Leaders of the College of Medicine and Shelby County government celebrated the opening of ShelbyCares, a community health and wellness facility aimed at enhancing access to free health coaching, preventive health screenings and nutritional support classes for underserved populations in the community.
Jim Bailey, executive director of the UTHSC Tennessee Population Health Consortium, professor of preventive medicine and ShelbyCares project lead, says the facility aims to revolutionize access to vital primary and preventive care within the community.
G. Nicholas Verne, interim executive dean of the College of Medicine, highlighted the importance of the services provided by ShelbyCares.
“When we consider the diseases that often go unrecognized in the United States, particularly in Shelby County, such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension, we are dealing with silent killers,” he says. “Prevention is key, and we firmly believe that it is better to prevent these diseases rather than trying to cure them.”
UT System and UT Health Science Center name Inaugural Chief Wellness Officer
Jessi Gold, a nationally recognized expert on student mental health and wellness, was named the inaugural chief wellness officer for the UT System and as an associate professor of psychiatry at the UT Health Science Center. This new leadership role builds on existing strengths and support at each campus across the UT System to promote mental health and well-being among students, faculty and employees.
Gold’s writing on mental health has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Atlantic, InStyle and Self, and she has been interviewed across media outlets from NPR to Time. Gold has more than 50,000 followers across several social-media platforms.
“I really want to make our system and this state a place that people say, ‘That’s a great university for mental health, and that’s a place you should go because they really care about you,’” Gold says.
UTHSC alumnus, senior faculty physician named Le Bonheur President
After a nationwide search, Trey Eubanks, UTHSC Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, was appointed president of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
Eubanks had served as Le Bonheur’s interim president since March 2023.
“I am honored and humbled to be chosen as Le Bonheur’s president,” Eubanks says. “I believe in our mission, and I am honored to stand beside our stellar faculty and staff as we continue to provide excellent care for kids to help them live healthy lives.”
