In its 11th year, the Hall of Fame celebrates having inducted more than 50 health and health care pioneers
Belmont announced the 2025 Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame inductee class. Since its inception in 2015, the Hall of Fame has inducted more than 50 health care leaders.
With a mission to honor those who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industries, the Hall of Fame was created 11 years ago by Belmont University, the McWhorter Society and the Nashville Health Care Council, a founding partner.
This year’s honorees will be recognized at a breakfast induction celebration, Nov. 12, at Belmont's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
The 2025 Inductee Class includes:
Sister Juliana Beuerlein, D.C., RN, M.S.: A pioneering health care leader, Sister Juliana served as Administrator (CEO) of Saint Thomas Hospital from 1980–1989, becoming the only woman leading a major Tennessee hospital during much of that time. She co-led an unprecedented interdenominational strategic partnership to acquire Middle Tennessee Medical Center (now Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford), laying the groundwork for health care expansion in a rapidly growing region. Under her leadership, Saint Thomas launched what would become the nation’s largest pharmacy network for the poor and established the Lawrence Grossman Center for Medical Education (now the Curb Center for Advanced Medical Education), one of the most advanced cardiovascular training and CME broadcast facilities in the country at the time. A champion of nursing education and early residency programs, she chaired the American Hospital Association’s subcommittee on nursing for more than a decade. In addition to growth, clinical excellence and innovation, she was a lifelong servant to the poor and vulnerable to extend the healing ministry to those most in need. Her legacy continues through the Sister Juliana Fund, which has provided millions in aid to Saint Thomas associates in need over the past several decades.
Carl E. Adams, M.D.: A visionary in geriatric and long-term care in Tennessee, Dr. Adams co-founded Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and later established National HealthCare Corporation, now a publicly traded company with more than 160 locations, 15,000 employees and more than $1 billion in annual revenue. An early advocate for improving nursing home care, Adams led NHC to become the state’s first licensed private home care agency and pioneered in-house rehabilitation services, a dietetic internship, computerized patient assessments and care models that prioritized patient well-being long before regulatory mandates. His innovations led to dramatically improved outcomes and industry-leading quality ratings. He was the first licensed administrator in Tennessee and helped found the American Medical Directors Association and the Tennessee Association of Long-Term Care Physicians and launched The Foundation for Geriatric Education, which continues to support programs throughout the NHC network including Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee State Universities. Adams’ influence extended to national policy as a contributor to the National Institute of Health’s Institute of Medicine congressional study on nursing home regulation, and his work reshaped senior care across Tennessee and beyond.
James R. Downing, M.D.: A renowned physician-scientist, Dr. Downing is president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he has led transformative efforts to advance scientific discovery, improve clinical care and increase survival rates of pediatric catastrophic diseases around the world. During his tenure at St. Jude, Dr. Downing has achieved several institutional milestones, including the launch of the $200 million Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, which provides life-saving treatments to patients in low- and middle-income countries and aims to reach more than 125,000 children across 50 countries. He also led a $12.9 billion strategic plan to grow the institution’s research and global mission, including a $2.3 billion investment in the Memphis campus and the addition of 2,300 new employees. Under his leadership, St. Jude has earned national recognition for innovation and excellence, including honors from U.S. News & World Report, Fast Company and Glassdoor. His personal accolades include election to the National Academy of Medicine and a place on Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare list.
Dr. Thomas E. Kwasigroch: A legendary educator and mentor, Dr. Thomas Kwasigroch has taught anatomy to every medical and physical therapy student at East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine since 1979, shaping generations of health care providers. Known for his pedagogical innovation and deep compassion, “Kwas” pioneered flipped classrooms, simulation-based learning and ethical instruction rooted in respect for the human body. He led the development of ETSU’s Student Study Center and the Center for Surgical Innovation and Training (CSI&T), a state-of-the-art facility that uses anatomical gift donors to teach modern surgical techniques to students, residents and area physicians. Widely regarded as ETSU’s most decorated faculty member, he has been named Professor of the Year 14 times, received the Scarlet Sash annually and was chosen by students 16 times to hood them at graduation. His national honors include the Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award, McCann Scholars Award for Mentoring and Teaching and multiple Gender Equity Awards from the American Medical Women’s Association. A Vietnam veteran awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, Dr. Kwasigroch’s legacy lives on through thousands of students serving patients across the country and world.
These four distinguished inductees represent a broad spectrum of health care, spanning hospital administration, geriatric care innovation, pediatric cancer research and medical education. Collectively, their contributions have profoundly advanced health care delivery, research, education and access in Tennessee and beyond.
“The 2025 inductees to the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame embody the transformative power of dedication, innovation and compassion," said Dr. Greg Jones, president of Belmont. "From pioneering hospital leadership and long-term care systems to groundbreaking pediatric cancer research and exceptional medical education, these individuals have made lasting impacts on the wellbeing of countless people and communities. As Belmont prepares the next generations of health care leaders through our colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy and Health Sciences, we are inspired by the legacies of excellence these honorees represent. Their contributions will continue to shape the future of health care and serve as a beacon for our students, faculty and the broader medical community in Tennessee and beyond."
The nominations for the 2025 inductee class were open to a wide range of health care professionals. A selection committee comprised of health care leaders from various sectors across Tennessee evaluated the accomplished nominees.
Eligible nominees include practitioners, executives, entrepreneurs, mentors, teachers, scientists, researchers, innovators or any person with a significant connection to the health or health care field who:
- Was born, lived or worked in Tennessee
- Made a significant impact and lasting contribution to health care at the local, state, national or international level
- Exhibited the highest ethical and professional character
- Served as an outstanding role model in their community
An outcome impacting the future of health care in Tennessee and beyond is the more than $4 million that has been raised to support McWhorter Society Endowed Scholarships since the establishment of the McWhorter Society and the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame. More than 250 students have received scholarships since 2014.
For information on sponsorship opportunities for the November induction event and to view a comprehensive list of Hall of Fame inductees since 2015, please visit the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame website.