HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable

The Memphis and Shelby County HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable is a collaboration of healthcare, community, and advocacy partners with a mission to measurably increase HPV vaccination coverage in Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee.  The Roundtable grew out of concern for increased diagnoses of preventable cervical cancers by oncologist Dr. Michael Ulm at West Cancer Center. After a meeting of local HPV partners to address these concerns, the formal Roundtable was established in 2021. 

Congratulations to Michelle Bowden, MD, recipient of the 2025 Brooke Morgan Community Champion Award!

The Memphis and Shelby County HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable is pleased to announce Dr. Michelle Bowden as the 2025 Brooke Morgan Community Champion Awardee. Dr. Bowden is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and serves as a pediatrician in the General Pediatrics and Adolescent Clinics at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, where she is the Medical Director of Eating Disorder Clinics. 

Dr. Bowden has been an active champion for HPV cancer prevention throughout her career. She served as the 2022–2024 Chair of the Memphis and Shelby County HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable, where she provided strong leadership and vision for the group. She continues to be an engaged member of the Roundtable as part of the Planning Committee, offering expertise, guidance, and support. In addition, she has consistently championed initiatives to improve health literacy and advocacy among parents and adolescents in Memphis and Shelby County, as well as across Tennessee through her role as a Board Member for the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

 “I am deeply honored to receive the 2025 Brooke Morgan Community Champion Award from the Memphis and Shelby County HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable. What began as an effort to strengthen HPV vaccination in my clinic has grown into a meaningful partnership with community advocates who share a vision for a healthier future. I am so grateful for the members of this Roundtable and the Memphis and Shelby County Community who have provided motivation, lived experience, education, and innovative research that continues to inspire me and drive this work forward. Together, we strive for a future where HPV cancers no longer take the lives of those we love — a future that begins here in Memphis.” 

- Michelle Bowden, MD

It's Our Way in Memphis campaign begins

The Memphis Roundtable is excited to announce the It’s Our Way in Memphis campaign materials are now available for local clinics, health care  providers and professionals, and community partners. Building on the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast It’s Our Way Down South campaign, this Memphis-specific campaign highlights Memphis’s unique character and charm while promoting the importance of HPV vaccination. The collection includes postcards, posters, social media images, and retractable banners. All materials are co-brandable, giving partners the opportunity to showcase their own logos alongside the Memphis Roundtable’s, reinforcing our shared commitment to protecting adolescents and families from HPV cancers, while promoting HPV vaccination. These resources are a powerful reminder that advancing HPV vaccination is truly our way in Memphis.

• To request access to the It’s Our Way in Memphis communication campaign materials, please complete this request form

• If you would like to request printed campaign materials for your organization or an in-person event, please complete this print materials request form

The 2025 HPV Data Profile for Memphis and Shelby County is now available

PRESENTATION SLIDES

Making HPV Vaccination Accessible (2/11/2025)

The Memphis Roundtable Making HPV Vaccination Accessible event was held on February 11, 2025, from noon to 1:15 p.m. Central Time. Innovative strategies and best practices for delivering HPV vaccination in alternative care settings, such as schools, pharmacies, and mobile clinics were discussed. 

Chair
Jara Best Jones , MD
Retired Pediatric Physician

Chair-Elect
Sonia R. Thomas, DNP, MSN, NEA-BC, RNC
Chief of Nursing & Allied Health
Shelby County Health Department

Vice Chair
Fedoria Rugless, PhD 
Senior Project Director
University of Memphis School of Public Health

General Representative
Benita Carney, RN, MEd
VFC Regional Immunization Representative
Shelby County Health Department

General Representative
Felicia Williams, MHA 
Ending HIV Epidemic Program Manager
Shelby County Health Department

• Leanne Alexander
• Jennifer Berger
• Michelle Bowden

• Benita Carney
  
• Robert Clark
• Seok Won Jin

• JR Sanders
• Andrea Stubbs
• Michael Ulm

• Michelle Whitlock
  
• Felicia Williams
• Rana Zakaria