World-renowned stroke specialist Dr. Thomas Devlin has wound up at CHI Memorial after an abrupt departure from rival Erlanger Health System.
CHI Memorial officials said in announcing the coup, "CHI Memorial is an award-winning provider of stroke services for the Chattanooga region. As a recipient of the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus and Target Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll awards, our physicians and advanced practice clinical team have aggressively worked to provide the region with the highest quality stroke care.
"Chattanooga Neurology Associates physicians Sharon Farber, MD, Tareck Kadrie, MD, Howard Kraft, MD, Gabriel Tallent, MD, and Nathan Wyatt, MD, in partnership with CHI Memorial physicians Adele Ackell MD, Roza Adamczyk, MD, and Judy Huang, MD, and Louann Johnson, NP, have worked in concert for years to provide patients with an efficient and coordinated system of care, improved health outcomes, and exceptional patient care.
"Dr.
Devlin began his professional career at CHI Memorial in 1997 and now returns after building a strong nationally recognized stroke program as director of Neuroscience at Erlanger Health System and the University of Tennessee College of Medicine."
"Dr. Devlin has an international reputation based on his clinical care skills and development of key medical breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating stroke. In recent years Dr. Devlin and his team have partnered with innovators from around the world to advance technologies for stroke diagnosis and treatment. He currently serves as the lead physician on numerous international projects including the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to diagnose stroke very rapidly and at low cost, and in developing improved clot busting medication for stroke. His research team is also widely known for their current work developing new stem cell treatments and other pharmaceuticals that act as 'neuroprotectants' for stroke victims. In doing so, Dr. Devlin’s work has led to the branding of Chattanooga internationally as a city ideal for advanced neuroscience medical research.
"In addition to advancing stroke services, Dr. Devlin will partner with CHI Memorial’s Center for Healthy Aging and professional staff to strengthen the Dementia-Alzheimer’s programs and offerings and establish new practices to close gaps in coverage that exist in the Chattanooga region."
Dr. Devlin said, “I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of our neurology team over the past 20 years. This talented group has provided top-notch clinical care to our region, and our research in stroke has played a pivotal role in ushering in today’s advanced medical treatments on a global scale.
“I look forward to working with the CHI Memorial team of clinicians and administrators to write the next chapter in the history of Chattanooga neuroscience care. The close alignment of CHI Memorial with CommonSpiritHealth and its esteemed Arkansas Neuroscience Institute and Barrow Neurological Institute will provide my team with a unique opportunity to partner on national bio-medical research and improved patient care initiatives by virtue of this formal relationship with many of the best hospitals in the United States. Building on years of past success of our team, I’m tremendously honored to serve as the physician executive for Neurosciences at CHI Memorial.”
Dr. Devlin will join CHI Memorial in September with offices located on the eighth floor of the Missionary Ridge Medical Tower, 725 Glenwood Dr.
Janelle Reilly, market CEO, CHI Memorial, said, “Today, we are pleased to share our vision to accelerate the development of a preeminent regional stroke center at CHI Memorial with the appointment of Thomas Devlin, MD, PhD, as physician executive of Neurosciences. At this transformational time in the history of health care, the combined strength of Dr. Devlin’s visionary leadership and CHI Memorial’s excellent system of care will join together to pursue the designation of Comprehensive Stroke Center, the highest designated standard of care for regional stroke centers.”
The announcement comes on the heels of Dr. Melanie Blake, a highly regarded internist, leaving Erlanger for CHI Memorial.