Preston Vaughan, a 16-year-old junior from Hillcrest Christian School, set a goal for his Eagle Scout project, then exceeded it by 300 percent - with the help of students from the University of Mississippi School of Nursing.

When he first presented his idea for an Eagle Scout project, Vaughan planned to deliver 16 wooden “lily pads” to Batson Children's Hospital for patients who had to pull an I.V. pole with them wherever they went.

Lily pads are wooden discs that sit on the base of an I.V. pole and allow children who don't feel up to walking on their own to use the pole as a mode of transportation. Although it's not clear who first came up with the idea, it was made popular by a young man from Washington named Nick Konkler, who died in February 2015 after a long battle with cancer. Since his “Lily Pad Project” hit the news, making and distributing the brightly hand-painted boards has become a favorite scouting project across the nation.

Becoming an Eagle Scout is one of the highest accomplishments a young man can achieve. Vaughan has been working toward that goal since he was 6. He and his father started the scouting adventure together.

“I told my wife that I would really like to get him involved in scouting," said Preston Vaughan's father, Michael, an instructional technologist in the School of Nursing. "As soon as I got that out of my mouth, he came home with a flyer in his backpack inviting us to a scouting event at his school.

Preston Vaughan is now with Troop 88 out of Clinton.

At noon on the first and third Mondays of each month, viewers of WLBT-Channel 3 get handy and practical medical information - delivered by a University of Mississippi Medical Center expert.

As part of a new agreement with the station, the noon weekday Midday Mississippi program will include a new twice-monthly feature, Medical Monday. UMMC caregivers will be tapped to give timely information on topics that affect children, families and the general population.

“WLBT's Midday Mississippi show prides itself on being a voice for the community. Our viewers love to hear stories that provide useful tips,” said Kachelle Pratcher, the noon/Midday Mississippi producer for WLBT and its sister station, WDBD.

“The Medical Monday segment allows everyone to stay up to date with trending medical news,” Pratcher said. “Working with the University of Mississippi Medical Center is an honor and allows physicians an opportunity to keep viewers up to date with medical issues that affect their everyday lives.”

University of Mississippi Medical Center scientists and leaders are celebrating the 21st Century Cures Act and its promise to advance biomedical innovation in the United States.

Passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Nov. 30 and the U.S. Senate today, the omnibus bipartisan bill provides more than $6 billion to fulfill the nation's health-care priorities. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill.

The Medical Center is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff.

Two national organizations tap Medical Center faculty for significant contributions in their respective scientific fields, while two UMMC staff members graduate from a year-long leadership program.