Vanderbilt Health

31/07/2025

Monica went into labor with her triplets at home at 26 weeks. Matthew was inches from being born before the ambulance arrived. By that night, she had delivered three boys—each dangerously premature, each fighting to survive.

They were so small, two had eyes still fused shut. One needed bowel surgery within hours. Each baby had their own ambulance team. Monica was transferred, too.

When she got to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, she didn’t just meet nurses—she met the people who would guide her through 100 days in the NICU.

“We weren’t expecting any of this,” she said. “But they held my hand, they kept the boys together, and they were our lifeline.”

Her oldest son, Carter, had to wait weeks before he could even hold his brothers. Today, he reads to them. Feeds them. Protects them.

The triplets are 18 months old now—growing, hitting milestones and filling their tiny house with noise, toys and joy.

“They still text me to check in,” Monica said about the NICU team. “That’s the part no one tells you—how much they love your babies like you do.”

Click the link in the comments below to learn more about the triplets’ birth and the family’s NICU journey.

31/07/2025

Don't miss the show on 8/15! We can't wait to tune-in with you all. 💙

The Telecast is just a few weeks away, and you won't want to miss it! Straight from Nashville, it will be a night of music, inspiration, and hope. Tune in August 15th and give now to help us start the night off strong. Fund life-saving cancer research at StandUpToCancer.org/ShowFB. ❤️

30/07/2025

“Even the smallest moments can mean the most,” says Ariana, Care Partner 2 on the Trauma Stepdown Unit at Vanderbilt University Hospital.

She helps patients with daily care as they recover from injuries, including those with traumatic brain injuries who require frequent redirection and encouragement. She also supports nurses on the unit with a strong spirit of teamwork.

“This work can be physically and emotionally tough, but seeing recovery happen—even just a little—is what keeps me going,” she says.

Ariana loves reading and spending time with family, and finds joy in bringing comfort to patients during their most vulnerable moments.

29/07/2025

How it started:

Graduate medical education got its start at Vanderbilt University Medical Center with a baker’s dozen of new clinicians in its first class of trainees in 1925.

How it’s going:
What a difference a century makes! We welcomed our 100th class this summer, who joined 1,200 residents and fellows working and learning in more than 175 training programs.

We look forward to meeting applicants for our 101st class soon. More information about GME at VUMC and how to apply in the first comment.

28/07/2025

When Garrett Cushman started having migraines and vision loss, he didn’t expect the cause to be a malignant brain tumor the size of a baseball. At just 33, the Army National Guard member and father of three faced a diagnosis that would change everything.

He turned to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where a team led by neurosurgeon Dr. Reid Thompson and neuro-oncologist Dr. Alex Mohler guided him through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Throughout treatment, Garrett stayed active, using physical fitness to support his recovery and his ability to keep showing up for his family.

Today, he is cancer-free and recently received a promotion in the Guard. His strength — and the care he received — remind us of what’s possible when determination meets the right support.

This is what healing with Vanderbilt Health can look like.

28/07/2025

Protecting your eyes from the sun is about more than just avoiding squinting in the glare — it helps prevent vision problems such as cataracts. Here, an eye doctor offers tips for choosing the right shades. The big takeaway: Be sure you use sunglasses with UV protection; tint alone isn’t necessarily enough. See the link in the comments for other details.

24/07/2025

There are other disorders that are similar to multiple sclerosis, so diagnosing the right one is tricky. These conditions all involve inflammation in the central nervous system. It’s important to see a specialist who can make the right diagnosis for you. Three similar conditions: transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica and encephalitis. Click the link in the comments to understand the differences between these.

23/07/2025

When Johnny Cash said, “Ossoff is the man I trust with my voice more than anyone in the world,” he meant it.

In the early days of the Vanderbilt Voice Center, Dr. Robert Ossoff helped Cash preserve his sound with a new idea: adding a humidifier to his microphone to soothe his voice during long shows.

That same commitment shaped care for teachers, ministers, broadcasters and others whose voices are their livelihood. Today, the Vanderbilt Voice Center continues to support Music City and all who depend on their voices.

Read more about our program in the comments below.

22/07/2025

Lindsay’s son’s life was in danger. Vanderbilt Health was ready.

As a radiologic technologist, Lindsay had seen the skill and speed of Vanderbilt’s trauma teams before. But this time, she experienced them as a mother. When her son had a traumatic injury that sent him to the hospital, she wasn’t standing behind the X-ray machine. She was standing at his bedside.

“Experiencing the care from the other side changes you,” she says. “It made me realize — this is where I want to be, probably for the rest of my career.”

Lindsay says the same team that saved her child also surrounded her with compassion during those terrifying days.

“The mutual respect here is real. Everyone works to do what’s right, for patients and for each other. That’s why I stay.”

We’re grateful to Lindsay for sharing her story and trusting us to tell it.

18/07/2025

Last year, Dr. Eiman Jahangir — cardiologist, professor and longtime member of the Vanderbilt Health community — launched into space with Blue Origin, fulfilling a goal he set more than 20 years ago. Click through the photos for never-before-seen images, plus a few we’ve shared previously, from his journey!

As part of the New Shepard crew, he brought two Vanderbilt pendant flags and received approval to wear a biometric device that collected data, including heart rate variability and respiratory rate.

After his flight, he joined Blue Origin’s team, supporting astronaut training, research and mission operations. He also began speaking to students around the country, including a crowd of 6,000 in Edinburg, Texas.

“Going up I was quite excited. My heart was racing, my hands were trembling. I knew I had finally made it and would soon see space and the Earth from a completely new perspective. I couldn't believe it was actually happening.”

“Looking at the Earth, and even the darkness of space, was incredible. I was blown away by the brightness and beauty of our Earth but also the vastness and blackness of space. There is nothing like it and to see that and experience it with my own eyes and body was amazing.”

In August, Jahangir returns full time to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, bringing with him a renewed perspective — and a remarkable story.

Welcome back, Dr. Jahangir. You’ve inspired us all to look up.

17/07/2025

In 1985, Vanderbilt performed its first adult heart transplant.

Forty years later, the Vanderbilt Transplant Center completed a world-record 174 heart transplants, including 10 pediatric cases.

The rise didn't happen overnight. It took decades of innovation, dedication and relentless effort to get where we are today!

Read more here about our journey to become the world's busiest transplant center: https://www.tennessean.com/story/sponsor-story/vanderbilt-university-medical-center/2025/07/14/vumcs-40-year-rise-to-the-worlds-busiest-heart-transplant-center/84534964007/

17/07/2025

When diet and exercise aren’t working — or are part of a cycle of losing weight, then gaining it back — it may be time to consider surgical weight-loss options. Click the link in the comments for a guide to bariatric surgery: the different procedures, who is eligible, and what to expect.