The Scope E-Newsletter June 2009

In March 2009, Alfred D. Beasley, MD, FACP, Professor Emeritus, was recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) for his 50-year anniversary of graduation from medical school. In a statement, Michael D. Maves, MD, MBA, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the AMA said, "Dr. Beasley has seen many changes in medicine in the last 50 years. [The AMA] sincerely thanks him for his commitment to this great profession."

Dr. Beasley graduated from the UT College of Medicine, Memphis, and completed his residency and fellowship training at UT Memorial Research Center and Hospital (the predecessor to University of Tennessee Medical Center) and Emory University.

"When I arrived [at UT hospital] in 1959, CPR was performed as an open-chest procedure," Dr. Beasley remembers. "We were encouraged to carry pocket knives, so we could quickly cut open the chest, reach in between the ribs, and start squeezing the heart of someone who had a sudden cardiac arrest. Soon, closed-chest massage became recognized as the preferred method for prompt treatment of cardiac arrest."

Dr. Beasley was the first physician in Knoxville to achieve a successful resuscitation with the new procedure.

He continued to provide both expert clinical care for patients and mentoring to residents and fellows. Dr. Beasley served as chairman of the Department of Medicine at University of Tennessee Medical Center for 30 years and was awarded Professor Emeritus in 1997. He has served as director of Graduate Medical and Dental Education at the UT Graduate School of Medicine since 1968.

"I have treasured the association with the physicians who have continued to dedicate their time, energy and skills to make UT Graduate School of Medicine and University of Tennessee Medical Center the assets to the region they are today," he said.