Meharry President James E.K. Hildreth Sr., Ph.D., M.D., joined the ranks of a long list of outstanding men and women as he was honored as the 2024 ‘Nashvillian of the Year’ by Easter Seals Tennessee.
The organization recognized Dr. Hildreth for his dedication and commitment to eliminating health disparities and strengthening health equity worldwide. He was especially honored for his extraordinary efforts in leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nashville with Meharry at the forefront running the city’s testing sites.
During the celebration Wednesday evening at the Hilton Nashville Downtown, industry colleagues, mentees, close friends and family shared reflections about Dr. Hildreth and why he was undoubtedly deserving of the outstanding recognition, with all speakers acknowledging his extraordinary leadership. They all agreed that he puts special effort into respecting people while inspiring them to be their best.
Dr. Hildreth thanked Easterseals Tennessee for the honor, saying they have similar missions in making communities stronger by improving the quality of life for others. He also announced a $10,000 donation from his family to benefit Easterseals Tennessee. Dr. Hildreth thanked Meharry’s leadership team for their unwavering support and explained that without such an outstanding team the recognition would not have been possible.
“Meharry has done some things that many people thought were not possible. Participating in a major way in the pandemic response and saving the lives of Nashvillians showed the world who and what we are. Meharry has been a part of Nashville for 150 years and our mission will not change,” said Dr. Hildreth. “We need everyone (policy makers, medical professionals, scientists and more) to join in the fight to eliminate health disparities to truly change the world.”
