Overview

Mission
The Nashville Health Care Council 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 Council promotes the continued growth of Nashville's health care industry by fostering a supportive operating environment for existing, start-up and relocating health care businesses. Through educational programs, the Council provides executives with timely information on key operational and policy challenges facing health care companies, as well as networking and mentoring activities.

Founded in 1995 as a initiative of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Council's membership includes organizations that are world leaders in hospital management, outpatient services, disease management, pharmaceutical services, academic medicine, medical technology and health information technology. Also represented are professional services firms with wide-ranging expertise in the health care industry.

Structure
The Council is supported by more than 186 member organizations, consisting of both Nashville-based and national health care companies and professional service firms that support the health care industry.

The Council's Board of Directors is made up of 28 members, many of whom are widely recognized as world-class executives in the health care management field. Joey A. Jacobs, chairman, president and CEO of Psychiatric Solutions, Inc., is the 2009-2010 Council chairman. 
 
Membership
In recognition of the important role smaller companies play in Nashville's health care industry, the membership dues structure comprises three levels to provide a lower dues level for smaller companies, as well as for start-up companies less than three years old.

Click here for an explanation of the Council's dues structure, as well as an application form and a listing of membership benefits; or contact Caleb Graves at 615.743.3143 for membership information.

Programs & Events
Council programs and events provide executives with valuable information to help them make better business decisions and offer networking and mentoring opportunities.

• Briefings with health care policymakers and business leaders such as:
  - Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
  - Counselor to HHS Secretary for Health Policy Rima Cohen
  - Former U.S. House Speaker and Center for Health Transformation Founder Newt Gingrich
  - Sen. Ron Wyden (OR-D)
  - American Hospital Association Executive Vice President Rick Pollack
  - Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and Noerr Senior Counselor John Kornblum
  - Healthcare Leadership Council President Mary Grealy
  
  
• Educational programs that focus on major challenges facing entrepreneurs and features workshops on such topics as venture capital funding, M&A strategies, and Wall Street's view of the industry. Additionally, the Council has organized seminars on biotechnology, health information technology, health care reform, health care policy in the 2008 presidential election, and others.

Communications Activities
The Council serves as the information center on Nashville's health care industry by developing specialized data and publications on the industry such as:

• Nashville Health Care Industry "Family Tree," a visual representation of Nashville's dynamic health care industry.
• Information Guide on Nashville's Health Care Industry, a directory on Nashville’s more than 650 health care companies and support firms.
• Website with information on the Council, its members, the industry, upcoming events and health care industry news.

Economic Development
The Council works with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Partnership 2020 economic development initiative in attracting health care businesses to locate or expand operations in Middle Tennessee.

In addition, the Council and the Chamber promote international business opportunities for Nashville’s health care industry, including overseas trade missions. Trade mission activities have served to promote Nashville as a center of the health care industry over eight international missions while serving as educational, networking and business development opportunities to mission participants. The next international trade mission is scheduled for Nov. 14-19 to Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Leadership Health Care
Leadership Health Care, in partnership with the Health Care Council, works to cultivate the talent of up-and-coming health care professionals into the health care leaders of tomorrow. For more information, visit leadershiphealthcare.org.