To encourage young minority students to aspire to careers in health care, UTHSC has established a unique partnership with Nexus STEM Academy, a public charter school in southeast Memphis. In mid-October, 98 sixth-graders who attend Nexus took part in the first Nexus White Coat and Tassel Ceremony on campus. Each student received a white coat and a UTHSC tassel. They pledged to give back to the community, to be accepting of others and to nurture their love of STEM.
New Clinic in Chattanooga
Continuing its mission to expand its clinical reach across the state, the College of Dentistry at UTHSC has established a dental clinic in Chattanooga to serve the working poor. The clinic, which opened Sept. 12, is located in the Dodson Avenue Neighborhood Health Center. It is the third in a series of clinics opened recently in Tennessee by the college to address the needs of the underserved.
In 2015, the college opened the doors of two clinics at either end of the state – Union City in West Tennessee and Bristol at the northeast corner of the state. A similar clinic has been operated in Jackson, Tennessee, for about four years. Another is planned for Nashville in summer 2017 in conjunction with Saint Thomas Health, and one is scheduled to open in Knoxville in 2018.
GoBabyGo!
On a Saturday morning in September, a dozen children with disabilities that affect movement got the gift of mobility, thanks to first-year physical therapy students at UTHSC. The students, along with physical therapy faculty, put on the first GoBabyGo! Memphis project, giving the children—ages 13 months to 4 years old—new ride-in toy cars modified to fit their special needs. Push-button or head-operated controls were added for those unable to operate switches, supports were designed for those who can’t sit up, and harnesses were added for safety. The national GoBabyGo! program was launched in 2006 at the University of Delaware to help children with mobility issues move, play, socialize and have fun alongside their peers.
Community Conversations
More than 250 people came to UTHSC on Oct. 1 to begin Domestic Violence Awareness Month with an event aimed at resolving conflicts, ending domestic violence and building healthy relationships. UTHSC, in partnership with the Memphis Crisis Center, Family Safety Center and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, hosted “Bridging Troubled Waters: A Community Conversation.” Speaker Dee Griffin, a former Memphis news anchor and domestic violence survivor, told her story and offered advice and hope for those in unhealthy relationships.
