VUMC in the news
Another busy week for flu news, and another busy week for William Schaffner, MD, professor of Preventive Medicine. In the past few days, Schaffner has given numerous interviews about the flu to news outlets around the country, including:
- WHDH-TV in Boston, which quoted Schaffner in a story about a shortage of medical materials, including IV bags, that may make treating hospitalized flu patients more difficult.
- The New York Times interviewed Schaffner for a story about the usefulness and effectiveness of the flu vaccine and the number of people hospitalized with the flu in Nashville. Schaffner was also quoted in one of the most popular articles at The New York Times site over the weekend, "In the Flu Battle, Hydration and Elevation May Be Your Best Weapons."
- CNN produced a piece about the severity of this year’s flu season, which featured Schaffner.
- Healthline reporter Dan Gray interviewed Schaffner for about how this flu season compares to last and what we can do to protect ourselves.
- ABC News reporter Mariam Allen interviewed Schaffner for a story about the severity of the flu season and what an individual can do to avoid the flu.
- The “Today” show on NBC broadcast a story about how the flu shot cannot give anybody the flu that includes an interview with Schaffner.
WKRN News 2 reporter Stephanie Langston interviewed Kristi and Josh Rogers, parents of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt patient Adalynn Rogers, about their daughter’s wait for a heart transplant. The Rogers have received a lot of attention on social media through their daughter’s health journey, which is what sparked Langston’s story on Adalynn.
MedPage Today, HealthDay News and other outlets covered the story about the impact of neighborhoods on heart failure rates, based on research from Loren Lipworth, Sc.D., research associate professor of Medicine. The story was also picked up by, among others, U.S. News and World Report.
Associated Press national reporter Lindsey Tanner interviewed James Powers, MD, professor of Medicine, for a story about President Donald Trump’s physical exam and what the “gold standard” physical exam is for a 71-year-old man.