Memphis wasn’t on Alicia Barnes’ bingo card, but she saw an alignment she couldn’t ignore. The physician arrived three years ago, answering a listserv post from a colleague she had first met as a medical student at a national community psychiatry conference. She wasn’t actively looking. Yet when Altha Stewart, MD, posted about a leadership… Read More
A new diagnostic tool developed at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences may soon make it significantly easier for physicians to detect cardiac amyloidosis, a progressive and frequently underdiagnosed disease caused by abnormal protein deposits in the heart. The tool is a novel imaging technology, a radioactive molecule that, when injected into a patient and… Read More
Markela Albright could not miss her family in the crowded lobby of Memphis’ Cannon Center for the Performing Arts Monday morning after the first of three UT Health Sciences commencement ceremonies. They were the large group waving fans emblazoned with her photo complete with a doctoral tam and tassel. Albright, now Dr. Albright, had just… Read More
“Never underestimate the power of showing up and serving others,” said Leatriece Franklin, MHA, MSN, RN, as she received the 2026 Dr. John W. Runyan, Jr., Community Nursing Award at the recent 10th annual NightinGala. The award recognizes a registered nurse practicing in Tennessee, Mississippi, or Arkansas, who has made significant contributions to the development… Read More
The University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Pharmacy’s residency match rate exceeded 90% in the 2026 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists match program. The college ranked No. 11 nationally in PGY1 (first-year residency) matches and No. 15 in PGY2 (second-year residency) matches. Additionally, the college remained No. 1 in Tennessee for the number of… Read More
They finish each other’s sentences, they have traveled the world together, and now they are completing a rigorous program in what some call healthcare’s best-kept secret: nurse anesthesia. Hunter and Spencer Turner, 27, are identical twins who grew up in Japan, Italy, and Brighton, Tennessee. Sons of a United States Department of Defense employee, the… Read More
Anna Hicks remembers the moment physical therapy started to feel real. “It’s really interesting to learn about somebody else, and that is PT, in a way,” she said. “You get to know these people, to really be a part of their lives, see their progress visit after visit, and see their confidence leaving the clinic.… Read More
Colleen Hastings, MD, has been appointed chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Medicine, effective May 1, 2026. Dr. Hastings has led the department as interim chair since January 1, 2025. She assumes the role permanently, after guiding the program with steady leadership and a… Read More
