University of Tennessee Medical Center
Encyclopedia
The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) is an academic medical center located in Knoxville, Tennessee
and serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee and regions in Kentucky
and North Carolina
. The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM) oversees residency and medical student education at UTMC. In addition to being a Level I Trauma Center, UTMC is recognized as a center for primary stroke
, biomedical imaging, adult & children transplantation
, pediatric dialysis
, and renal failure
. In 2010, UTMC opened Eastern Tennessee's first dedicated heart hospital.
), and other specialty advancements. In 1991, the UT Board of Trustees assigned the hospital's primary roles of patient care and medical education to University Memorial Hospital and the UT Graduate School of Medicine, respectively.
in Memphis
. UTGSM features a Medical Simulation Center where physicians and students increase their medical skills.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
and serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee and regions in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM) oversees residency and medical student education at UTMC. In addition to being a Level I Trauma Center, UTMC is recognized as a center for primary stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, biomedical imaging, adult & children transplantation
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
, pediatric dialysis
Dialysis
In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
, and renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
. In 2010, UTMC opened Eastern Tennessee's first dedicated heart hospital.
History
UTMC first opened its doors on August 9, 1956 as the University of Tennessee Memorial Hospital. By the 1960s, the hospital acquired more facilities for research, patient care, and residency training. In 1971 the UT Board of Trustees allowed 20 senior medical students from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine to train at UTMC. The hospital saw technological advancements in the 1980s with construction of the Boling Pavilion, the implementation of the area's first emergency response helicopter (LIFESTARLIFESTAR
LIFESTAR is an aeromedical transport service of the University of Tennessee Medical Center that provides regional rapid transportation of injured patients. LIFESTAR transports approximately 200 patients per month.-Fleet:...
), and other specialty advancements. In 1991, the UT Board of Trustees assigned the hospital's primary roles of patient care and medical education to University Memorial Hospital and the UT Graduate School of Medicine, respectively.
Facilities
UTMC comprises several medical units:- Centers of Excellence:
- Brain and Spine Institute
- Cancer Institute
- Center for Women & Children's Health
- Emergency and Trauma Services
- Heart Lung Vascular Institute
- Boling Tower
- Preston Medical Library
UT Graduate School of Medicine
The UT Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM) oversees graduate medical education and medical students. 200 resident physicians, dentists, and fellows engage in the 12 residency and 11 fellowship programs at UTMC. Additionally, UTGSM provides clinical clerkship rotations and electives at UTMC for third and fourth year medical students of UT College of MedicineUniversity of Tennessee College of Medicine
The University of Tennessee College of Medicine is one of six graduate schools of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in downtown Memphis...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. UTGSM features a Medical Simulation Center where physicians and students increase their medical skills.