Every day, we strive to improve the health…

Every day, we strive to improve the health and well-being of children through our state-of-the-art clinical care, our commitment to discovery of better ways to treat disease, and our passion for educating the next generation of pediatric providers. We do most of this great work right here at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, like our neurosurgical program where we have physicians bringing together their expertise, technological advances and research to achieve improved outcomes for complex conditions of the brain. But some of our work, particularly work aimed at prevention and teaching about health, goes outside the footprint of our hospital and clinics.

We are learning that oftentimes, the antecedents of adult disease begin during childhood. We also know that we have shifting trends in some diseases, like type 2 diabetes, once considered only an adult onset disease but now seen increasingly in older children and adolescents. As we look for better ways to encourage prevention and teach about risks of disease, we turn to our community partners—a theme that we believe is important to all that we do every day.

For over five decades, the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease has partnered with community pediatricians to conduct studies about vaccines designed to reduce and in some cases virtually eliminate childhood diseases. Because of their work, we not only have better vaccines but a greater understanding of the role vaccines play in overall health of our population.

Since the opening of our hospital nearly 10 years ago, we have had a focus on promotion of healthy lifestyles for children. This began as advocacy for safety and health education but in recent years has expanded to studying the triggers of childhood obesity and developing partnerships with our community programs to promote not only safety and activity but also teaching about healthy eating— teaching about growing food and cooking that food in healthy ways. Our team wants children to GROW well, even as we learn more about how to help them do just that.

Every day we see miracles—and every day our teams go out into the world hoping to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Our work could not happen without our supporters. Over the past year, we have celebrated long relationships with the Junior League of Nashville, Friends of Children’s Hospital and now Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. As one of the founding hospitals in CMN, we are grateful for how their support lets us explore new and better ways of giving children and families hope for a healthier tomorrow.

 

Sincerely,

 

Luke Gregory, FACHE
Chief executive officer

Meg Rush, M.D.
Chief of staff and executive medical director

John W. Brock III, M.D.
Surgeon-in-chief, director of the Division of Pediatric Urology and Monroe Carell Jr. Chair

Steven Webber, MBChB, MRCP
Pediatrician-in-chief, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and James C. Overall Professor