Timeline

Timeline - 2001 - Present

2001

  • UTMG launches use of hand-held computers in physician office setting.
  • Germantown office welcomes first patient.
  • Pediatrics launches telemedicine consultations with Methodist and Le Bonheur in West Tennessee.
  • UTMG opens Center for Inherited Cancer.
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) identified the transplant center at UT Bowld Hospital as one of the six Islet Cell Resource centers in the United States as a referral center for human islet cell isolation and clinical transplantation.
  • OB/GYN consolidates 1211 Union with 880 Madison clinic.
  • Medicine acquires DEXA bone scan equipment.

2002

  • Process Improvement Team formed
  • Methodist and UT sign affiliation agreement.
  • Methodist Healthcare begins management of UT Bowld Hospital and its transplant program.
  • Revenue Services consolidates customer service & collections functions.
  • Pediatric cardiologist Dr. Thomas Chin offers transesophageal echocardiography.
  • UTMG launches the TouchWorksTM electronic data system.

2003

  • Area's first laparoscopic gastric bypass for obesity performed by Dr. Atul Madan.
  • OB/GYN offers areas first 4-D ultrasound capability.
  • Area's first HiRes 90K cochlear implant surgery performed by otolaryngologist Dr. Bruce MacDonald.
  • First implantation of RetroX Hearing System device performed by Dr. Bruce MacDonald.
  • Urology moves Medical Center services to Germantown.
  • UTMG launches Preceptor Training Program.
  • Pathology acquires new automatic staining system for tissue analysis.
  • Information Systems implements Check-In and Transaction Editing System (TES) Front Desk modules in selected clinics.
  • UTMG begins implementation of the electronic prescription writing module, Rx Plus, part of the TouchWorks electronic data system.
  • Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center and UT Medical Group lay the groundwork for a pediatric cardiac institute with the appointment of cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Christian Gilbert.
2004
  • State of Tennessee recognizes UT Medical Group 30th anniversary.
  • UTMG and UT develop a stronger relationship with Methodist Healthcare.  UTMG begins relocation of many private practice medical center offices to 1325 Eastmoreland. 
  • UT Department of Ophthalmology is named one of the top 10 clinical programs in the country for clinical care by Ophthalmology Times magazine surveys for the second consecutive year.
  • Psychiatrist Dr. Neil Edwards leads study on genetic causes of schizophrenia.
  • The Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute opens after UT and UTMG move the organ transplant program from UT Bowld Hospital to Methodist University Hospital and the first transplant there is performed.
  • UT Medical Group expands neonatology services with the opening of a new 15-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center.
  • Dr. Russell Chesney is honored as 2004 Pediatrician of the Year by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Tennessee Pediatric Society
2005
  • Minimally invasive surgeons Dr. Atul Madan and Dr. David Tichansky perform the world’s first laparoscopic gastric bypass on a liver transplant recipient.
  • The Department of OB/GYN introduces UltraScreen® first trimester prenatal screening to detect chromosomal disorders.
  • Neurotologist Dr. Bruce MacDonald implants cochlear hearing devices in the ears of 18-month-old twin boys in what is believed to be the Mid-South’s first such surgeries on identical twins of such a young age and one of only a handful in the U.S.
  • Pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons perform the Ross procedure to replace diseased aortic valves by harvesting the patient’s own pulmonary valve for the graft.
  • UTMG pediatric neurologist Dr. James Wheless spearheads the creation of the new Pediatric Neurosciences Institute at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center. 
  • Dr. Veronica Mallett becomes the first African-American to serve as a clinical chair at the UTHSC College of Medicine.  She is named Chair of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. 
  • UTMG expands pediatric cardiology care with new offices in Jonesboro, Arkansas and Tupelo, Mississippi.
  • The Methodist Breast Center opens at UT Medical Group’s Germantown facility.
  • The Hamilton Eye Institute opens, with state-of-the-art research, educational, and clinical facilities.  It is the only university eye center providing an advanced level of vision care within a 200-mile radius of Memphis.  
  • Ophthalmologist Dr. Edward Chaum receives a $1.62 million National Eye Institute grant to develop computer-based methods for diagnosing blinding eye diseases.
  • UT Medical Group physicians and support staff volunteer to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, both on the Gulf Coast and in Mid-South evacuation centers.

2006

  • UTMG doctors continue to be recognized by their peers. More than 80 UT Medical Group physicians are named to the 2006 Best Doctors® list.  A national survey conducted by the independent research firm, Castle Connolly Medical Limited, names 18 UTMG physicians as “Top Doctors” for the year 2006.
  • Urology Chair Dr. Robert Wake introduces the AdVance Male SlingTM, a minimally invasive treatment for mild to moderate urinary incontinence.
  • The obesity surgery program at UT Medical Group and the Regional Medical Center (The MED) is named an ASBS Bariatric Center of Excellence by the Surgical Review Corporation.
  • Urologist Dr. Ithaar Derweesh and radiologist Dr. Robert Gold perform what is believed to be the first CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation for treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney at The Regional Medical Center (The MED). 
  • The Memphis Business Journal recognizes four UTMG physicians and one nurse as finalists for the Health Care Heroes Award.  The award for “Innovation” is presented to Dr. James Dale, Internal Medicine.  The award for “Physician Provider” is presented to rheumatologist Dr. Stanley Kaplan.
  • Urologist Dr. Ithaar Derweesh is named one of the area’s “Top 40 Under 40” leaders by The Memphis Business Journal.
  • Transplant surgeons perform a record 207 organ transplants, surpassing the previous high of 176 transplants performed in 1998.
  • Urologist Dr. Ithaar Derweesh introduces sutureless, clampless surgical techniques to treat complex cases of kidney cancer while preserving kidney function and minimizing complications.
  • Surgeon Dr. Stephen Behrman is selected to help direct the newly-established UT Health Science Center Herb Kosten Pancreatic Cancer Support Endowment.  The funds support the creation of a support group for patients with pancreatic cancer and an annual research symposium.
  • UT Medical Group establishes geriatric psychiatry program with the appointment of Kenneth Sakauye, M.D. as director.
  • UTMG surgeons perform 177 transplants at the MUH Transplant Institute.
  • Dr. Steve Schwab is named UTMG’s Chairman of the Board.

2007

  • Dr. Michael J. Rohrer is named to lead UTMG’s new vascular surgery program. The Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory opens, providing duplex ultrasound technology to diagnose peripheral vascular disease and related conditions.
  • Services of UTMG’s Germantown facility are enhanced with the addition of The UT Cancer Institute as a tenant 
  • UTMG pediatric neurologists offer magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain mapping to enhance epilepsy diagnosis and treatment.
  • UTMG establishes the new Colon and Rectal Surgery Division, with the recruitment of Dr. John Cromwell as chief.  Offices are opened in Germantown and the Medical Center.
  • UT Medical Group pediatric specialists open “Camp Pediatrics,” a unique multispecialty pediatric office at Germantown facility.
  • The Department of Psychiatry adds services for patients suffering from AIDS with the appointment of John Grimaldi, M.D.
  • UTMG and Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center create the Pediatric Cardiovascular Institute.
  • UTMG welcomes the UT Department of Family Medicine to the organization, adding approximately 18 providers to the medical staff.  Dr. David L. Maness is named Chairman of the Department.
  • Director of Glaucoma Dr. Peter Netland is honored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology with the Senior Achievement Award.
  • The Department of OB/GYN expands services for women with the appointment of menopause expert Dr. Jan Shier to the medical staff.
  • Dr. Timothy Fabian, Chairman of the Department of Surgery, is elected President of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma.
  • Dr. Jerome Thompson is named President-Elect for the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology.  He serves as Chairman of the UTMG Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
  • Dr. Joan Chesney is honored as 2007 Pediatrician of the Year by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Tennessee Pediatric Society.  Her husband, Dr. Russell Chesney, was given the same honor in 2004.
  • Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry, Kenneth Sakauye, M.D., publishes the book, Geriatric Psychiatry Basis, a handbook for general psychiatrists and other professionals who work with the elderly.
  • The UT Cancer Institute officially opens its offices on the third floor of UTMG’s Germantown facility.
  • The Hamilton Eye Institute’s new Surgery Center opens, providing top-notch surgical support and equipment for area ophthalmologists.
  • Ophthalmologist Dr. James “Chris” Fleming is named the top physician health care provider in the 2007 Memphis Business Journal 2007 Health Care Heroes Awards. 
  • UTMG Vice President of Marketing and Managed Care, Denise Bollheimer, is named a finalist for the Community Outreach award.eal
  • Transplant surgeon and Director of the Liver Transplant Program Dr. Santiago R. Vera is elected to serve as Region 11 Councilor on the Board of Directors for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).Transplant
  • 224 transplants performed at the MUH Transplant Institute.
  • The Transplant Institute is the first transplant program in Tennessee to perform 100 liver transplants in a one year period.
  • The Transplant Institute is one of only 13 centers in the nation to perform 100+ kidney and 100+ liver transplants in a one year period.

2008

  • UTMG’s pediatric cardiovascular program celebrates the accreditation of the Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center pediatric echo lab and the opening of the new Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CICU).  Dr. Antonio Cabrera, UTMG pediatric cardiologist, serves as the CICU Medical Director.  The pediatric echo lab is the first in the state and in the Kentucky-Mississippi-Arkansas region to be accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL).
  • More than 90 UTMG physicians are named in the 2007-2008 listing of Best Doctors in America®.
  • The pediatric echocardiography laboratory at UTMG’s Germantown office is accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories.   It joins the echo lab at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center as the only accredited pediatric echo labs in the region.
  • James A. Greene, M.D. and Kenneth Sakauye, M.D. are appointed Chair and Co-Chair, respectively, for the Department of Psychiatry.
  • Dr. Giancarlo Mari is named Chief of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Director of the Maternal Fetal Institute at UT Medical Group and the UT Health Science Center.  His appointment signals a renewed effort to develop effective strategies to reverse the Mid-South area’s high rate of premature births and infant mortality.
  • UTMG’s Germantown facility celebrates its seventh anniversary.  Since opening its doors in 2001, the office logged nearly 600,000 patient visits and became a leader in the city’s developing medical corridor.
  • OB/GYN Chair Dr. Veronica T. Mallett is one of only five Tennessee physicians named to Black Enterprise magazine’s 2008 list of America’s leading doctors.  This marks her second appearance on the prestigious list.
  • UTMG establishes an Office of Clinical Research.
  • Nationally-known plastic surgeon and former UTMG medical staff member, Dr. William Hickerson is named Chief of Burn Surgery for UT Medical Group and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine.
  • Dr. Pat Wall, a UTMG pediatrician and Chancellor of the UT Health Science Center, is honored as a recipient of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service.
  • Long-time UTMG physician and Acting Chair of the Department of Medicine, Dr. Lacey Smith is appointed Chief Medical Officer for UT Medical Group.
  • Internationally-known researcher and clinician Dr. Guy L. Reed is named Chairman for the Department of Medicine and the Diggs Professor of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine.
  • MUH Transplant Institute is nationally recognized as a Center of Excellence for Liver and Kidney
  • MUH Transplant Institute performs 207 transplants
  • The Transplant Institute ranks as one of the Top 10 liver transplant programs in the nation as measured by volume and outcomes statistics
  • Kidney transplant program included in the Center of Excellence network for United Resource Network (URN).
  • UTMG expands its heart care services with the addition of physicians from Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Association.

2009

  • Urologist Dr. Robert Wake performs the first VIRTUE sub-urethral sling implant in the state and the southeast for treatment of mild to moderate incontinence.
  • Colon and rectal surgeon Dr. John Cromwell performs the area’s first robotic-assisted colon resection at Methodist University Hospital.
  • Thoracic and surgical oncologist Dr. Mathew Ninan is the region’s only doctor performing robotic-assisted lobectomy using the Dylewski technique for early stage lung cancer.
  • MUH Transplant Institute performs 1,000th liver transplant.
  • UT Medical Group transplant physicians at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute completed a record 250 organ transplants in 2009, including the most kidney and liver transplants ever performed in the program’s history.  The transplant recipients included 241 adults and nine children.
  • The 2009-2010 Best Doctors® database names 88 physicians affiliated with UT Medical Group as best in their fields.
  • Dr. Steve J. Schwab is named Interim Chancellor of the UT Health Science Center.
  • UTMG maternal-fetal medicine and genetics specialists launch a new, comprehensive service for women who have pregnancy complications or who are at increased risk for complications.  The Center for High Risk Pregnancies offers a full range of diagnostics and treatment for women with pregnancy complications that may occur prior to conception, during pregnancy, and at delivery.  
  • The Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists names Kerry Snyder, CRNA, 2009 Practitioner of the Year.  Snyder is Director of Nursing for UTMG’s Department of Anesthesiology.
  • Pediatric radiologist Dr. Harris L. Cohen is appointed Chairman of the Department of Radiology.

2010

  • Dr. L. Darryl Quarles joins UTMG to lead the Division of Nephrology. He is also named Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Medicine at the UTHSC.
  • In response to rising rates of hypertension and diabetes in the Mid-South, UT Medical Group partners with Renal Advantage Inc. (RAI), to open two new dialysis clinics. Located in midtown Memphis and in Whitehaven, the facilities provide both peritoneal and hemodialysis services.
  • Electrophysiologist Dr. Sunil K. Jha joins UTMG to direct the Cardiac Pacing and Arrhythmia Services clinic for adult patients with heart-related ailments, such as unexplained fainting, congestive heart failure, and irregular heartbeat.  
  • The Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory earns a three-year accreditation from the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories for extracranial cerebrovascular testing, peripheral venous testing, and peripheral arterial testing.
  • Pediatric critical care specialist Dr. Sunny Anand leads a medical team from Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital to Haiti to provide care in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.  Family Medicine specialist Dr. Susan Nelson follows later with a relief team from the West Tennessee Haiti Partnership.
  • UTMG opens the Comprehensive Gynecologic Center, offering the most recent techniques in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, including robotic and minimally invasive laparoscopic and hysteroscopic procedures.
  • Shannon Tacker is named Vice President of Adult Multispecialty Services.
  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital appoints four UTMG physicians as subspecialty chairs:  Dr. Dennis Stokes, Pediatric Pulmonology; Dr. Thomas Chin, Pediatric Cardiology; Dr. Matthew Wilson, Pediatric Ophthalmology; and Dr. Sunny Anand, Pediatric Critical Care.
  • Cassandra Taylor-Wilson is named Vice President for Corporate Compliance and Contract Administration.
  • A study conducted by UTMG Infectious Disease specialist and Professor of Pediatrics Dr. John DeVincenzo reveals the potential of a novel drug design to treat many diseases in humans. The RNA inference (RNAi) process works by shutting down disease-causing genes and enables new treatments for a large variety of human diseases, including cancers, genetic diseases and viral infections.  
  • The University Vascular Access Center opens as a service of UTMG and Fresenius Medical Care. The facility provides vascular access surgery to patients with End Stage Renal Disease.