A new Tennessee law that went into effect on Jan. 1 requires more transparency and limits changes to reimbursement rates in contracts between health insurance companies and healthcare providers during a contract term.

As 2018 was winding down, the Nashville Health Care Council promoted one and announced two new additions to the team.

Rebecca Parker, MD, FACEP, has been tapped to serve as chief medical affairs officer for Envision Physicians Services. In this role, she will focus on health policy, advocacy, government affairs, leadership development, education and public relations.

In other news from Envision Healthcare, the Nashville-based company announced appointments of a new chief financial officer and chief information officer.

Awards, Honors, Achievements

Regionally accredited higher education institution continues to expand health care programs

Saint Thomas Medical Partners recently received a Health Disparities Grant award of $8,420 from the State of Tennessee Minority Health Division.

Ardent Health Services filed initial public offering papers last month in advance of taking the company public. The hospital company, led by CEO David Vandewater, was originally founded as Behavioral Healthcare Corporation in 1993 but had sold off its behavioral hospitals by 2005 as the focus turned solely to acute care.

TriStar Horizon Medical Center recently welcomed Scott Kelsey, MD, to TriStar Medical Group Natchez Medical Associates. Kelsey has over 20 years of practice experience as a board certified general surgeon.

Last month, officials with the Nashville Health Care Council, alongside former U.S. Senate Majority Leader William H. Frist, MD, and healthcare economist Larry Van Horn, announced the 2019 class of the Nashville Health Care Council Fellows.

Last month, Nashville-based Insight Genetics, Inc. announced the launch of its proprietary Insight TNBCtype™, a new test for categorizing triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors into distinct molecular subtypes through its wholly owned CLIA- and CAP-accredited lab, Insight Molecular Labs.

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CPIX), a U.S. specialty pharmaceutical company and Clinigen Group plc (AIM: CLIN, 'Clinigen'), the global pharmaceutical and services company, announce a new publication in Lung Cancer: Targets and Therapy of a contemporary retrospective series showing that subcutaneous amifostine administered before radiotherapy postponed the onset of acute esophagitis in stage 3 small cell lung cancer patients treated with concomitant doublet chemotherapy and hyperfractionated radiotherapy.

Last month, Lipscomb University officials announced the launch of Nashville's first Master of Health Administration program. The new MHA program is specifically designed to help mid-careerist build their skill set for healthcare leadership roles through an integrated, interactive, immersive curriculum.

Veteran healthcare exec Tommy Lewis has joined Tivity Health as senior vice president overseeing investor relations.

Last month, officials with Vanderbilt University School of Nursing announced the school has received a $1.43 million award from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop and implement a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) education program for emergency nurse practitioner (ENP) students.

Linda Brady, MD, a pediatrician with Old Harding Pediatrics and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, was selected as recipient of the national 2018 Excellence in Diagnosis (V-RED) Award from the Vasculitis Foundation.

Margaret Dolan, CPA, MBA, has been tapped to succeed Charlie Brock as president and CEO of Launch Tennessee. Most recently, she was a principal at consulting firm neil Strategies llc.

Officials with community-based mental health and addiction services provider Centerstone recently announced that Ramona Rhodes has been named president of Centerstone's Foundation.

Interventional cardiologist Mark Robbins, MD, recently joined the Saint Thomas Heart team and Ascension Saint Thomas West Hospital. His clinical expertise includes coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, and structural heart.

Rolanda Johnson, PhD, MSN, assistant dean for academics and associate professor of nursing, has been named assistant dean for diversity and inclusion for Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She replaces Assistant Professor Jana Lauderdale, who returned to her faculty role.

Wellview co-founder James Story has moved from president to CEO of the Nashville-based employee wellness company. He succeeds Dan Drechsel, who will lead the board as executive chairman.

DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita Inc., celebrated the official grand opening of their Rosa L. Parks Boulevard location in Metro Center.

The Women's Institute for Sexual Health (WISH), a division of Urology Associates, PC, recently welcomed two new providers.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently added a Thomas Nantais to the health system as the executive vice president with oversight of adult ambulatory operations.

Last month, Spero Health, Inc., a newly formed healthcare organization specializing in local, affordable, outpatient care for individuals suffering from substance use disorder, announced that it has acquired investment growth capital to meet the demand in communities across the country for high-quality, comprehensive and integrated addiction treatment services.