FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           

For more information, contact:

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

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Anne W. Manning – (901) 448-4072

Sheila Champlin – (901) 448-4957

UTHSC Presents College of Medicine 2007 Outstanding Alumni Awards

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Memphis, Tenn. (October 9, 2007) — Four University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) alumni will receive the 2007 College of Medicine Outstanding Alumni Award.  Garland Douglas Anderson, MD, Rufus R. Clifford, Jr., MD, John McIver Hodges, MD, and Labe C. Scheinberg, MD, (posthumously) will be feted at the Alumni Awards Luncheon at noon on Friday, October 12 at the Peabody Hotel. 

“These alumni have distinguished themselves and the UT Health Science Center in all areas of our mission: education, research, patient care and community service.  We salute Drs. Anderson, Clifford, Hodges and Scheinberg as role models for our colleagues, as well as our students who are our future physicians,” said Steven J. Schwab, MD, executive dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine.

Garland Douglas Anderson, MD

Garland Douglas Anderson , MD, (Class of 1970) has distinguished himself as a leader in academic medicine, as well as in regional and international outreach efforts.  He was appointed dean of the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine in October 2006.  Prior to that he served for 17 years as the Jennie Sealy Smith Distinguished Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the same university.

In April 2007, Dr. Anderson received the Baden-Gibbs Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology for outstanding leadership in medicine in the state of Texas.

He spearheaded the expansion of a 12-clinic satellite program into the university’s highly successful Regional Maternal and Child Health Program.  Today this network of 30 clinics provides nearly 350,000 patient visits annually to women and children from more than 123 counties in medically underserved parts of Texas.  He is internationally recognized for his accomplishments in maternal-fetal medicine and the promotion of women’s health programs.  As steering committee chair of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Maternal-Fetal Units Network, he was responsible for one of the largest obstetrics research networks in the world.

Rufus R. Clifford, Jr., MD

            Rufus R. Clifford, Jr., MD, (Class of 1959) epitomizes the practice of primary care medicine, a high priority mission of the UT Health Science Center.  A pediatrician in Columbia, Tenn. since 1964, he is the senior and founding member of Columbia Pediatrics, a 30-plus employee practice.   Named Tennessee Pediatrician of the Year in 1997, Dr. Clifford’s career has been dedicated to the belief that every child deserves access to quality medical care.

            A strong commitment to service is reflected in his involvement in community work throughout the years.  Dr. Clifford served as a board member of the Columbia Boys and Girls Club, as Rotary president, and as a veteran Sunday School teacher.  Most Columbians probably think of him in the context of team doctor and a faithful fan of the local high school basketball team.

John McIver Hodges, MD

            John McIver Hodges, MD, (Class of 1963) has devoted his career to academic medicine as both a professor and administrator.  He has worked tirelessly to support the UTHSC Department of Otolaryngology, serving as acting chair on numerous occasions.  In 1978, he was appointed chair of the Otolaryngology Teaching Program at Methodist University Hospital, a position he holds to this day.  Dr Hodges is also chief of the Otolaryngology Section of Surgical Services with the VA Medical Center in Memphis. 

            Dr. Hodges initiated seminars for teaching his surgical skills in facial plastic surgery at both hospitals and at UTHSC.  Perhaps he is best known for sharing his knowledge on numerous medical mission trips to China, Egypt, Vietnam and the Philippines.    

Labe C. Scheinberg, MD

Labe C. Scheinberg, MD, (Class of 1948) is being honored posthumously for his extensive contributions to the study and treatment of neurological diseases.  Widely published, he investigated new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and is recognized today for developing the concept of a comprehensive care center for patients with chronic neurological disease.  Dr. Scheinberg’s original MS Care Center became a prototype for similar centers around the world.  He later organized the nationwide Consortium of MS Centers.

From 1956 to 1995, Dr. Schneinberg served on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York City, where he was named the Distinguished University Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Rehabilitative Medicine.

            The UTHSC Outstanding Alumni Award caps a multitude of earlier awards for Dr. Schneinberg, including the Silver Medal Award from Columbia University and the Appreciation Award from the New York City Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  In 2000 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National MS Society.

           

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is focused on a four-tier mission of education, research, clinical care and public service, all in support of a single goal: to improve the health of Tennesseans.  Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main campus, which includes six colleges, is located in Memphis.  UTHSC has additional College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy campuses in Knoxville and a College of Medicine campus in Chattanooga.  For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

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