Six Industry Luminaries Chosen for the Third Class
Last month, officials with the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame unveiled the six honorees selected for 2017 induction. The luminaries in this third class will be joining the 14 previous industry pioneers inducted since the Hall of Fame's founding in 2015.
A pioneering female surgeon and state lawmaker, renowned transplant surgeon and national policymaker, visionary healthcare executive, innovative physician-entrepreneur, Nobel Prize-winning researcher, and groundbreaking physician-scientist-executive were chosen by this year's selection committee.
Nashville Health Care Council President Hayley Hovious said, "This impressive group of inductees represents some of our state's greatest talent. With individuals from all across Tennessee who have made a significant impact on their communities through their work as leaders, politicians, practitioners, scientists, philanthropists and innovators, the Hall of Fame is honored to induct such a deserving group of healthcare heroes."
The 2017 Inductees
- Dorothy Lavinia Brown, MD: The first African American female surgeon in the South, member of the Tennessee House of Representative and General Assembly, a longtime educator and chief of surgery at Riverside Hospital and clinical professor at Meharry, and a passionate advocate for women's health, rights and education.
- Former Senate Majority Leader William "Bill" Frist, MD: A former U.S. Senator from Tennessee and Senate Majority Leader, Vanderbilt Transplant Center founder, first heart and lung transplant surgeon at Vanderbilt, founder of NashvilleHealth and Hope Through Healing Hands, co-leader of the Council Fellows program, and a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
- Joel Gordon: The 47-year healthcare veteran who introduced physician ownership/joint ventures as a business structure, founder of GeneralCare and Surgical Care Associates, co-founder of HealthWise of America, owner of Gordon Group Investment Management, and visionary advisor for numerous councils, boards and ventures.
- Harry Jacobson, MD: Physician, entrepreneur and investor who has founded or co-founded eight companies, the past chair of the Nashville Health Care Council Board of Directors, executive-in-residence at Belmont University's Jack C. Massey College of Business, past vice chancellor for Health Affairs at Vanderbilt University and former CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
- Stanford Moore, PhD: The recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1972 for his work with proteins and their composition which led to the first understanding of the complete chemical structure of protein and ultimately informed decades of scientific work surrounding disease and drug discovery, and graduate of the University School of Nashville and Vanderbilt University.
- Donald Pinkel, MD: The first director and CEO of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, recipient of the Lasker Award for Medical Research, Kettering Prize for Cancer Research and Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research, and leader of the development of the first treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, increasing the cure rate from 4 to 50 percent.
Induction Ceremony:
The gala induction luncheon ceremony is set for Oct. 17, 2017 at Belmont University's Curb Event Center. For details or more information on sponsorship opportunities, go online to tnhealthcarehall.com.
About the Hall of Fame
With a mission to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and healthcare industries, the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame was created by Belmont University, the McWhorter Society and Founding Partner the Nashville Health Care Council.
A selection committee made up of health and healthcare leaders from across the state chose the 2017 inductees. The nomination process began in January and was open to practitioners, executives, entrepreneurs, mentors, teachers, scientists, researchers, innovators or any person with a connection to the health or healthcare field. Nominees must have:
- Been born, lived or have worked in Tennessee,
- Made a significant impact and lasting contribution to healthcare at the local, state, national or international level,
- Exhibit the highest ethical and professional character, and
- Serve as an outstanding role model in their community.
In addition to recognizing Tennessee's most influential industry leaders, The Hall of Fame serves as an ongoing educational resource to document the rich history that has contributed to Tennessee's position as a leader for national healthcare initiatives.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, "One of the things I am incredibly grateful for is Belmont's placement in Tennessee - a state that is widely recognized as a central hub for healthcare in the United States, with Nashville at the helm. Our community continues to see the efforts of so many as individuals and organizations take significant strides towards shaping and advancing the health and healthcare industries. Meanwhile, Belmont continues to play an increasingly significant role in undergraduate, graduate and executive healthcare education."
He continued, "The induction of these six healthcare legends, and those that will come after them, will help Belmont inspire the next generation of healthcare greats, while further promoting our state's booming success as the nation's premiere healthcare hub."