I have been away — 8,500 miles away in India, where I was born and lived until age 10.

I was vacationing with family, lecturing on antibiotic-resistant bacteria, convening meetings on tuberculosis, visiting shimmering private hospitals, talking with elementary school kids in villages and sharing precious moments with my 93-year-old grandfather.

During my travels, I often thought, “What lessons can I learn here, and how can I apply them back home, so we do things better in Memphis?”