Vanderbilt Heart Transplant Cookeville

10/09/2025

In honor of tonight’s regular season home opener for our partners, the Nashville Predators, here is a look back at some of our favorite memories. Let’s Go Preds!

10/09/2025

"You're with people on one of the hardest days of their life, and you're there to help."
Emma Grzymkowski is a physician assistant on the trauma team, where she helps care for patients with critical injuries, many arriving by Vanderbilt LifeFlight.

She works closely with surgeons, nurses and specialists to coordinate lifesaving treatment and guide patients and families through recovery.

Her journey into health care began as a nursing assistant alongside her sister. Working closely with patients early on showed her the kind of impact she wanted to have in health care.

“It’s the people I work with, and the moments with patients, that remind me why I chose this path,” she said.

Want to work alongside teams like Emma’s? Explore open roles at Vanderbilt Health at link in the comments below.

10/08/2025

Please join us in welcoming Smashville’s newest fans! 🥳 Born just in time for the Nashville Predators' home opener tomorrow, these babies are looking great in navy and gold.

Congrats to the new families! 💙

10/07/2025

Congratulations to our colleagues at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt for being ranked #1 in Tennessee and the entire Southeast by U.S. News and World Report! 👏

We are honored to announce U.S. News and World Report has ranked Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt #1 in Tennessee and the entire Southeast. 🎉

Thank you to every single one of our Monroe Carell colleagues, for your passion and dedication to making health care personal. We couldn't have done it without you!

Click the link in our comments to read more.

10/06/2025

If a pregnant woman has syphilis, the infection can be passed to her baby. Syphilis can cause a range of symptoms for the adult, and have a devastating effect on the fetus. Recently there has been an increase in the number of babies born with syphilis.

The good news: A mother’s syphilis can be treated during pregnancy, and new guidelines call for additional screening throughout a pregnancy.

See the link in our comments for details from a maternal-fetal medicine doctor, who specializes in care for high-risk pregnancies.

10/03/2025

Ovarian cancer is sometimes described as “silent” because its early stages don’t create obvious symptoms. We now know that it’s not really that “silent.” Many women complain of physical signs that could mean ovarian cancer, or could be due to other reasons. See the link in the comments for symptoms to be aware of, and if you’re feeling these, see your gynecologist.

10/02/2025

At the Vanderbilt Transplant Center, we celebrate recent milestones, decades of innovation and the incredibly sophisticated care that’s involved in organ transplantation.

In our fiscal year 2025, our teams performed 918 solid organ transplants, including both adult and pediatric patients. They performed 184 heart transplants in 2025, more than any other center in the world.

It took many years of training, research, education and experience to grow our heart transplant program to this point. The high number of heart transplant surgeries our specialists carry out means they have an enormous amount of experience, and can offer these transplants to some patients who were turned down by other centers.

We are proud of our heart transplant team, and deeply grateful to the organ donors and their families for allowing these lifesaving gifts.

Click through this timeline for a look at the milestones our heart transplant teams have reached over the years.

10/01/2025

Level 7 of the Jim Ayers Tower is now open and serving its first patients as the initial floor of 30 private inpatient rooms opens in this new expansion adjoining Vanderbilt University Hospital.

The 28,000-square-foot pulmonary stepdown unit is the first of six inpatient floors in the new building, which rises above 21st Avenue on Vanderbilt Health’s Nashville campus.

“Every single detail of the Jim Ayers Tower design has been strategically planned and completed with our patients and families first in mind. The technology and design innovations included in this structure will support our medical teams well as they continue to deliver the very best care to our community," said Dr. Jane Freedman, Deputy CEO and Chief Health System Officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The expansion is named in recognition of Janet and Jim Ayers’ philanthropic legacy and abiding interest in improving the health care and quality of life for Tennesseans.

We look forward to serving our patients in this remarkable facility in the months to come!

Read more at the link in the comments.

09/30/2025

Su***de is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10-14, and the third leading cause for people ages 15-24. The team at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt wants parents to be aware of signs that a teen may be considering self-harm or su***de.

They may: say things about not wanting to be alive, or indicating self-harm; have changed sleeping and eating habits; withdraw from activities they used to like; have trouble with daily functions; give away belongings; act out or run away.

See the link in the comments for more details about this heartbreaking trend.

09/25/2025

Some gynecologic cancers happen due to a genetic mutation. See the link in the comments for what to know about family history and these types of cancer.

Dr. Courtney Penn, a gynecologic oncologist, shares insight on how family history can influence the risk of hereditary gynecologic cancers. While most gynecologic cancers aren’t inherited, some are linked to genetic mutations passed down through families. Knowing your family’s medical history can help guide decisions around screening and prevention.

See the link in the comments to read more.

09/25/2025

Click through and see an example of why we’re so proud of the people who make our hospital extraordinary.

09/25/2025