Breaking the Stranglehold of Addiction

Featured photo (above): Dr. Daniel Sumrok speaks about the mission of the Center for Addiction Science during an event announcing that the center was named the first Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine in the country.

The College of Medicine’s new Center for Addiction Science has been named the first Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine in the country. The center was cited by the Addiction Medicine Foundation for being the first to bring together clinical care, research, education and community outreach to address addiction and deadly substance use, major health problems in Memphis and across Tennessee. “Addiction is an equal-opportunity illness,” Center Director Daniel Sumrok says. “It does not discriminate.”

Altha Stewart Takes on Historic Role

ALTHA STEWART
ALTHA STEWART

The UT Health Science Center’s Altha Stewart brought the national spotlight to Memphis when she was named president elect of the American Psychiatric Association. She is the first African-American to lead the organization sinceits founding in 1844.

She is an associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Health in Justice-Involved Youth in the College of Medicine. A native Memphian, she also is chief of social and community psychiatry at UTHSC. Stewart began serving as president-elect beginning in May and assumes the role of president in May 2018.

“We have to take a proactive role to ensure that our patients receive the quality psychiatric treatment they deserve,” she says.

Top Workplaces: Three Years Straight

For the third year in a row, UTHSC was ranked one of the top Workplaces in the Greater Memphis area in The Commercial Appeal, the daily newspaper in Memphis.
For the third year in a row, UTHSC was ranked one of the top Workplaces in the Greater Memphis area in The Commercial Appeal, the daily newspaper in Memphis.

For the third consecutive year, UTHSC was ranked one of the top Workplaces in the Greater Memphis area by The Commercial Appeal, the daily newspaper in Memphis.

The recognition is based on employee surveys conducted by Workplace Dynamics. UTHSC was among 60 local employers that received the 2016 Top Workplaces distinction.

“Our leadership team recognizes the contributions that each employee makes to attain our organizational goals,” says Chandra Alston, UTHSC associate vice chancellor of Human Resources. “We will continue to work hard to make UTHSC an employer of choice.”

Surgeons Separate Conjoined Twins

Miracle and Testimony Ayeni, conjoined twins from Nigeria, were separated from one another after an 18 hour operation that involved more than 20 surgeons and physicians, many of whom are UTHSC College of Medicine faculty, at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis. (Photo courtesy UTHSC)
Photo by Lisa Buser

A surgical procedure that lasted 18 hours and involved more than 20 surgeons and physicians, many of whom are UTHSC College of Medicine faculty, successfully separated conjoined twins, Miracle and Testimony Ayeni of Nigeria. “This teamwork was spectacular,” says surgical team leader Max Langham, vice chair of the UTHSC Department of Surgery. The twins were released from the hospital in January.