate through difficult situations. He also feels a gravitation towards primary care for the same reason as he loves making personal connections with his patients and making a difference in any way that he can.
Dr. Quiceno was born in Medellin, Colombia as the oldest of five children and grew up to become the first physician in his family when he attended medical school in his hometown. He moved to Miami, Florida for residency at the William J. Harrington Latin American Training Program with the University of Miami. He later moved to Dallas, Texas for a fellowship in rheumatology where he lived for 24 years before moving to Knoxville, TN. Growing up in the Latin community exposed him to a rich culture that prides itself on being welcoming, family-oriented, and empathetic while teaching him the value of a strong work ethic. While in Miami, he was exposed to a culturally diverse environment with people from all over the world. This afforded him the opportunity to care for patients of many different ethnic, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. He was also able to see a wide array of pathological conditions as the city encounters many international travelers. Similarly, Dallas is a cosmopolitan city with large Hispanic and African American populations. Unfortunately, this is one of the most uninsured cities in the United States causing many to go without care and present late in their respective disease courses. Since being in East Tennessee, he has found many similarities between Latin culture and that of East Tennessee with the importance of hospitality and hard work. All of these experiences have contributed to the physician that Dr. Quiceno is today. His exposure to different cultures, people, and places taught him the value of listening to his patients and treating them as individuals who each have their own complex set of experiences and needs. Without encountering these individuals, he would not have developed the empathy that is at the center of his practice today.
Faculty Awards
Several faculty and staff awards were presented at this year’s Annual Faculty Recognition Dinner held on Wednesday – December 12th, 2024 at The Gettysvue Country Club – Ballroom / Westland Room.
• The Beasley Pylon Award for extraordinary leadership and service to the Department of Medicine was presented to Dr. Carlos Rollhauser.
• The R.A. Obenour, MD, Distinguished Alumnus Award in Recognition of Outstanding Career Achievement in the Field of Medicine was presented to Dr. Julia van Zyl.
• Dr. Isaac Biney received the R.A. Obenour, Jr., Excellence in Teaching Award for steadfast dedication and excellence in teaching.
• Dr. Zach Marlette received the London Award, which is presented to a teacher who exhibits a dedication to excellence. The recipients of this award are chosen by our residents.
• Dr. Wahid Hanna received the Chairman’s Outstanding Service Award for his extraordinary dedication and service to the Department of Medicine.
The following individuals received an award in recognition for their many years of dedicated service.
New Faculty Members
Supriya Singh, MD
We are excited to announce that Dr. Supriya Singh has joined the Department of Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Singh earned her medical degree from Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research and completed her Residency in Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She then pursued a Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where she contributed significantly to the field through research presentations and publications in top medical journals. In addition to her research, Dr. Singh is passionate about medical education, regularly leading didactic lectures and mentoring residents. Her commitment to advancing both patient care and the professional development of future physicians is truly inspiring. We’re thrilled to have Dr. Singh as part of our team at UT Medical Center!
Anabel Rodriguez Loya, DO
We are eager to announce Anabel Rodriguez Loya has joined the Department of Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Rodriguez Loya attended medical school at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, West Virginia. She completed her residency and fellowship in Internal Medicine at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in Largo, Florida. Please help us welcome Dr. Rodriguez Loya to UT Medical Center!
50-Year Service Award:
• Ms. Sallie Macy – Research Med Technologist .............................. 1974-2024
35-Year Service Award:
• Thomas Young, MD – Assistant Professor
30-Year Service Award:
• Gary Klipple, MD – Associate Professor
25-Year Service Award:
• Kim Emmett, MD – Assistant Professor
20-Year Service Award:
• Annette Mendola, PhD – Associate Professor ............................... 1999-2025
10-Year Service Award:
• Cassandra Mosley – Manager of the Dept. of Medicine ................ 2014-2025
5-Year Service Award:
• Robin Underwood – Post-Retiree/Medical Admin Coordinator 2019-2024
• Jennifer Roark – Administrative Associate I .................................2019-2024
• Jeffory Jennings, MD – Assistant Professor 2019-2024
All of these award recipients have provided superb service to the Department of Medicine. We are delighted to recognize them for their many contributions.
Craig Bullington, MD
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Craig Bullington to the UT Medical Center family as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine. Dr. Bullington earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and completed his Residency in the Internal Medicine Primary Care Track at Indiana University School of Medicine. With a wealth of experience, Dr. Bullington is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care and mentoring the next generation of physicians. We’re thrilled to have him on our UT Medical Center team and look forward to the positive impact he will have on both patient care and our residents!
Elman Urbina Meneses, MD
We are happy to share that Dr. Elman Urbina Meneses, MD, has joined the Department of Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division. Dr. Meneses attended medical school at Universidad Americana in Managua, Nicaragua. He completed his residency in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. He also completed a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at The University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. Dr. Meneses is fluent in Spanish and enjoys spending time with his family and attending various sporting events in his free time. Please help us give a warm welcome to Dr. Meneses at UT Medical Center!
New Staff Announcements
Hello everyone, my name is Katelyn Rimmer, and I am pleased to introduce myself as the new Administrative Support Assistant. A little about myself: I was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, and later attended Tennessee Technological University where I obtained my bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my 9-year-old brother, Joseph, whether we’re tackling new adventures, exploring his favorite activities, or simply making the most of our time together. I have a love for travel, a deep appreciation for all things Disney, and a passion for mission work, particularly in Belize City, Belize. My family often jokes that I could carry on a conversation with a wall, so please feel free to reach out—I’m always eager to meet new people.
We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Schaper, LPN, as an administrative associate for the Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program. Over the last twenty years, she has devoted herself to providing exceptional nursing care and welcomes the new opportunity to continue contributing her efforts to healthcare. Jennifer recently earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Tennessee and is passionate about learning. She enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, swimming in the nearby lakes and rivers, or hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Cheers for Fellow Matches
We are delighted to welcome Mary Ellen Johnson, as the Medical Administrative Coordinator for the Department of Medicine. Mary Ellen previously worked at University Family Physicians as the billing coordinator for 11 years. She and her husband have been married 26 years and have 2 fur babies, Marvel and Pumpkin. She is a theme park enthusiast and enjoys riding wild and crazy coasters. She loves all things Disney and traveling. She also enjoys reading, hiking, UT sports, and TN Titans football.
Susan Benson is a dedicated healthcare professional with over 30 years of experience; including 23 years specializing in Neurology. Throughout my career, I have built a reputation for delivering compassionate care and making a meaningful impact on the lives of those I serve. Outside of my professional work, I enjoy outdoor activities and cherish quality time spent with my family. My mission in life is to make a positive difference in the lives of others, both personally and professionally. I am passionate about inspiring those around me to embrace their unique purpose and to pursue it with dedication and integrity. I am committed to continuous growth and strive to be a better version of myself each day, while encouraging others to do the same. I believe that by seeking and fulfilling our purpose wholeheartedly, we can make the world a better place.
Congratulations to each of our outstanding residents for continuing the journey of sub-specialty training and being matched with great fellowship programs. Not only here at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine but also around the country.
2025 Graduating Seniors:
• Steve Ferlita, DO – Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship (UTMCK)
• Christy Smith, DO – Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine Fellowship (UTMCK)
Are physicians purposefully not listening to their patients, I wonder? I think physicians are experts in their area of practice and have vital information to convey. They try to “telegraph” that information to their patients quickly for each visit. Unfortunately, patients’ knowledge and understanding of medical terminology may not be adequate to understand the true meaning of what is being conveyed. A lot of information is getting “lost in translation.”
Shorter doctor visits are taking a toll on the relationship between patients and their physicians. Awareness of time constraints makes patients hesitant to describe their problems in detail, sometimes leading to loss of critical information. The dialogue between the patient and their doctor must be restored to ensure patients are comfortable describing their problems in more detail. So that physicians can base their assessment and plan on more accurate information. This change will lead to a much “healthier” interaction between patients and their doctors, a necessary ingredient for good patient care.
CME OPPORTUNITIES
Currently hybrid attendance: half joining via Zoom or Microsoft Teams
• 11th Annual Primary Care CME Conference, approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ hours this year. The conference was held inperson at the Bridgewater Place in Knoxville, TN on March 2nd, 2024.
View course information, agenda, and fees at: Primary Care CME Details
• Cardiology Conferences, held weekly on Wednesdays in the Medicine Conference Room for .75 hour CME credit.
• Medicine Grand Rounds, held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month in the Medicine Conference Room for 1.00 hour CME credit.
• Ethics Case Rounds, held on the 4th Thursday of the month at noon in Wood Auditorium and are available for 1.00 hour CME credit.
• Pulm/HTN Conferences, held on the 2nd Monday of the month at noon in different locations and are available for 1.00 hour CME credit.
Ethics Case Rounds – Controversy in Transplant Ethics
Ethics Case Rounds are monthly, hospital-wide discussions of morally distressing cases. Cases are de-identified to protect patient confidentiality.
The need for high-quality organs for transplantation is substantial. There are currently over 103,000 people on the national transplant waiting list – enough to fill Neyland Stadium. In addition to the duty to procure organs for patients who need them, there are guidelines to respect the interests and wishes of potential donors, duties to support families, and duties to provide clear information and transparent processes.
One fundamental principle regarding organ donation is the Dead Donor Rule, which states that an organ donor must be declared dead before organs are removed; the organ donation process cannot be the cause of a patient’s death. Death may be declared by neurological criteria (“brain death”) or by cardiopulmonary criteria. Since relatively few patients are declared dead via neurologic criteria, donation after cardiac death, or DCD, has greatly increased the number of organs available for transplant. DCD occurs after a patient suffers a devastating illness or injury requiring mechanical ventilation. If the authorized decision maker decides to transition to comfort measures, they may be approached about donation by Organ Procurement Organization staff. If the decision is made to donate, testing is done, and arrangements are made. The patient is brought to the OR, life-sustaining measures are stopped, and comfort measures are initiated. If cardiopulmonary arrest occurs within a specified time (usually 60 – 120 minutes), a 5-minute “hands-off” period is observed to ensure autoresuscitation won’t happen. At that point, death is declared, and organ retrieval can proceed.
A drawback to the traditional DCD process is that warm ischemia degrades the quality of organs, particularly the thoracic organs. The development of Normothermic Regional Perfusion, or NRP, addresses this problem. With thoraco-abdominal (TA-NRP), after the declaration of death, the donor is cannulated to a perfusion machine to reperfuse and restore organs, including the heart, which may resume beating. To avoid re-perfusion of the brain, the carotid arteries are occluded or ligated.
NRP vastly increases the number and quality of organs for transplant. However, it raises serious ethical concerns, chief among them that TA-NRP may violate the Dead Donor Rule. One position is that the circulatory determination of death is invalidated when circulation is restarted (meaning the person is still technically alive when procurement occurs). A related argument is that ligation of the carotid artery may induce brain death (meaning death was caused by the procurement process). However, others argue that NRP does not violate the Dead Donor Rule, as once death is declared and the hands-off period is over, spontaneous return of cardiopulmonary function cannot/will not happen because of the decision to transition to comfort measures (irrespective of any donation decision). Thus, the declaration of death is valid, and moving forward with NRP respects the patient’s and family’s wish to donate.
There are also concerns that donors and families are not aware that NRP (or even DCD) is a possibility when they agree to donation – including when they sign donor cards – so the decision to donate in this manner is not adequately informed. Therefore, there is controversy about how much information grieving families are able to understand, and what is necessary to disclose. Of note, abdominal (A-NRP) is vulnerable only to this objection, since only the abdominal organs are re-perfused and there is no risk of restarting the heart.
While all agree that there is a need to increase availability of high-quality organs for transplant, that public trust is paramount, and that transparency is a moral requirement, controversy about NRP remains.
References
• DeCamp M, Snyder Sulmasy L, Fins JJ. POINT: Does Normothermic Regional Perfusion Violate the Ethical Principles Underlying Organ Procurement? Yes. Chest. 2022 Aug;162(2):288-290. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2022.03.012. PMID: 35940651.
• James L, Parent B, Moazami N, Smith DE. COUNTERPOINT: Does Normothermic Regional Perfusion Violate the Ethical Principles Underlying Organ Procurement? No. Chest. 2022 Aug;162(2):290-292. doi: 10.1016/j. chest.2022.03.011. PMID: 35940652.
Presentations, Publications, Awards
Department of Medicine faculty, residents, and fellows share their knowledge and experience by publishing and presenting across the world. For a list of our most recent accomplishments, visit http://gsm.utmck.edu/internalmed/scholars.cfm.
Thank You For Your Support
For information about philanthropic giving to the UT Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, please contact the Development Office at 865-305-6611 or development@utmck.edu.
If you would like more information about any of the topics in this issue of In Touch, please contact the Department of Medicine at 865-305-9340 or visit http://gsm.utmck.edu/internalmed/main.cfm. We look forward to your input. Thank you.
Stay In Touch!
Alumni, please update your contact information by completing the simple form at http://gsm.utmck.edu/internalmed/alumni.cfm or by calling the Department of Medicine at 865-305-9340. Thank you!
Vol. 14 Issue 1: January 2025
Publisher
Rajiv Dhand, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine and Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs
Editor
Annette Mendola, PhD
Administrative Director
Jenny Roark
Contributors
Jenny Roark
Rajiv Dhand, MD
Annette Mendola, PhD
Cassandra Mosley
Erin Hamric, DO
Logan Shaver, DO
Ty Gaylor, DO
Mary Ellen Johnson
Design
J Squared Graphics In Touch is produced by the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Medicine. The mission of the newsletter is to build pride in the Department of Medicine by communicating the accessible, collaborative and human aspects of the department while highlighting pertinent achievements and activities. Contact Us In Touch University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine Department of Medicine 1924 Alcoa Highway, U-114 Knoxville, TN 37920
Telephone: 865-305-9340
E-mail: InTouchNewsletter@utmck.edu
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Disclaimer: quotes/ interviews are edited for length and clarity
