Tennessee

Let’s harness our heritage to revitalize Tennessee main streets and communities (The Tennessean)

THE TENNESSEAN |Tennessee is rich in history, but the physical evidence of our heritage is increasingly threatened by our state’s dramatic growth. The structures that have served for generations as the center of spiritual, social, cultural and economic vitality are being torn down or left in disrepair because of the misguided notion that it’s always…

Nature And People Positive Solutions: The Nature Conservancy In Belize (Forbes)

FORBES | The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has a storied history of local, regional, and global environmental protection and conservation efforts centered on sound principles and comprehensive solutions. Since 1951, TNC has used a collaborative approach that engages communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners to combat some of our world’s toughest challenges like climate…

Tennesseans Answer The Call: Volunteer State Leads Rapid Response Efforts For Ukrainian Requested Medical Supplies (Forbes)

FORBES | We have watched the tragedy in Ukraine unfold with a continual stream of shocking live video footage. Many of us seeing the struggle on our screens have been left wondering how something like this could possibly happen during this day and age. It seems so foreign, so distant, yet—at the same time—so close….

Tennessee’s COVID-19 Update – A Weekly Analysis (Week of July 5 – 11, 2020)

Every day, the Tennessee Department of Health releases figures tracking the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each county and statewide.  As our state begins to reopen businesses, restaurants, and lift restrictions on stay at home orders, the statistics for infection rates are vitally important. NashvilleHealth is sharing weekly tracking updates and insights based on…

Tennessee’s COVID-19 Update – A Weekly Analysis (Week of June 28 – July 4, 2020)

Every day, the Tennessee Department of Health releases figures tracking the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each county and statewide.  As our state begins to reopen businesses, restaurants, and lift restrictions on stay at home orders, the statistics for infection rates are vitally important. NashvilleHealth is sharing weekly tracking updates and insights based on…

Tennessee’s Confirmed COVID Cases – A Daily Analysis (April 1, 2020)

Every day, the Tennessee Department of Health releases figures tracking the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each county and statewide.  In an effort to raise awareness about these figures and understand how our changes in behavior – including business closures, school closures, and sheltering in place for non-essential workers – are impacting infection rates,…

Tennessee’s Confirmed COVID Cases – A Daily Analysis (March 31, 2020)

In an effort to raise awareness about these figures and understand how our changes in behavior – including business closures, school closures, and sheltering in place for non-essential workers – are impacting infection rates, NashvilleHealth is sharing daily tracking updates and insights based on Department of Health data. We are also incorporating the latest daily figures for Davidson County from Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s office.

Tennessee’s Confirmed COVID Cases – A Daily Analysis (March 27, 2020)

Every day, the Tennessee Department of Health releases figures tracking the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each county and statewide.  In an effort to raise awareness about these figures and understand how our changes in behavior – including business closures, school closures, and sheltering in place for non-essential workers – are impacting infection rates,…

Tennessee’s Confirmed COVID-19 Cases – A Daily Analysis (March 25, 2020)

Every day, the Tennessee Department of Health releases figures tracking the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each county and statewide.  In an effort to raise awareness about these figures and understand how our changes in behavior – including business closures, school closures, and sheltering in place for non-essential workers – are impacting infection rates,…

What We Can Learn from Tennessee’s Confirmed COVID-19 Cases – A Daily Analysis

With the coronavirus pandemic, we are in unprecedented times, with governments having to use incomplete and rapidly evolving information to determine how to best keep their people safe as well as keep local economies afloat.  I want to commend Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Health for the steps they have taken to…

Sen. Frist on Sen. Alexander’s Decision Not to Run in 2020

Lamar Alexander’s unparalleled intellect, his unwavering commitment to commonsense Tennessee values, combined with his extraordinary willingness to do the hard work (he does more in a day than most do in a week!) has led to countless achievements that have improved our lives and dramatically enhanced our well-being.  Senator Alexander has been a tireless servant…

Taking Root in Nashville – A New Collaborative to Green our Streets and Improve our Health

Clean air, cooler streets, safer neighborhoods, improved health – these are all things we’d like for our city of Nashville.  What do they all share in common?  They are all goals that can be achieved in part through a larger urban tree canopy – and all are central to the mission of our new collaborative…

Bill Frist and Jill Biden: A call for better health and learning (The Tennessean)

THE TENNESSEAN | At Carpenters Middle School in Blount County, exercise and reading go hand in hand. Nearly 200 students participate in the “Pedal Power” program, spending 20 minutes a day reading a book they select while riding a recumbent bike. Students say that when they are physically active while they learn, they notice a difference, with one…

Here’s how we can make Earth Day every day in Nashville (The Tennessean)

THE TENNESSEAN | Earth Day matters — to you and your health. Earth Day was established in 1970 to make us think, for at least one day, about the health of our environment. We submit that every day should be Earth Day. Not just for the health of nature, but for your health and well-being. When 90 percent of a…

Tennessee Makes Huge Strides

In 2013, Tennessee’s progress on math and reading scores was considered a bright spot. Today, our students continue to excel and have made Tennessee the fastest improving state in science since 2009. On behalf of our team at SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education), I applaud our students and teachers for their tireless efforts to…

When Regenerative Medicine Changes Everything (Forbes)

FORBES | Two weeks ago I led a panel discussion at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) on medical innovation with my good friends Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who chairs the Senate Health,Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee, and former Congressman Bart Gordon (D-TN), who previously chaired the House Committee on Science and Technology.  We were…

Better Healthcare at Lower Costs (AHIP 2016)

NOTES FROM THE ROAD | I had the privilege of speaking yesterday at America’s Health Insurance Plans Institute and Expo. Along with Bernard Tyson (Kaiser Permanente) and David Bernd (Sentara Healthcare), I discussed “Better Health Care at Lower Cost: Is It Possible?” You know my answer: It is absolutely possible with technology. In case you…

The Numbers are In: The Case for NashvilleHealth

I like to keep an eye on my hometown’s statistics. I love seeing Nashville listed among the nation’s best cities to launch a startup, raise a family and visit for a weekend away. According to some estimates, we gain 80 new Nashvillians each day, transplants from all over, drawn to our welcoming atmosphere and our…

Congratulations to the 2015 SCORE Prize Winners

All year long the State Collaborative on Reforming Education—SCORE—works with and for students, parents, and teachers in Tennessee and each October we have the privilege of dedicating an evening to recognizing the amazing progress they have made. I love that our annual SCORE Prize awards ceremony doesn’t just bring together administrators and policy makers in…

Making Health Convenient

I believe one of the secrets of achieving good population health is to make the healthy choice the easy choice, and I’m so pleased to learn of businesses in Tennessee who are working to make that a reality. Tri-Star Services’ Twice Daily convenience stores are making a strong committment to offering  healthy food and drink…

Nashville’s Role in the Healthcare Landscape

I love Nashville and I’m so proud of the work being done  here. Healthcare is the heart of this town and the solutions being developed here are helping patients all over the world. I’m particularly proud of the Nashville Healthcare Council’s Fellows program, and was thrilled to introduce it to a broader audience. I am…

Where Health And Environment Converge

An area of healthcare that has recently become very important to me is community transformation projects focusing on the social determinants of health: environment, economic stability, access to care, education, and community resources. Only 15% of our health is determined by the healthcare we receive, so looking at the other 85% is not only imperative,…

Reauthorizing No Child Left Behind matters to Tennessee (The Tennessean)

THE TENNESSEAN | Tennessee teachers, parents and local education leaders know what’s best when it comes to educating our children. Federal education law has a powerful role to play in ensuring that our nation’s schools equip the next generation of global leaders, but only if the law is carefully crafted so that local expertise can be…

New Tennessee telemedicine law grows health care access

I am convinced that telemedicine is a crucial part of the solution for delivery of healthcare in the United States–care that isn’t yet affordable or accessible for all. Tennessee has made important steps toward ensuring telemedicine is an option for our citizens, but there’s more to do. Telemedicine is in its infancy in Tennessee. Specialists…

Bill Frist supports Haslam’s Insure Tennessee plan (The Tennessean)

THE TENNESSEAN | Medicaid expansion has been a contentious topic since the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision holding mandatory state participation was unduly coercive. And the arguments against expansion are well-founded: Does the federal government really have enough money to fund this? What happens if the money runs out? We have tried this before and it was…

Building Companies that Change Medicine

I am a partner at Cressey & Company, a health care focused private investment firm, where I serve as chairman of the company’s Distinguished Executives Council.  Yesterday, we announced the closing on a new fund that totals $615 million. Health care in America is changing so rapidly and I believe health-IT is an essential part…

2014 SCORE Prize Awards

Each year in late October I have the privilege of hosting the Annual SCORE Prize celebration. Every year just gets better and last night was no exception! We had a great time with school representatives from across the state and country music artist Dustin Lynch. The SCORE Prize celebrates success in Tennessee’s schools, and this…

Tennessee at Crossroads: 2013-14 State of Education Report

When SCORE was launched in 2009, we identified a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for unprecedented growth in student achievement in Tennessee. In November, we have learned that the efforts of educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders have helped Tennessee become the fastest improving state in the nation – and 2nd overall behind the District of…

Nashville Health Care Council Fellows

“What we witnessed is bipartisan dialogue, exposure to world-known individuals, new methods of learning, strategies and tactics I have put to use, and a consistent and engaging forum for dialogue. I consider this class one of the single most important investments I have made in myself.” -Laura Beth Brown, Vice President, Vanderbilt Health Services, Vanderbilt…

LeConte Adventures

Tennessee features some of the most exquisite landscape on the planet, and I recently made the hike up to the LeConte Lodge in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.   Waking up at Zoder’s in Gatlinburg, saying “Hi” to Cesar the parrot, who has been here 31 years and says “Hello!” back to me each…

States’ Rare Chance to Expand Medicaid

(Politico, April 11, 2013) By Bill Frist A proposal unveiled by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam late last month leverages federal funds to purchase private coverage for new Medicaid eligibles in the state’s health insurance exchange. In recent weeks, Arkansas became the first state to embrace a similar plan. This market-based approach, known as “premium assistance,”…

What Childhood Poverty Means

(Huffington Post, February 3, 2012) By Bill Frist, M.D. This post is part of a series on childhood poverty in the United States in partnership with Save the Children and Julianne Moore. Moore leads the organization’s Valentine’s Day campaign, through which cards are sold to support the fight against poverty in the U.S. To learn…

Tennessee SCORE

Nashville Flooding and What You Can Do

The numbers from the flooding in Nashville continue to astound. Twenty-one people have died in Tennessee and thousands of people have been driven from their homes. The pictures that are continuing to come in show the level of devastation in Middle Tennessee, and many families are just now being able to get back and see…

Special Session Presents Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

By: Sen. Bill Frist, M.D. In my 12 years of service to Tennesseans in the United States Senate, I learned that progress often comes from taking advantage of moments when the stars align around a specific goal.  In Tennessee, one of those moments is upon us, as for the first time in over 25 years…