Recently, I went on adventure...and it was so good that I went back again and took a few friends with me. We gathered one afternoon under somewhat threatening skies, suited up and climbed to the top of one of the newest and most innovative renovations happening in Memphis right now – the Crosstown Concourse. My friends were real troopers, taking time out of their busy day to make that trek and be photographed for the cover of this fifth edition of Memphis Medical News’ InCharge Healthcare 2017.
It’s always a pleasure and a privilege to meet and interact with some of Memphis’ finest healthcare leaders. The fabulous four chosen for this year’s cover were no exception. Mary Anna Quinn serves as the chief administrative officer for our beloved St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Since St. Jude is in the midst of a large construction project of its own, Mary Anna was no stranger to hard hats and neon vests. She’s a take-charge kind of girl, and like other’s we’ve interviewed from St. Jude, what drives her is a passion for improving the odds of surviving childhood cancers.
What I like about Dr. Phillip Langsdon is his passion for helping other physicians. As the incoming President of the Memphis Medical Society, Dr. Langsdon has a vision and dedication for finding solutions that will help relieve some of the burdens physicians are facing today and get them back to improving the lives of their patients. It will be great to watch him in action in 2017.
I had the privilege of meeting Susan Cooper of Regional One last spring when we interviewed her for our June issue. I have a great respect for the nursing profession and believe that their perspective is not only essential but critical to the task of improving patient care. Susan has made a substantial contribution in that regard on a local, statewide and even national level. Memphis and Regional One are lucky to have her in our corner.
Dr. David Stern is something of a legend in Memphis. As the Executive Dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine, I’ve been told that he alone is responsible for recruiting many talented new physicians to Memphis. He’s brilliant and delightful and we should all be glad that he, himself, was recruited to Memphis in 2011.
No doubt healthcare is on the cusp of more big changes. After one of the biggest political upsets in recent history, we’re all braced for the possible repeal and replacement of the ACA. However, I have faith the healthcare leaders who grace this year’s cover and others like them in the Memphis medical community, are equipped to handle whatever comes down the pike. Please take a moment to read their comments in the cover story inside.
I hope you’ll find this year’s directory useful. As always, I’m open to your comments and suggestions. We appreciate your loyal readership which inspires us to continue bringing you local, statewide and national medical news. May you all have a healthy and prosperous new year.
Pamela Harris
Publisher
pamela@memphismedicalnews.com