UT Health Sciences’ Care for the Community on Display at 2026 Health Care Heroes Awards

2026 Health Care Heroes honoree Dr. Alicia Barnes, the Urban Child Institute Endowed Chair of Excellence in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UT Health Sciences, spoke enthusiastically about her commitment to caring for youth and the community in collaboration with healthcare partners.

"Care, create, connect: This is my vision for child mental health in Memphis," Alicia Barnes, DO, the Urban Child Institute Endowed Chair of Excellence in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences, said Thursday evening during the 27^th-annual Health Care Heroes Awards.

Dr. Barnes, also the chief of Pediatric Psychiatry at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, was among more than two dozen individuals honored as Health Care Heroes by the Memphis Business Journal.

In accepting her award, Dr. Barnes said her vision is to care for patients clinically, but also to care for the community through connecting and partnerships, to create the workforce for the future, and to create an ecosystem of support for Memphis youth.

The awards recognize organizations, companies, and individuals for their impact on healthcare in Memphis and the Mid-South. This year's inspirational ceremony was held at the Memphis Botanic Garden and expertly hosted by Joanna Crangle, market president and publisher of the Memphis Business Journal.

"You are the true heroes committed to improving the care in our community," Crangle said. "Tonight everyone is a winner."

Power in Partnerships

The significant role UT Health Sciences plays in advancing healthcare through partnerships in the Memphis community and beyond was evident during the event.

Many of the award winners are affiliated in some way with UT Health Sciences, whether alumni, faculty, staff, or otherwise employed by the university or at partner institutions. UT Health Sciences' hospital partners in Memphis include Regional One Health, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Baptist Memorial Health Care, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. (Memphis) VA Medical Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and Saint Francis Hospital. John Schorge, MD, chair of the UT Health Sciences Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and chief of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Service at Regional One Health, was among the 2026 honorees.

Honorees also came from UT Health Sciences' clinical practice partners. UT Health Sciences' clinical practice partners include Semmes Murphey Clinic, West Cancer Center and Research Institute, Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics and University Clinical Health. Among the honorees was the University Clinical Health/UT Addiction Medicine team, co-directed by Ronald Cowan, MD, PhD, Harrison Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UT Health Sciences.

The University Clinical Health/UT Addiction Medicine team was honored as a Health Care Hero for its contributions to community health.

Locally, the university also partners with the Memphis Medical District Collaborative, which is celebrating 10 years of collaborative growth and community impact. The collaborative was among the presenting sponsors for the awards, along with the other outstanding community partners, First Horizon and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

Across the state, UT Health Sciences physicians, residents, fellows, and other healthcare professionals serve at partner hospitals including Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Erlanger in Chattanooga, UT Medical Center in Knoxville, and West Tennessee Healthcare - Jackson Madison County General Hospital in Jackson. Residency programs at three new partner hospitals, Maury Regional Health, Dolly Parton Children's Hospital in Knoxville and Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens, Tennessee, further extend UT Health Sciences' educational and clinical reach.

"Our partnerships are vital to healthcare in Memphis and across Tennessee," said UT Health Sciences Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD. "We are committed to working together for the people in this community and across our great state, and we are grateful for the Memphis Business Journal for recognizing these inspiring leaders who carry out this highly collaborative, impactful work."

Making a Difference

This year's honorees spanned the healthcare spectrum.

UT Health Sciences Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Raaj Kurapati was among the Health Care Heroes honorees. Though Kurapati was unable to attend the ceremony, Edwin Jeffres, assistant vice chancellor for Facilities, accepted the award on his behalf and highlighted the many ways Kurapati positively shapes UT Health Sciences, including his impactful work for the new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building.

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Edwin Jeffres accepted the Health Care Heroes Award for Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Raaj Kurapati, who was unable to attend the awards ceremony.

"This award is a meaningful reflection of Raaj's dedication, commitment, leadership, and the positive impact he has had on those around him," Jeffres said. "He consistently demonstrates a commitment to excellence, to serving others, and to making a meaningful difference."

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award winner was James Downing, MD, longtime president and CEO of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, who steps down at the end of the year. Charles Roberts, MD, PhD, incoming president and CEO, extolled the remarkable national and global impact Dr. Downing has had on childhood cancers.

Overall, the recognition event was awe-inspiring for all attendees, and especially so for several high school students invited to observe the healthcare talent and commitment throughout the Memphis community.