NASHVILLE – As the Nashville Health Care Council releases its annual Health Care Industry Family Tree, the organization also marks its 15th anniversary. As illustrated in the Family Tree and throughout the past 15 years, the health care industry is one of Nashville’s leading economic sectors.
“For the past 15 years, the Health Care Council has been an important advocate for health care in Nashville, working to grow the industry, educate our established and upcoming industry leaders, and ensure that health care remains the area’s largest economic engine,” said Council Chairman Joey Jacobs.
Jacobs added that the 2011 Family Tree is an illustration of Nashville as a center of health care expertise and innovation, underscoring the importance of an industry that contributes $30 billion and 200,000 jobs annually to the local economy, and secures $62 billion in revenues and employs 400,000 globally.
Health Care Grows
Over the past year, Nashville continued to serve as a center of industry growth and innovation.
- Expansions: HealthSpring and Advanced Biohealing announced plans to expand local operations, which will create more than 300 jobs in Middle Tennessee.
- Welcome New Members: The Council welcomed 27 new corporate members, bringing total membership to nearly 200.
- Nashville Medical Trade Center: The “Med Mart” secured well-known tenant Healthcare Management Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), the national trade association that represents the growing health IT sector.
- TNInvestco: The Tennessee General Assembly approved an $80 million expansion of the investment program that supports early stage investing. Health care start up onFocus became the first Nashville area TNinvestco recipient.
International Health Care Outreach
The Council continued a strong emphasis on expanding Nashville’s reputation as a global health care capital.
- UK: The Council with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce led a group of Nashville health care executives on an intensive study mission to the UK, which offered participants an up-close look at the British and Scottish health care systems through small-setting exchanges with policymakers, business executives and dignitaries in London and Edinburgh.
- China: The Council hosted Asia business experts who shared first-hand insights on private sector business opportunities in the reformed and expanded Chinese health care system.
- South America: The Council and Chamber recently returned from a ninth International Health Care Trade Mission. More than 30 health care executives visited Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina as part of this unique opportunity to gain unparalleled insights on the delivery of health care in Latin America.
Council Activities
Throughout the past 12 months, diverse Council activities introduced new policy initiatives, showcased financial and investing opportunities, nurtured Nashville’s future health care leaders and expanded support of health and well-being activities.
- Health Reform: A new Council policy series featured perspectives on health reform, including HHS Health Policy Counselor to the Secretary Rima Cohen and AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignagni.
- Financing: Programs offered Nashville health care investors insights on financing, including Wall Street’s View on Prospects for the Health Care Industry, Financing the Deal and Innovative Approaches to Health Care Venture Capital, co-presented with the Nashville Capital Network.
- Health Information Technology: Health Care IT Workforce Solutions Forum, co-presented with the Nashville Technology Council, brought executives together from health care providers, HIT professional support organizations, government and academia to discuss strategies for developing the necessary talent to drive HIT innovation in Nashville.
- Quantifying the Impact: Nashville’s reputation as a national health care industry capital was solidified this year with the release of a health care industry economic impact study.
- Leadership Health Care: The Council’s initiative to foster future health care leaders grew to more than 550 members. Activities included executive roundtables, networking receptions and the annual Delegation to Washington, D.C., just days after passage of health care reform, and the biennial Delegation to Wall Street.
- Health and Well-Being: The Council’s health and well-being initiative supported community activities that saw significant gains in bettering the health of Nashville’s citizens, including Nashville’s successful bid for a $7.5 million CDC wellness grant. The Council also serves as a sponsor of NPT Reports: Children’s Health Crisis, a three-year documentary series, which recently received two Midsouth Regional Emmy Award nominations.
“Nashville is an international center of health care entrepreneurism and trend setting,” said Council President Caroline Young. “The Council is honored to work with the nationally-recognized industry leaders in this community to continue our mission set of 15 years ago to foster the growth of the industry here, positively impacting the nation’s health care landscape and furthering our community as a health care industry capital”
To order the latest edition of the Health Care Industry Family Tree, please contact the Council at (615) 743-3140 or info@healthcarecouncil.com.
About the Nashville Health Care Council
The Nashville Health Care Council, founded in 1995 as an initiative of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, is an association of health care industry leaders working together to further establish Nashville’s position as the nation’s health care industry capital. The health care industry is Nashville’s largest and fastest growing employer, contributing approximately 210,000 jobs and $30 billion to the local economy. For more information on the Council, please visit www.healthcarecouncil.com.