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UTGSM Announces the Stephen Y. Coleman Endowed Fellowship in Medical Oncology and the Dale C. Wortham MD Endowed Fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases

The Stephen Y. Coleman Endowed Fellowship in Medical Oncology and the Dale C. Wortham MD Endowed Fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine have been announced by Paul Hauptman, Dean of the UTGSM.

Hauptman stated, "These are important steps forward for the Department of Medicine of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, and the Cancer Institute are possible due to the generous philanthropic support of many donors who believed in the importance of our educational mission. With earnings from the respective endowments, the Department will be able to enhance the training environment for fellows, thereby supporting patient care of the highest quality and safety for the people in the service region. In addition, the funds will encourage innovation and research in oncology and cardiovascular diseases."

Stephen Y. Coleman, for whom the medical oncology endowment is named, lost his courageous battle against brain cancer in 2011. Tailgating Against Cancer ("TAC") was formed to ensure Stephen’s legacy and to help support other patients with cancer, and the families and physicians who work together to improve outcomes. TAC is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for the Coleman Endowed Fellowship in Medical Oncology and honors Stephen who fought his illness with perseverance, courage, determination, and dignity.

Dr. John Bell, Director of the Cancer Institute, stated, "The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine and the University of Tennessee Medical Center Cancer Institute are incredibly grateful for the impactful dedication and devotion of the Coleman family for their commitment to raise the funds necessary to endow the Medical Oncology Fellowship on our campus. Their gift ensures future generations will be able to receive the best cancer care available by specialists trained at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, right here in their region."

Dale C. Wortham, MD provided decades of exceptional cardiovascular patient care at The University of Tennessee Medical Center and UT Graduate School of Medicine. A graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Wortham completed his residency and Fellowship in Cardiology at Letterman Army Medical Center. He also led the efforts to establish the first Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship on our campus and served as the inaugural Program Director from 2007-2017 while also functioning as the Catheterization Lab Director for over 20 years. During his tenure, Dr. Wortham contributed to over 100 publications, abstracts and book chapters. His leadership has made a lasting impact, not only at our medical center, but in our region and across the country.

Dr. Wortham said, "I was surprised and humbled when the Cardiology Fellowship Endowment was named in my honor. The Endowment provides a lasting legacy for the Cardiovascular Division. The Fellowship’s success has been accomplished through the hard work of Pam Trentham, the Fellowship Coordinator, and the University Cardiology faculty, staff, and nurses. Instituting both the Cardiovascular Diseases and Interventional Cardiology Fellowships and serving as the Program Director is an accomplishment of which I am extremely proud."

The UTGSM community congratulates the Coleman Family on this important accomplishment and Dr. Dale Wortham on this tremendous honor. In order to publicly recognize them and thank our donors, a ceremony hosted by the UTMC Development Office will be scheduled later this year.

Posted April 18, 2022

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