Altha Stewart, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Health in Justice Involved Youth at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), received the James G. Hughes Community Advocate Award from the Memphis Child Advocacy Center as a part of their Honors Day Celebration, which was held September 29 at the Holiday Inn, University of Memphis.
The James G. Hughes Community Advocate Award recognizes honors a community member whose efforts in Shelby County demonstrate commitment to the safety and well-being of children.
Dr. Stewart is a native Memphian. She grew up in South Memphis, graduated from public and parochial schools, and was among the first class of women admitted to what is now Christian Brothers University. She received her medical degree from Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia, and did her residency at Hahnemann University Hospital there.
Dr. Stewart is a nationally recognized expert in public sector and minority issues in mental health care, and in the effects of trauma and violence on children. She was recruited to UTHSC in 2015 by David Stern, MD, vice chancellor for Health Affairs for Statewide Initiatives, to lead the Center for Health in Justice Involved Youth. The center aims to reduce the number of young people in the juvenile justice system by addressing the trauma and exposure to violence that often contribute to the behavior that lands them there.