Good for you: Gregg Chair of Gerontology funded at UTC nursing school

Friday, December 27, 2013

photo At the establishment of the Vicky B. Gregg Chair of Gerontology are, from left, Vicky Gregg; Bill Gracey, president and chief executive officer of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee; UTC Chancellor Steven Angle; and Dr. Chris Smith, interim director of the UTC School of Nursing.

Gregg Chair of Gerontology funded at UTC nursing school

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga announces the establishment of the Vicky B. Gregg Chair of Gerontology in its School of Nursing. The Chair is funded by a $1.5 million gift from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, presented in honor of the distinguished career of the organization's retired chief executive officer.

The Chair will be filled by an advanced practice nurse with experience as an adult geriatric nurse practitioner and will mobilize groups to improve the health care of older adults through inter-professional teams, including representatives from academic departments such as nursing, nutrition, physical therapy, occupational therapy and others. These teams will focus on curriculum development, research, and outcomes for best practices to improve the health of geriatric patients and identify cost-effective health-care protocols.

"Vicky Gregg and BlueCross BlueShield have been such tremendous friends and supporters of this campus. We are happy for the opportunity to honor that partnership with the establishment of this Chair," said Dr. Steven Angle, UTC Chancellor. "As we focus on student success and community connections, this Chair supports our effort to improve gerontology education and care, an important step toward those goals."

Educated as a nurse, Gregg has more than 30 years of experience in diverse health care environments, including clinical care, hospital administration, long-term care, health-care benefits and financing.

She retired in 2012 as chief executive officer of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Prior to becoming CEO, Gregg occupied several senior leadership positions in the company, including president and chief operating officer, executive vice president, and chief executive officer of Volunteer State Health Plan, the company's Medicaid HMO.


Robotics team wins six awards

Hamilton County school robotics teams brought home six awards from the state tournament in Cookeville, Tenn.

Lookout Mountain Elementary School's team won first in innovative solutions. Second place wins went to Thrasher Elementary School's team for teamwork and to Lakeside Academy's team for professionalism. Thrasher's team also placed third in mechanical design. Bess T. Shepherd Elementary School's team placed third in strategy and innovation.

Scot Rosenow of Loftis Middle School was named Outstanding Volunteer.


Pavilion named in honor of Walsh

The board of directors of the Animal Care Trust announces that the adoption pavilion at the McKamey Animal Center has been named in honor of Karen S. Walsh, previous executive director of the Center. It will be called Walsh Adoption Pavilion.


Berry professor invited to Hollywood seminar

photo Curt Hersey examines an Emmy Award while attending a faculty seminar hosted by the Television Academy Foundation in Hollywood, Calif.

Curt Hersey, Berry College assistant professor of communication, was one of 20 television and media instructors chosen to attend a faculty seminar at the Television Academy Foundation in Hollywood, Calif.

"The media business is constantly changing, and this fellowship offered an opportunity to interact with and learn about current trends from leaders in the television business," Hersey says.

Now in its 26th year, the faculty seminar gives participants the opportunity to meet with television executives, engage in panel discussions, learn the fundamentals of the business and tour major facilities. Hersey met high-level professionals behind some of TV's top programs such as Jason Katims ("Parenthood," "Friday Night Lights") and Michael Lange ("Greek," "Criminal Minds").

"I'm working with the foundation to set up video conferences with industry professionals for classes next semester and they are helping me make contacts for a research project I'm working on," Hersey says.

"Every person was incredibly gracious with their time, whether it was talking production with Ed Ornelas, editor of 'Grey's Anatomy,' or show development with Jason Katims. They were genuinely interested in sharing their experiences for the benefit of our students."


Bowers named health champion

photo Dr. Robert Bowers

Dr. Robert E. Bowers, a retired otolaryngologist, has been named a Tennessee Medical Association Quarterly Public Health Champion for 2014.

He was nominated by the Chattanooga‐Hamilton County Medical Society for the honor. Bowers was chosen for his volunteer efforts to improve public health and access to health care in his community. He has served in programs to provide donated health care to the underserved and uninsured in Hamilton County.

As founder and past president of the Medical Foundation of Chattanooga, he played an integral role in the creation of Project Access which, since 2004, has provided more than $112 million in health care services donated by more than 700 Hamilton County doctors. Since 2006, he has served as medical director of Volunteers in Medicine of Chattanooga, another program dedicated to providing free health-care services to the uninsured or those who otherwise cannot afford health care. VIMC has logged more than 43,000 patient visits, delivered nearly $14 million in medical care at clinic rates and nearly $57 million at emergency room rates.


Delay graduates leadership academy

Sarah Katie Delay, a student at Boyd Buchanan School, is one of 28 high school girls to graduate in the first class of a new leadership academy launched by Lipscomb University's Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership. The institute is a partnership with Champions4Women committee of the Nashville Local Organizing Committee, host of the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four in Nashville.

The academy, Music City Girls Lead!, is designed specifically for girls in grades ninth through 11th in the Middle Tennessee area. Students explore topics of developing as a leader, becoming an ethical leader in a multicultural society, developing vision and voice, learning to use technology in leadership roles, promoting wellness and health and transforming vision into results.

"This program's content, the experiential activities, the opportunity to meet influential women leaders in our community, and the personal mentor relationship with a professional woman has challenged and will help empower these girls," says Patricia Pierce, chairwoman of the Champions4Women committee.


Cleveland State students go to collegiate legislature

Students from Cleveland State Community College's Student Senate participated in the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature in Nashville. TISL's General Assembly meets in the legislative chambers of the state capitol each November.

TISL is a forum for campus leaders and political science students to exchange ideas and express their opinions on state, federal and local issues.

Cleveland State delegates were Christine Danh, Colby Denton, Quentin Murray, Hannah Chamberlin, Rachel Bennett and Shane Delaney.


Ballard named to homecoming court

Alexander Ballard was named to Samford University's homecoming court as a class representative.

Ballard, son of Carol and Stuart Brown and Jim Ballard of Lookout Mountain, is a marketing and management major at the Birmingham, Ala., college.