Rep. Bryan Terry receives highest honor from University of Tennessee Health Science Center

NASHVILLE, Tenn. –   State Rep. Bryan Terry, MD, R-Murfreesboro, was honored Tuesday with a Presidential Citation from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center’s (UTHSC) Faculty Senate.

The award recognizes Terry’s leadership in securing state funding for UTHSC’s new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building at the Memphis campus, a transformative investment that will expand healthcare education and strengthen Tennessee’s healthcare workforce for generations to come.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition from the faculty at UTHSC,” Terry said. “As a physician and a legislator, I’ve always believed that preparing the next generation of doctors is one of the most important investments we can make. At a time when America is facing an extensive physician shortage, recruiting and retaining physicians is essential for the health of Tennesseans. This new interdisciplinary building will play a pivotal role in our efforts to tackle this crisis. I’m grateful to my colleagues in the General Assembly and the leadership at UTHSC for helping make this project possible.” 

The new building represents one of the largest healthcare education investments in Tennessee history. The facility will increase medical student capacity by nearly 30 percent, from 175 to 225 students per class, while also creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary education and collaboration among future physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, public health professionals and other healthcare providers.

Along with this funding, Terry also helped secure $1.4 million in recurring state funding for the joint MTSU/Meharry Medical College rural physician program.

Both initiatives work together to address physician shortages and expand training capacity across the Volunteer State. Nationally, the physician shortage is projected to reach 100,000 by 2034, according to the Cicero Institute.

The Faculty Senate acts as the voice of UTHSC’s faculty in the collaborative governance of the university. Senators are elected from various departments and work together to develop and recommend policies regarding the educational objectives of the campus, according to the UTHSC website.

The Presidential Citation recognizes individuals whose service and leadership have made extraordinary contributions to the mission and future of the UTHSC.

Bryan Terry, MD, represents District 48 in the Tennessee House of Representatives which includes the eastern half of Rutherford County.

###

---