CoLinx planning Crossville expansion

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Going postal:
Time to privatize? 4
executive
PROFILE
MARCH
2013
Issue #96
A voice for
businesses in the
Upper Cumberland
Bill Little
8
CoLinx planning Crossville expansion
MEDICAL
PROFILE
CRMC ER
unveiled 10
LIZ ENGEL CLARK | UCBJ Editor
Local company has
hand in Memphis
Mitsubishi project
LIZ ENGEL CLARK | UCBJ Editor
COOKEVILLE – A Putnam County company
will have a hand in one of the biggest energy
projects in the state this year – and the product
it manufactured for that undertaking stands
– quite literally – as one of the largest systems
created in its nearly 38-year history.
Baron USA, a Cookeville-based manufacturer
of equipment for major utilities throughout
the world, is in the process of installing one of
its vapor phase systems at the new Mitsubishi
Electric power plant in Memphis.
The project, a $200 million endeavor from
which Mitsubishi will churn out large electric
transformers, was considered a big win for
Tennessee when first announced back in 2011.
While Baron’s piece of the puzzle is on the
smaller end of the dollar scale – owner and
CROSSVILLE – A Crossville company
eyeing a $9 million expansion is getting a
little help from the city and county in its
endeavor.
CoLinx, a shared services provider for
industrial manufacturers, has proposed a
210,000-square-foot expansion to its main
Crossville distribution facility, located off
Interstate 40 at 1536 Genesis Road. That
expansion will include a $6.5 million
investment in new building construction
and $2.5 million in warehouse equipment.
But the company first needed commitments
from both city and county to help move the
project forward. It got both those promises in
February.
The city of Crossville will be helping
fund a Tennessee Department of Economic
and Community Development (ECD)
FastTrack grant that’s expected to cover some
unbudgeted mitigation costs at the proposed
expansion site as well as a road expansion
project that could improve safety around the
CoLinx facility. And the county will lend
its name to that FastTract grant. In turn,
CoLinx is looking to extend its local lease
through 2027 – an economic win-win for the
community, company officials said.
“We are a substantial economic engine
for this county,” Ed Camera, vice president
SEE colinx | 12
Sink or swim?
Port feasibility study could start this spring
SEE BARON | 3
Presorted
Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
Monroe, Ga
Permit No. 15
ati
UPPER CUMBERLAND
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LIZ ENGEL CLARK | UCBJ Editor
GAINESBORO – A key study that will help determine
the viability – and ultimately the future – of a renewed
deepwater port initiative in Gainesboro could get started
this spring.
The port project, an ongoing effort in this small Jackson
County town, seems to be on the move once again after
nearly a year of stagnation. The latest news came almost
12 months ago, when a feasibility study – to determine the
port’s viability and possible economic impact – was first
commissioned. While securing funding for that study took
time, earlier this year, Susan Elkins, Tennessee Tech’s vice
president for extended programs and regional development,
who initially helped push the project forward on the
university side, also announced her departure in January.
Dr. Jessica Matson, a professor in the civil and
environmental engineering department at Tech, said
officials are currently working to “make sure things don’t
fall through the cracks.” She’s been assigned to serve as
technical manager for the feasibility study and is “hopeful”
it could get started soon, possibly in the spring. Funding has
been appropriated to the tune of roughly $34,000. Monies
will come from a Tennessee Economic and Community
Development (ECD) Fast Track grant to Jackson County’s
Industrial Development Board, although, as of press time,
neither an invoice with the state nor a contract between
SEE port | 9
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CLASSIFIED
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Marketing for the modern business: Less is more in 2013
The ever-changing marketing landscape in
the modern business era seemingly is coming
back to a simple “less is more” approach.
Less is more with your brand, your content,
your social media channels and your overall
focus. In an era where the modern consumer
is hit from literally every angle imaginable
throughout their day with marketing and
product mentions, it’s becoming more
important for businesses to take a strategic
approach to become less white noise to the
consumer, and more compelling impact.
Brand based
Personal identity is what every person seeks
throughout their life journey. Brand identity is
no different. What message does your brand
convey? Are you trying to do too much in
too small of a space? Too often, business have
little faith in the consumer to infer and imply.
A well-crafted brand strategy dedicated to a
UPPER CUMBERLAND
JAY ALBRECHT
Publisher
Editorial
LIZ ENGEL CLARK
Editor
Advertising
Cassey spakes
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Jarrod conner
Published by PTT VENTURES, LLC
Larry mcdonald
Chairman
MIKE MCCLOUD
Principal Advisor
info@ucbjournal.com
The Upper Cumberland Business Journal is
published monthly by PTT Ventures, LLC.
It is produced by MMA Creative at
705 N. Dixie Ave., Cookeville, TN 38501.
PHONE: (931) 528-8852. FAX: (931) 520-3833.
E-MAIL: info@ucbjournal.com. Every attempt is made
to present factual information; neither the Cumberland
Business Journal, nor PTT Ventures can be held
responsible for opinions expressed or erroneous
information provided by contributing writers. Upper
Cumberland Business Journal© by PTT Ventures, LLC.
All rights reserved unless granted by written permission.
Call for subscription rates.
JEFF MORRIS
SPECIAL TO THE UCBJ
simple, focused and tight message will bring
relevance and clarity to a business that is
swimming in a giant sea of commerce.
Storytelling content
Tackling “storytelling” content may be the
most difficult challenge modern businesses
face today. National brands like CocaCola and Target have turned their main
marketing focus to storytelling content. Gone
are the days of speaking at consumers. A
consumer’s experience with a brand drives
their engagement and creates an experience.
Content from a brand that effectively likens
itself to the consumer and encourages
feedback through channels like social media
will have the pulse of the consumer. When
incorrectly executed though, storytelling
content can feel contrived and forced. Finding
FROM BARON |1
president Derek Baranowski said it’s worth
about $5 million – the locally-made vapor
phase system comes into play during “one of
most critical phases” of production.
Transformers undergo a lengthy drying
process, and the main advantage of a vapor
phase system is that it both speeds up that dry
out – essentially saving time – and allows for
near perfect temperature control.
While Baron didn’t invent vapor chamber
technology, it did pioneer a solvent spray
system used to heat that chamber, Baranowski
said.
“You have to be careful as you’re heating
because you’re taking something up
from ambient temperature, around 32-34
degrees centigrade, and heating it to 130
degrees centigrade,” he said. “That’s quite a
temperature shift. But by heating this large
mass evenly, we avoid thermal stresses on it.”
Baron’s chamber, Baranowski added, was
one of the first pieces of equipment to be
installed at the Memphis plant. It is also the
largest chamber system Baron USA has ever
built, standing at 40 feet long, 20 feet wide and
22 feet high. It took roughly 4,000 man hours
to complete. The system was manufactured
in Cookeville and shipped in sections to
Memphis in mid-February. From there it
was installed and welded together; Baron is
scheduled to turn it over to Mitsubishi by April
1, which is also the tentative production start
date for the project as a whole.
The Mitsubishi transformers will play
an important part in developing more
stable and reliable electric grids in North
America, Tennessee officials have touted, and
Baranowski said, Baron is proud to play a part
in that.
“Everybody’s well aware of our aging
infrastructure,” Baranowski said. “There hasn’t
the perfect subtle message and driving
forward with the consumer should be every
company’s goal in 2013, big or small.
Smart social media
As social media begins to move out of
its early-bird status and more toward a
conventional marketing platform, more
information is now available to businesses
regarding their social media strategy. At
times, less is more. A smart strategy weighs
the current landscape and chooses from
the available social media networks to best
execute a communication strategy and doesn’t
always engage on every platform. While the
main goal of social media for businesses
should be a conversation with the consumer,
more posts and more content may be less
effective than strategic posts with compelling
content. Determining the correct volume of
conversation and receiving better feedback
and engagement, far outweighs a top-line
glance at simple page analytics. Analytics are
an excellent and quick method for gauging
some successes, but a smart social media
strategy may not always care about page views
been a major refurbishment of our grid system
since 1975, I believe, and the transformers
servicing this system today normally have a
25-year field life. So we’re overdue. And a lot of
the manufacturing moved overseas, and that’s
starting to come back because there is such a
demand.”
Not to mention it’s considered a rare in-state
deal for his company, which basically competes
against two European-based suppliers for
business.
“The reason we were successful in this
project is some of the innovations we were
able to bring to it, like our spray system,” he
said. “Another advantage was the proximity.
We’re close, just five hours away if they need
assistance.
“Basically, we’re a small company that can
adapt our processes, and we try to work with
the customer to tailor our system to meet
their needs. It was a total team project that
couldn’t have been done without everybody’s
participation. Our guys put in extra hours, an
incredible amount of extra hours, to get this
done on time.”
or message reach.
Integrated digital presence
Mobile optimization, compelling
content, digital integration are tent posts
for thriving businesses in the modern era of
communication. Most businesses understand
the importance of having a quality web
presence. How they determine “quality”
though, is up for discussion. The focus
shouldn’t be simply being present, or making
a giant flash splash for the consumer, but
rather what presence do you have and is it
relevant to the marketplace. Less is more. If
the brand is solid, the messaging is tight and
the strategy is in place, it should feel like a
wholly symbiotic relationship. A strategy that
focuses on smart integration of digital assets
will have a much greater chance for success in
2013 and mitigate risk at the same time.
Jeff Morris is communications director for MMA Creative,
which operates two offices in Middle Tennessee, 705 N.
Dixie Ave., Cookeville, and 700 Craighead Street, Suite 200,
Nashville. For more information, call (931) 528-8852 or
(615) 297-6886.
Baron USA employees place the final touches on a vapor
phase chamber before it’s shipped to Memphis. The chamber system is the largest Baron has ever built at 40 feet
long, 20 feet wide and 22 feet high.
An overview of the vapor
phase chamber manufactured by Baron USA for the
Mitsubishi Electric power
plant in Memphis.
4
march 2013
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Going postal: Time to privatize?
It must be the end of the world as we know
it. With the February announcement that
Saturday mail service could cease, did the
U.S. Postal Service (USPS) actually make a
move that most people like?
When it was first reported – a proposal
that’s been discussed for what seems like
forever but will likely go into effect this
August – USPS, which has been heavily
chastised in recent months for bleeding
money like a stabbing to the jugular vein,
seemed to get an approval rating burst. About
six in 10 favored the change, and getting 60
percent of people to agree on anything seems
pretty impressive in my mind – heck, only
32 percent have a favorable opinion of the
new American Idol judges, and American
Idol is one of the longer-running fluff TV
shows around (although it’s one I can’t bare
to watch, no matter who is dishing out the
critiques).
Most businesses, too, are following the
same line of thinking as above – many say
they won’t be negatively impacted by such
a change, since most communications can
be – or already are – conducted in a paperless
manner. The inconvenience this could cause
is thought to be minor at best.
But there’s a larger, looming question here,
one that has a $15.9 billion answer (if you
didn’t know, that’s exactly how much the
Postal Service lost in 2012). While this most
business. And never mind the history and ties
to the Constitution. Today’s post office, many
like minds would argue, is irrelevant. And its
revenue model beyond broken.
Yes, yes, yes, it’s true that the U.S.
Postal Service receives no tax dollars for
its expenses, instead relying on the sale
of postage, products and services to fund
its operations, and many blame a 2006
Congressional act that mandated USPS
prefund its retirees’ health benefits for the
next 75 years, as the problem. But privatizing
could solve those issues of spiraling costs and
uneven revenue streams. It would remove
Congress from the picture. A definite plus
at this juncture. And the post office does
have viable assets that certainly could prove
valuable to someone, right?
Of course, privatization
could hit rural communities
hard – and the Upper
Cumberland is the very
definition of rural. Hand
delivering letters to countrydwelling customers for
the same 46-cent rate that
urbanites receive isn’t exactly
lucrative. It could also be
argued that postal workers
would likely experience
diminished working
conditions under a privatized
LIZ CLARK
UCBJ EDITOR
VIEWPOINT
recent pronouncement wasn’t as gloom and
doom as some other reports have been – there
was a recent hike in the price of first-class
stamps (albeit 1 cent, but it was at least the
second increase in two years), the decision
to close or reduce hours at hundreds of
offices across the state, and the fight over
ever declining revenues (anyone see a pattern
here?), we need to seriously consider other
options.
But is it time to privatize?
I’ve actually had this exact column written
– more or less, in so many words, since
sometime last year – but I never could quite
fill it out enough to publish it. The Saturday
cease-fire brought it back to light, and it
would appear, many of my original thoughts
still hold true.
Now, for this analysis to work, you must
toss aside all that nostalgia – those pretty,
themed stamps that are bought in bulk, that
rural office where you’re on a first-name
basis, and the idea that, in many small
towns or cities, post offices are more of a
community hub than places of legitimate
system. And would services really improve? I
mean, really? Would costs really go down?
I don’t pretend to have the answer – and I
certainly can’t advocate for a solution either
way – but this is a discussion that needs to
happen. And it needs to happen soon.
While ending Saturday service is a
seemingly popular move in the right direction
for now, it will only save so much money in
the long run – about $2 billion annually to be
exact. Sure that’s a lot of Benjamin’s, but in
the scope of things – again, let’s point back at
that $15.9 billion loss in 2012 – it’s hardly a
drop in the bucket.
Liz Engel Clark is the editor of the Upper Cumberland
Business Journal. She can be reached at (931)
528-8852 or liz@ucbjournal.com.
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2013 march
5
An owner’s perspective: the new business climate
The economy appears to be recovering,
slowly, but recovering. Businesses are
seeing sales rise after struggling for
several years.
Unlike a lot of business people during
the Great Recession, I got lucky to
a certain extent when the economy
collapsed in 2008. I had sold my
business, White Plains Golf Course,
about a month before the housing
market collapsed. So I didn’t have to deal
with selling when business values were
plummeting.
I took a break for a bit. But when I
decided to return to business ownership,
I had a front row seat to just how much
the economic collapse had affected the
value of businesses.
And it turns out I hadn’t completely
dodged the economic bullet. I learned
just how much the lending market had
changed to make it extraordinarily
challenging for me to buy Express Signs
& More.
When I decided to buy a business, it
didn’t matter what business. I had been
in business for 30 years. For 20 years,
I had owned Cookeville Antique Mall.
From 1991 to 1996, I worked my way up
a national chain of pawn stores, which
took me out of Cookeville.
For a few years, I owned a facilities
JEFF DUNN
SPECIAL TO THE UCBJ
management company and took care of
a lot Averitt Express terminals. I was a
partner in the golf course for six years.
Through my experience, particularly
with antiques and the pawn business, I
had learned how to establish value.
In looking at businesses to buy, I was
confronted with seeing prospects in
which revenues and income had dropped
sharply. It simply appeared as though it
wasn’t a good time to buy a business.
I looked at 10 to 12 different businesses
and couldn’t find any that were valued
with the new economic situation.
Companies weren’t performing like
they had been and few were performing
steadily.
Was the last two or three years of sales
the new reality or was it the years before
2008? I decided I had to base my decision
on what had happened post-housing
collapse.
Then one day, I saw Express Signs
advertised for sale on the Internet. It
was performing steadily during the
economy’s tough years. The business,
which has been around for 11 years,
supported other businesses the owners
had as well as several large customers.
But when I went to buy it, I found out
that the days of walking into a single
local bank and borrowing the money
were long gone.
It was a challenging and onerous
process, one I had never been through
previously when buying a business.
My house is paid off. But when the
housing market and home values
dropped, the value of my house had gone
down as well. That affected my ability to
borrow against that asset.
And little did I know how much the
lending environment had changed.
The loan requirements had toughened
considerably. When I sat down with loan
officers, they would say, “I am sorry for
what you are about to go through.”
It took a great deal of creativity, but I
got it done. I had to put together several
different lending sources to make the
deal happen.
Since buying Express Signs, we have
expanded it into new lines of business
to be competitive and increase revenue.
Our goal is to be a one-stop shop. So in
addition to signs, banners and car wraps,
we now offer printing and computer
services. We sell laptops and desktop
computers. We can remove viruses from
computers, add and remove software and
even design websites.
We’ve also expanded our customer
base. Not long ago, we picked up
franchisees for nutritional and
supplements retailer GNC and plan
on expanding and deepening that
relationship in the years to come.
Advertising was a major factor in my
decision to buy Express Signs. The need
for advertising grows when sales aren’t
good. You want to have banners and
signs to highlight your business and
drive sales.
That may come as a surprise since
the news has been filled with stories of
dwindling ad dollars. But in the year I’ve
been here, I’ve seen that businesses with
an advertising budget either increase it
or maintain it through slower sales.
Perhaps that’s a good sign that
businesses are growing more confident
in an economic recovery. Hopefully, the
recovery continues so businesses thrive
and we all do better.
Jeff Dunn is the owner of Express Signs & More in
Cookeville. For more information, call (931)
520-4007, email jeff@expresssignscookeville.com
or visit www.expresssignscookeville.com.
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march 2013
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IRS explains ‘shared responsibility’ provision under Affordable Care Act
On Dec. 28, 2012, the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) issued proposed
regulations under the “Employer Shared
Responsibility” provisions of the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act
(PPACA). To be subject to the provisions,
an employer must have at least 50 fulltime employees or a combination of
full-time and part-time employees that
is equivalent to at least 50 full-time
employees. Companies that have a
common owner or are otherwise related
generally are combined together for
purposes of determining whether or not
they employ at least 50. Those employers
that may be close to the 50 full-time
employees (or equivalent) threshold
need to know what to do for 2014, so
special transition relief is available to
help them count their employees in 2013.
This will provide additional information
about how to determine the average
number employees for the year. While
the Employer Shared Responsibility
provisions generally go into effect on Jan.
1, 2014, employers will use information
about the employees they employed
during 2013 to determine whether they
employ enough employees to be subject to
these new provisions in 2014.
Determination of liability
In 2014, an employer meeting the 50
employee threshold will generally be liable
JEFF JONES
SPECIAL TO THE UCBJ
LEGAL
for an Employer Shared Responsibility
payment only if: (a) the employer does not
offer health coverage or offers coverage
to less than 95 percent of its full-time
employees and at least one of the fulltime employees receives a premium tax
credit to help pay for coverage on an
exchange; or (b) the employer offers
health coverage to at least 95 percent of
its full-time employees, and at least one
full-time employee receives a premium
tax credit to help pay for coverage on an
exchange, which may occur because the
employer did not offer coverage to that
employee or because the coverage the
employer offered that employee was either
unaffordable to the employee or did not
provide minimum value. In determining
whether the coverage the employer offers
is affordable, if an employee’s share of
the premium from employer-provided
coverage would cost the employee more
than 9.5 percent of that employee’s annual
household income, the coverage is not
considered affordable for that employee.
If an employer offers multiple health
care coverage options, the affordability
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test applies to the lowest-cost option
available to the employee that also meets
the minimum value requirement. Various
safe harbors are provided in determining
employees’ household incomes, including,
but not limited to, wages the employer
pays the employee that year as recorded
on the Form W-2. In determining
whether the coverage offered provides
minimum value, there will be a minimum
value calculator made available whereby
employers can input certain information
about the plan, such as deductibles and
co-pays, and get a determination as to
whether the plan provides minimum
value by covering at least 60 percent of
the total allowed cost of benefits that are
expected to be incurred under the plan.
Calculation of the tax
If the employer is subject to the
Employer Shared Responsibility
provisions and does not offer coverage
during the 2014 calendar year to at least
95 percent of its full-time employees, it
owes the Employer Shared Responsibility
payment equal to the number of full-time
employees the employer employed for the
year (minus 30) multiplied by $2,000, as
long as at least one full-time employee
receives a premium tax credit. The
payment is computed separately for each
month.
Slightly different rules apply if an
employer offers coverage to at least 95
percent of its employees, but has one or
more full-time employees who receive a
premium tax credit. In this situation, the
amount of the payment for the month
equals the number of full-time employees
who receive a premium tax credit for
that month multiplied by one-twelfth
of $3,000. The amount of maximum
payment for any calendar month is kept
at the number of the employer’s full-time
employees for the month (minus up to 30)
multiplied by one-twelfth of $2,000.
The IRS will contact employers to
inform them of their potential liability
and provide them an opportunity to
respond before any liability is assessed
and before notice and demand for
payment is made.
Special transition rules for 2014
Special transition rules apply during
2014 for employers’ health plans run on
fiscal year plan year basis, which start
in 2013 and run into 2014. First, for any
employees who are eligible to participate
in the plan under its terms as of Dec.
27, 2012 (whether or not they take the
coverage), the employer will not be
subject to a potential payment until the
first day of the fiscal plan year starting
in 2014. Second, if (a) the fiscal year plan
was offered to at least one-third of the
employer’s employees at the most recent
open season; or (b) for the fiscal year the
plan covered at least one quarter of the
employer’s employees, then the employer
also will not be subject to the Employer
Shared Responsibility payment with
respect to any of its full-time employees
until the first day of the fiscal plan year
starting in 2014, provided that those
full-time employees are offered affordable
coverage that meets minimum value no
later than that first day.
Other transition relief is available to
help employers that are close to the 50
full-time employees threshold determine
their options for 2014. Rather than being
required to use the full 12 months of 2013
to measure whether it has 50 full-time
employees, an employer may measure
using any six-consecutive-month period
in 2013.
Also, for 2014 only, the regulations
offer transitional relief for employers
that do not currently provide dependent
coverage. After 2014, employers that do
not offer coverage or that offer coverage
to less than 95 percent of their full time
employees and the dependents of those
employees will be subject to the Employer
Shared Responsibility payment.
Status of proposed regulations
Written comments are due on the
proposed regulations by March 18 and
there will be a public hearing April 23.
Jeffrey G. Jones is a regional managing member for
Wimberly Lawson Wright Daves & Jones PLLC. He
can be reached at jjones@wimberlylawson.com.
ucbjournal.com
BIZBUZZ
UPPER CUMBERLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL
UPPER CUMBERLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL
BIZBUZZ
Area physicians to serve on Capella’s
National Physician Leadership Group
UPPER CUMBERLAND – Local physicians
representing four Upper Cumberland hospitals
have been appointed to Capella Healthcare’s
national physician leadership group (NPLG)
for 2013. The four hospitals are part of CapellaSaint Thomas’ Upper Cumberland health
system, which includes River Park Hospital
in McMinnville, Highlands Medical Center
in Sparta, DeKalb Community Hospital
in Smithville and Stones River Hospital in
Woodbury.
At Capella’s family of hospitals, physicians
are involved in providing leadership where they
practice, said Erik Swensson, M.D., chief medical
officer of Capella Healthcare. In addition to
leadership roles on the medical staff, hospital
committees and boards of trustees, physicians
also have opportunities to serve on the local
physician leadership group (PLG).
“Each hospital’s local physician leadership
group includes five to 10 physicians representing
a cross-section of its medical staff,” Swensson
said. “They provide input to hospital leadership
on all aspects of operations, including strategic
planning, quality improvement, patient and
employee satisfaction and more. The leader of
each local PLG also serves on Capella’s national
physician leadership group, bringing the medical
staffs’ perspective to the table in helping make
decisions that impact all of Capella’s hospitals.”
Swensson has senior leadership responsibility
for facilitating the work of the NPLG. Local
members of the 2013 NPLG include: Hugh Don
Cripps, M.D., DeKalb Community Hospital
(Smithville); Alan Drake, M.D., Highlands
Medical Center (Sparta); James Spurlock,
M.D., Stones River hospitals (Woodbury);
Todd Stewart, M.D., River Park Hospital
(McMinnville).
Albrecht rejoins MMA in business
development role
Cookeville – After a brief absence to
launch his own publishing firm, Jay Albrecht
has rejoined Cookeville-based MMA Creative
as its director of client relations in the Upper
Cumberland region.
Albrecht, who will also continue as the
publisher of the Upper Cumberland Business
Journal, returns to MMA after launching
Albrecht Publishing Group (APG) in late 2011.
APG acquired Dale Hollow Marketing Group
and its five tourism publications serving the
Upper Cumberland and South Central Kentucky
regions and U.C. Media Group and its local
website, CookevilleTimes.com.
“Jay has a very unique understanding of
publishing, marketing and advertising that will
help our agency clients grow locally, regionally
and nationally,” said Mike McCloud, CEO and
president of the full-service advertising and
marketing firm. “We are excited to bring his
diverse skill set back to our team in a strategic
way so that we can help our expanding client
base.”
news
//
OPINION
//
feature
As director of client relations, Albrecht will
work with current MMA clients to ensure their
overall marketing goals are achieved according
to established objectives as well as oversee the
agency’s new business development efforts in the
Upper Cumberland area.
“I am thrilled to be back with MMA and in
a position to help our local businesses garner
greater exposure through targeted marketing
and public relations solutions,” Albrecht said.
“I feel like I never really left MMA given my
continued involvement with the business
journal and the role MMA played in providing
graphics services for our newly revamped
//
profile
//
column
//
2013 march
CLASSIFIED
tourism magazine. This is a natural partnership
that Mike and I hope to leverage on behalf of
local, growing businesses throughout the Upper
Cumberland.”
Albrecht attended Tennessee Tech University,
where he earned a master’s degree in business.
His professional experience includes more
than 25 years in the publishing industry and
more than five years in marketing, public
relations and client management with MMA.
Albrecht continues to own and operate
APG, which produces an annual tourism
magazine in coordination with the Upper
Cumberland Tourism Association and publishes
CookevilleTimes.com, a news and information
website serving the Cookeville area.
For more information about Albrecht,
MMA Creative or the Upper Cumberland
Business Journal, call (931) 528-8852, visit www.
mmacreative.com or www.ucbjournal.com,
email jay@mmacreative.com, or visit the agency’s
Cookeville office in the Varsity Cinema movie
theater building, located at 705 N. Dixie Ave.
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news
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OPINION
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CLASSIFIED
ucbjournal.com
Highlands Medical Center CEO, Bill Little
faceted management approach.
care. But Highlands Medical Center seems poised for success
“I like for people to call me Bill. I very much have an open
– even growth.
door
policy,”
he
said.
“My
fellow
employees
will
hear
me
“I will say this, we’re in scary times for health care,”
To say Bill Little is a familiar name in the Upper
use
the
word
‘team’
a
lot;
we
always
talk
positively.
We’re
a
Little
said. “There’s no doubt there’s going to be a lot of
Cumberland health care scene might be an understatement.
community.
communities
with hospitals that are going to close over the
The Smithville native has worked
“We
are
part
of
a
larger
company,
next
five
to
10
years. We’re starting to see it in Tennessee,
at four of the UC’s 12 hospitals at one
and
the
thing
you
always
hear
and
it’s
happening
elsewhere in the country.
point or another during his 17-year
from
a
corporate
perspective
that’s
“There
is
safety
in
scale, and where scale helps us, we
career, and in mid-2012, was named
associated
with
this
hospital
is
think,
is
being
affiliated
with a company like Capella and
the full-time CEO at Highlands
positive
energy,”
he
added.
“We
think
being
affiliated
with
a
system
like Saint Thomas,” he added.
Medical Center (HMC) in Sparta.
UPPER
CUMBERLAND
BUSINESS
JOURNAL
our
staff
feeds
off
that
idea,
and
“The
rebranding
of
the
facility
has opened a lot of new doors
It’s proved quite the positive move
UPPER CUMBERLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL
hopefully
our
patients
feed
off
that,
for
us.
And
that
scale
helps
us
to
position ourselves to be able
for Little, who had been concurrently
too.”
to
flourish,
even,
in
this
new
environment.
Whenever change
juggling the CEO roles at DeKalb
There
will
certainly
be
a
need
for
happens,
it’s
an
opportunity
–
an
opportunity
to deliver
Community Hospital in Smithville
lots
of
positive
energy
in
the
coming
better
and
better
health
care,
but
do
it
in
a
more
effective
and Stones River Hospital in
months.
Highlands
is
planning
a
and
efficient
manner.
This
hospital
generates
enough
margin
Woodbury as well, and one that’s been
million-dollar
renovation
that’s
scheduled
to
start
this
April
to
reinvest
that
capital
back,
and
we’re
proud
of
that,
because
beneficial for all of the facilities involved. That’s arguably
and wrap up in the summer. Additionally, Little said they
that means we can continue to serve our community, and we
most visible at Highlands, which is on the verge of its largest
continue
to
recruit
new
physicians
–
additional
general
will.”
renovation project in recent memory. The $1 million upgrade
surgery
coverage,
orthopedic
coverage
and
a
Saint
Thomas
will prove an important facelift for a facility that seems to be
Bill Little is CEO of Highlands Medical Center, located
Heart presence have been identified as some of the top
making strong strides in the right direction: HMC last year
at 401 Sewell Road, Sparta. For more
goals.
dropped its White County Community Hospital name, a
information, call (931) 738-4150 or visit
“This
hospital
has
seen
tremendous
growth,”
number of new physicians have joined the medical staff and
http://highlandsmedicalcenter.net.
Little
said.
“Our
beds
are
full,
our
OR’s
administration continually looks to add new specialties.
(operating
rooms)
are
jam
packed
–
we’ve
set
“We take our role in this community very seriously, and
new records for surgical case volume in three
we’re trying to do everything we can to accommodate the
of the last five months. We’ve seen our market
health care needs of the people in our community,” Little
share increase, and we’re getting a lot of positive
said. “We want our patients to have the best experience.”
feedback from the community. And when we
Given all that, Little said he never imagined – at least
ENHANCED AND EXPANDED SERVICES
get cardiology here, it will be very successful.”
in the infancy of his career – working in a medical
Outside
of
work,
Little
enjoys
spending
environment. After graduating with his bachelor’s in
time with his family, which includes wife Kelly
business administration from Tennessee Tech, Little started
and daughters Marcey, a recent Tech alum
out in the accounting field, working as a fraud investigator
and graduate student at Middle Tennessee State
for the Tennessee Comptroller’s office. From there, he
gradually worked his way to the health care side: There was a University; Madalyn, a freshman at Maryville
College and member of the Scots tennis team;
stint in the internal audit department at HealthTrust, which,
and Meridith, a sophomore at Cookeville
in 1995, was acquired by Columbia/HCA. A few years later,
High School and member of the
a mentor with whom Little worked with while in Chicago
cheerleading squad.
put him in contact with Tod Lambert, a former CEO at
He says he’s seen lots of
Cookeville Regional Medical Center, who hired him as a
changes
in the UC since his
controller there in 1999. Little eventually left CRMC to make
days
as
a
DeKalb County
his jump into senior administration, serving as division
youth
–
most
noticeably
chief financial officer (CFO) for Vanguard Health Systems in
in
terms
of
additional
Phoenix, Ariz., where he stayed for five years.
industry and retail.
That job, however, fueled the flames for even higher
“That’s great for our
administrative work, and, coupled with the desire to move
area, that’s great for
back to Middle Tennessee, Little returned to CRMC in 2007,
jobs, for tax revenue
this time as chief operating officer (COO).
for our communities
“I wanted to get off the finance side and get more into
and helps grow our
the true operations,” he said. “The more you get involved in
infrastructure,”
the business, the more you learn about the industry, I just
he said. And he
really started to have that desire as I was going through that
sees even more
process (in Arizona).”
In a life-threatening emergency, you need doctors and trained specialists that can
changes on the
Little landed in the CEO suite for the first time in 2009
horizon
when
it
when he accepted the dual head roles at DeKalb and Stones
respond to the most serious medical situations, especially when time can mean the
comes to health
River. His varied positions seem to have molded his multidifference between life and death. The four Upper Cumberland hospitals that are now
LIZ ENGEL CLARK | UCBJ Editor
EXECUTIVE
PROFILE
PROFILE
EXECUTIVE
LIFEGUARDS ON DUTY
One Heart for Healthcare
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news
ucbjournal.com
FROM port |1
Jackson County and TTU had been finalized.
The study, commissioned following a
roundtable meeting held early last year,
will still take several months to complete,
according to Todd Huddleston, chairman/
CEO of Community Initiative Inc., a
Tennessee-based non-profit that first
assumed the lease on the Gainesboro port
back in 2011. While it must be conducted
independently from his foundation,
Community Initiative has been looking into
the project for some time; they hope to avoid
the pitfalls that closed the original deepwater
port, established sometime in the 1970s.
Huddleston sees potential for a number
of different commodities to be shipped to
and from the Cumberland River site, which
is located north of town off Highway 53
– including coat, sand, limestone and oil.
Conversations with potential clients have
already started.
“Being diverse is a key for it being
successful (this time around),” Huddleston
said. “A lot of businesses, when we talked
to them about it, were excited because they
could create or expand their opportunities.
To us, the river is one of the region’s most
valuable assets that’s not being used. It’s kind
of the hidden treasure in my opinion.”
While diversity is important, an even
more important driver – in terms of the
feasibility study – could be the current price
of fuel. Waterways are considered rather
cost-effective means of transportation and
large barge shipments can often be sent more
cheaply than via rail or truck. According to
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, one ton
of cargo can be shipped 59 miles by truck
and 202 miles by rail using one gallon of fuel.
That same amount can travel 514 miles by
barge.
“The economic feasibility was not as
strong (back in the ‘70s) as it is now,
basically because of the cost of fuel,” said Jay
Cassetty, a member of the Gainesboro Port
Authority and president of Citizens Bank
in Jackson County. “Back in the ‘70s and
early ‘80s (when the port was first opened),
if you remember what the price of fuel
was, it wasn’t much. That, along with some
opposition here, was basically the reason it
failed to begin with. But today, if you look
at how much tonnage you can haul on a
barge in relation to what you can haul on a
//
OPINION
//
feature
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profile
//
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//
CLASSIFIED
2013 march
9
truck, it’s a huge difference. I
think now it’s a perfect time
for something like this to
develop.”
One such business that’s
shown some initial interest
– at least on the import
side – is Gray’s Scrap Iron &
Metal Recycling Company,
a scrap yard outfit located in
La Vergne. Huddleston sees
them as a key source, since the
import business was missing
from the port site some 40
years ago. John Miller, a buyer
with Gary’s, said they’re
looking to build their business
up to the point where the port
would be beneficial to them.
“I have to ship (via truck) to
a middleman right now, and
I think the port would save
me that trouble and allow me
to make more money for
the business,” Miller said.
Community Initiative Inc. has compiled this conceptual drawing of a proposed deepwater port in Gainesboro.
“(From here) I could either
ship up north, where I could
Once the study is complete – and assuming to be done to get ready. We’re still really
get better pricing for my material, or direct
its results are positive – a business plan will
early on in the game,” Huddleston said.
to China. You know, we’re a small business;
likely be required and port officials will still
“These projects just don’t happen overnight;
it would be a big asset for us to do something
have to make sure the correct infrastructure
they take years. But we’re really pleased
like that.”
is in place. Funding will continue to be
that things are moving forward, with the
Huddleston expects a positive return on
sought as a top priority.
momentum that’s starting to happen.
the feasibility study, but Matson couldn’t
But, if viable, the impact could reverberate
“The whole region is blessed with a
give any real indication as to how it could
well beyond Jackson County’s borders.
lot of natural resources,” he added. “The
lean either way. At this point, she said, it’s
Clay, Smith and Trousdale have all been
port eventually will be one more tool for
just about gathering as much information as
mentioned.
the region to market itself, to recruit new
possible. But, its final report will likely be the
“There’s still a lot of work that will need
business. It will be just one more asset.”
deciding factor on whether or not the project
stays afloat – or sinks rapidly.
“The last studies (by Community
Initiative) were done several years ago, and
there’s been a lot of economic changes in
the last few years,” Matson said. “There had
been some studies where industry was polled
as to whether or not they would use the
port if it were redeveloped, but there was no
information given to them relative to cost.
This would look at that. We’ll also do some
benchmarking at a few other ports to see
what issues they had.
“We just want to make sure we get a good
study, because we need to know what the
real economic impact might be,” she added.
“If the port is feasible…I think a lot people
would like to hear that, but they also want to
know if it’s not.”
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10
march 2013
news
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//
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//
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//
CLASSIFIED
ucbjournal.com
At left, a new patient room in CRMC’s recently renovated ER. Below, the current
emergency room lobby stands ready.
JACKSON
SMITH
CRMC highlights ER expansion
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muscle and other organs can become
damaged beyond repair. The Heart and
by HealthGrades® as being in the top 5% in
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CRMC’s year-by-year ER volume
2008 44,141
2009 44,437
2010 46,625
2011 47,677
2012 49,715
patient population, at least for the time being, the expansion/
renovation is expected to help the problem.
Smith, who has been practicing at CRMC for 27 years, said
the last time the ER received any significant upgrade was in
the 1990s. The new rooms will offer more patient privacy and
increase the department’s overall capacity to 37 total rooms.
Officials also say the move will likely decrease wait time –
although they’re not exactly certain by how much – and there’s
hope for a positive return on investment.
“It’s not just the construction, we’re looking at our processes,
too,” Smith said. Some diagnostic services, for example, like
X-rays and certain lab tests, can take place in the ER. “We’re
looking to streamline, we’re looking to expedite care. We’ve done
a lot of things to become more efficient.
“Hopefully more patients will stay here because of that,” he
added, noting that the hospital is seeing a growing number of
patients from outside Putnam County. “There’s a finite number
and it’s small – where patients come and leave before they’re
seen – but we’ll capture those people. And hopefully we’ll grow
our patient base. We want people to choose the ER for their
emergency care, and we want them to come here and we’re
honored when they do.”
But Smith and Jackson both agree the current expansion,
however, is an immediate fix to a more long-term problem. While
it’s been mentioned in preliminary discussions, they’re eyeing a
completely new department in the future, although nothing is set
in stone.
“ER is one area that continues to grow,” Jackson said.
“A new department? There’s one coming at some point in the
future. The only question is when,” Smith added. “Could we use
a bigger emergency department? Absolutely. But you’re looking
at years down the road for a major construction project, and this
(expansion) was the best fix we had.
“And I think it’s going to be a positive (improvement).”
O
COOKEVILLE – The emergency
department at Cookeville Regional
Medical Center (CRMC) is now much
UPPER CUMBERLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL
larger thanks to a recent expansion
UPPER CUMBERLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL
and renovation project that officials
are hoping will increase quality of care,
decrease wait times – and more simply
gauge that firsthand.
– serve the steady stream of customers consistently coming
“We’re not being overrun by people with hangnails. We’re
through the hospital doors.
being
overrun by people who ought to be here,” said Dr. Sullivan
Eleven new patient rooms, which opened in neighboring ER
Smith,
CRMC emergency department medical director. “I can’t
space in January, will help replace the hallway beds that have
account
for why they’re so much sicker. It may be shortage of
been used to treat ER patients in the past, said Paula Jackson,
primary
care. They may be waiting longer (to seek care). It’s just
CRMC’s emergency department director. While not exactly
phenomenal
how it’s growing.”
ideal, those beds were a necessary evil considering the hospital’s
volume.
Trending
The project, however, which included roughly 6,230-squareCookeville’s ER, in many ways, is not atypical from any other
feet, cost $1.5 million and took about a year to complete, is still
emergency
department at any other regional hospital across the
considered a short-term fix to an increasingly growing problem –
country.
both locally and across the country – ERs are at capacity. Volume
Volume, for instance, tends to spike afterhours, when doctor’s
is growing, and Cookeville is no exception.
offices
are closing, and on weekends, Smith said. That’s also
CRMC’s ER patient load has continually increased over the
a
trend
nationally, according to the American College of
years – it’s up nearly 13 percent since 2008. The department, for
Emergency Physicians, which says that particular timeframe
accounts for two-thirds of ER visits. Smith said the opening of
urgent care centers and/or health clinics has made little to no
impact on that traffic.
When local doctors talk about higher acuity, that’s seen
across the country as well. While some groups score it higher,
the Centers for Disease Control says less than 8 percent of ER
patients have non-urgent medical conditions, meaning the vast
majority need to be there. And patients just may be waiting
longer to seek care: 97 percent of emergency physicians say they
treat Medicaid patients on a daily basis, patients who could not
find a doctor to accept their health insurance.
So when it comes to handling that volume, level of acuity and
Source: Cookeville Regional Medical Center
in U.S.A.
S • C OR
MEDICAL
PROFILE
PROFILE
MEDICAL
2012, was just shy of the 50,000 patient
mark and saw 2,038 more patients than
in 2011. Toward the end of last year,
ER doctors say they experienced their
busiest day ever on record.
Not only are staff seeing more
patients but sicker ones as well. Acuity
has long been said to be on the rise, and
there’s no better place than the ER to
RE
LIZ ENGEL CLARK | UCBJ Editor
ucbjournal.com
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OPINION
//
feature
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//
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//
CLASSIFIED
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nationwide, we could not do this without
modern technology and communication.
In the lifetime of many of today’s business
leaders, there have been two overwhelming
developments that have changed the way we
do business more than any changes in the last
100 years. These are the introduction of the
personal computer (PC) and the development
of the Internet.
Our office is a prime example. Using the
Internet, we are able to conduct business
nationwide. As a result, we can work with
DAVID WEST
SPECIAL TO THE UCBJ
clients in other states, as well as Tennessee. We
expect to continue to add clients, essentially
without regard to where they live.
Technology and communication allow
us to deal not only with distance, but also
accessibility. Many of our clients who live
nearby are not able to come to our office, so we
are able to serve them with the latest technology
tools.
We also are able to assist clients with finding,
adapting and using technology to help them
meet their physical needs. Special needs trust
funds can be used for supplemental equipment
and items that are not provided by Medicare or
Medicaid. We fund these items as well as help
the client find suitable vendors for the items
that improve their quality of life. For example,
we recently used the accessibility of the Internet
to assist a client in finding a wheelchair
accessible van. On another occasion, a client
used her trust funds to purchase electronic
equipment and electronic musical equipment.
Not only is distance or location no longer a
factor, but we are able to easily handle a level of
volume and complexity with a small staff that
would have been impossible a few years ago.
After we help clients and establish special needs
trusts, we then administer these trusts. This
generates a huge volume of data and accounting
requirements. With just a handful of PCs,
we do what would have taken a room full of
accountants and clerks to do just a few years
ago. We also perform these tasks faster and
more accurately.
As we enter a period of rapid growth, we
are able to expand virtually without having to
acquire more office space or equipment. One
advantage that we enjoy is the ability to draw
from a much larger talent pool. We can hire
2013 march
11
people with the skills, abilities and experience
we need without requiring them to commute
to our office on a daily basis. These associates
telecommute and do not have to deal with the
daily headaches of traffic.
As wonderful as technology and
communication developments are, there is one
thing they can enhance but not replace: direct,
personal contact with our clients. In fact, we
use them to increase the effectiveness of our
personal interactions with individual clients.
Facebook is a major tool we use. Facebook
gives us the ability to communicate with all of
our audiences directly and frequently. Social
media constitutes the fastest area of growth
in our use of and benefit from new tools. We
look forward to and plan to use whatever
appears next that makes us more efficient and
effective in this new age of technology and
communications.
David West, MA, is the public relations advocate for Vista
Points Inc., a nonprofit organization that is the trustee for the
Tennessee Pooled Trust and a national referral center for
people needing assistance regarding special needs trusts. For
more information, visit www.vistapoints.org, email info@
vistapoints.com or call (615) 758-4660.
Technology empowers patients to be proactive in their own health care management
All these new revolutions in technology
are no exception to the health care industry.
Accordingly, health care has transformed
tremendously from incorporating the
advances in communication and technology
and continues to evolve every day. The role
of technology in health care has remarkable
benefits as digital technologies provide modes
of communication that enable people to live
healthier lives and make better treatment
decisions. Thus, widespread use of technology
to improve communication within the health
care industry is an integral component for
better quality care and services for patients,
which not only empowers individuals to take
control and manage their medical information
but also increases patient satisfaction and
health outcomes.
Cookeville Medical Center (CMC), for
example, is integrating these new technologies
FROM buzz |7
since Jeff Dunn took over the helm of marketing
company Express Signs in Cookeville, and in
those 12-plus months, the business has not only
added services, but has changed its name to
reflect that growth.
Express Signs & More, formally Express Signs,
first opened in 2002 in Cookeville. Dunn bought
the franchise, located at 1430 Interstate Drive,
last January and has since added computer sales
and service to the product line, ranging from
desktop, laptop and notebook sales, to virus
removal, computer repair, website design and
hosting.
Express Signs & More also offers sign services,
such as banners, yard signs, trade show displays
and stands, A-frames, magnets, decals, storefront
signs and flags; printing services, with business
cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, posters,
labels, stickers and decals; and wrap services,
Dr. P.K. JAIN
SPECIAL TO THE UCBJ
through online patient communication. CMC
is not only focused on helping patients get
better but is also empowering patients to take
control and manage their medical information
and health through the ease of a secure online
patient account. Through CMC’s online
patient portal system, CMC is addressing the
communication gap with patients about their
health.
With a click of a button, patients can navigate
the patient portal. Once they receive their
individual account login, they have access to
their health care information in a privately
including full or partial vehicle wraps, trailers,
tailgate, rear window, truck lettering, storefront
window mesh and wraps for RV’s and buses.
For more information, call (931) 520-4007, email
jeff@expresssignscookeville.com or visit www.
expresssignscookeville.com.
River Park Hospital expands cardiac and
neurology services
MCMINNVILLE - River Park Hospital
has partnered with Saint Thomas Health to
expand cardiac and neurology services in the
area. Recently opened is the McMinnville clinic
for Tennessee Neurology Specialists and the
clinic’s use of telehealth medical technology (or
telemedicine).
Telemedicine is the use of electronic
information and telecommunications
technologies to support long-distance clinical
health care – basically, allowing the neurologist
to perform a full exam of the patient while
secured domain following HIPPA compliance.
The patient portal system allows patients to
view lab results online, request prescription
refills, request appointments and ask nurses
and providers questions, even pay bills online.
With convenience and efficiency being key
components to health care, the patient portal
aligns with these initiatives to provide patients
instant access to their health care information.
As soon as CMC knows the results, the patients
know the results. Patients have the ability
to be engaged and in control of their health
and health information, thus empowering
them to be more proactive in their health
care management, which, statistics show, can
increase good health outcomes.
We could not be happier about the success
of the patient portal system and how well
patients are responding to this tool to enhance
communication of their health care. We are
not physically being with the patient. The
capabilities of the telemedicine system include
videoconferencing, store and forward imaging,
streaming media, remote patient monitoring and
wireless communications via a secure Internet
connection.
The expansion of neurology services was a
logical step following River Park’s affiliation
with the Saint Thomas Stroke Network last year.
River Park CEO Tim McGill looks forward
to increased utilization of local telemedicine
services.
“The biggest benefit is that the people who
have to travel so far for specialty services will be
able to receive that care closer to home,” McGill
said. “I’m particularly excited about growing this
program and educating our medical staff about
what’s available here and what they can make
available to their patients through telemedicine.
Our local health care providers will play a critical
role in advancing the use of telemedicine services
continually striving to implement additional
services to benefit patients. The best part is that
we have seen an increase in communication
between our patients and their medical care
team, creating a more engaged patient in hopes
of positive medical outcomes.
The online patient portal is just one of
many ways using technology can enhance
communication within the health care industry
between patients and their medical care team.
The Upper Cumberland can continue to
embrace these innovations in health care for a
healthier, more empowered community.
P.K. Jain, M.D., is CEO, president and medical director of
Cookeville Medical Center PC, located at 225 N. Willow
Ave., Cookeville, and its affiliated entities, 402 E. Gore St.,
Gainesboro. For more information, call (931) 528-8899,
(931) 268-6899 or visit www.cookevillemed.com or www.
cookevilleurgentcare.com.
in our community.”
River Park and Saint Thomas also recently
hosted the grand opening of the new Saint
Thomas Heart McMinnville office. Formerly
the Heart Group of McMinnville, Saint Thomas
Heart has had a presence in McMinnville for
more than 20 years, but the new facility – located
in River Park’s Medical Office Building –
includes nine exam rooms, two physician offices
and a lobby/waiting area. It’s located next door
to the new River Park Hospital cardiac imaging
center. In addition to bringing Saint Thomas
Heart to the River Park campus, the partnership
has also increased cardiac coverage around the
clock for the hospital.
“Our No. 1 focus is the safety and satisfaction
of our patients,” McGill said. “Over the past
year, we have made significant investments and
improvements at River Park – supported by
our partnership with Saint Thomas - to assure
SEE BUZZ | 12
12
march 2013
FROM colinx |1
at Crossville’s CoLinx operation, told the
Crossville city council in a recent meeting.
“We estimate that our per capita contribution
is about 22 percent of the disposable income
in the county. Seventy-seven percent of our
employees live in Cumberland County. We
spend approximately $60 million in the state of
Tennessee (each year).
“We have to expand because we have more
demand than we have space,” he added.
Camera said they’ve received conditional
approval for the FastTrack infrastructure
grant, which helps cover a majority of the cost
to mitigate wetlands and a stream running
across the proposed expansion site, watersheds
the company says were previously disturbed
and redirected because of past commercial and
FROM buzz |11
that we’re providing the best quality and service
available.”
Morris appointed vice president of Life
Care’s Eastern Division
CLEVELAND – Life Care Centers of
America, a skilled nursing and rehab company,
recently appointed White County native Latessa
Morris as vice president of its eastern division.
In this position, Morris will oversee Life
Care’s 41 facilities in Tennessee, Georgia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and
Virginia. Morris began her new duties on Feb. 1.
Morris has been a leader and an agent of
news
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industrial growth. Those monies total more
than $700,000, which is about 70 percent of
the $1.06 million project cost, but it requires a
local match. While Cumberland County has
agreed to be that applicant – the match is 25
percent if the county applies, versus 36 percent
if that form comes from the city – Crossville
officials have OK’d contributing up to onethird of that amount, or roughly $100,000, as
well as preparing and administering the grant.
CoLinx will fund the remaining two-thirds.
Additionally, the city has thrown its support
toward an expansion of nearby Cox Avenue,
which Camera said needs widening because
of safety concerns. A grant application will
be filed with the Tennessee Department of
Transportation (TDOT) for that.
When the expansion is completed – a
ground breaking had tentatively been
scheduled for March 13 but there was no word
on how long it would take – officials said
around 65 full-time employees will be hired
within 30 days. That payroll impact will mean
an additional $2.6 million for the economy.
Further – and perhaps most importantly,
Camera added – the Genesis facility will be
leased through 2027. The current lease is set to
expire in 2017.
“That essentially says CoLinx will be here
after most of us retire and after many of us
have passed on,” Camera said. “That is a huge
win for this community.”
Without the expansion, it’s likely CoLinx
would have left Crossville when the current
lease expired. Other states, Camera said, have
offered incentives that would have covered the
cost of moving and setting up a new facility
within two years.
As of December, CoLinx employed 745
people locally – 545 full timers and 200
contract workers – and Camera estimated the
company’s indirect jobs impact at about 250.
“If we don’t expand, we’re not in a
competitive position,” Camera said.
“Unfortunately, our studies tell us that
Crossville, without an expansion, is not the
best choice. (But) we are internally, as a team
in Crossville, trying to rescue the situation and
make sure this expansion happens.”
Formed in 2001, CoLinx replaced Integrated
Logistics Alliance, which had been operating
in Crossville since 1996. CoLinx is a unique
partnership of industrial manufacturers
consolidating costs for shipping similar
products to similar locations. It also runs
an e-commerce website that saw 20 million
transactions last year.
change from the time she
entered the administrator-intraining program to her most
recent role as the vice president
of the river region. As regional
vice president, Morris oversaw
eight skilled nursing and rehab
centers in Tennessee. She won
MORRIS
Life Care’s 2011 Chairman’s
Award for continuing to care for residents in
person rather than delegating tasks. In this
role, she also developed a successful initiative to
streamline facility departments and eliminate
unnecessary duties.
Before taking the lead in the river region,
Morris served as executive director at Life Care
Center of Crossville. The building won the
Facility of the Year award for the eastern division
in 2010. Morris also served as executive director
at Life Care Center of Centerville. She completed
her administrator-in-training program at Life
Care Center of Collegedale in 2006.
Originally from White County, Morris began
her career in long-term care at Life Care Center
of Sparta, serving as a certified nursing assistant
and then as business office administrative
assistant. She earned her bachelor’s degree in
business administration from Tennessee Tech.
Morris was named to Who’s Who Among
Women Business Executives in 2008 and 2010.
She won several accolades at Life Care Center
of Sparta, including 2005 CNA of the Year and
monthly Whatever It Takes customer service
awards in 2002 and 2005.
Morris and her husband, Jake, currently reside
in Sparta. She will be working out of the eastern
division office in Cleveland and will travel to
facilities throughout the division.
Founded in 1976, Life Care operates or
manages more than 220 nursing, post-acute and
Alzheimer’s centers in 28 states.
CCHI names executive director
COOKEVILLE - Cumberland Center for
Healthcare Innovation (CCHI) in Cookeville has
named Eric Bletzinger, MBA, as its new executive
director. Bletzinger’s health care experience
SEE BUZZ | 14
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Home, HealtH & Business expo
SPRING 2013
Friday, april 26 • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
at the FairField Glade Community & ConFerenCe Center
128 Stonehenge drive • Fairfield Glade, tn 38558
Come meet vendors that can help you with home, health, and business services
Call Irene for more information at 931-338-0751
or email irene@businesscumberland.com
BusinessCumberland.com
ucbjournal.com
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2013 march
CLASSIFIED
13
A taxing perspective: Choosing your business structure wisely
Contributed by area H&R Block offices
Special to the UCBJ
Whether you’re thinking about starting a
new business or if you’ve been in business for
a while, you may be wondering which type of
business entity would suit you. Liability is always
a question, but what’s the bottom line – we
want to know how it will affect our bottom line
– especially when it comes to taxes? Here’s the
breakdown.
There are only five different types of entities the
IRS recognizes – although some of these may be
layered inside of one another: Sole proprietorship,
partnership, C corporation, S corporation and
limited liability company (LLC).
Sole proprietorships are the most common type
of business entity. Any income or loss is reported
directly on the proprietors tax return. Almost
all expenses (when “ordinary and necessary”)
that are incurred by a sole proprietorship are
deductible and generally all profits are subject to
self employment tax.
A partnership is an entity where a separate
information return must be filed but it does not
pay income tax or self employment tax. Each
partner includes their share of the income or
loss on their tax return and – when the partner
is an active participant in daily operations of the
business – income distributed is subject to self
employment tax. Generally, partnerships have no
additional state taxes.
A C corporation has shareholders who invest
money or property but it acts as a separate entity.
Because of this, there are many transactions
that you can structure between you and your
corporation to save big money on taxes. A
corporation can take similar deductions as a
sole proprietorship, but realizes income or loss,
pays taxes, then distributes profits to those
shareholders who are also taxed on any profit.
This creates double taxation. Corporations
are also subject to additional state taxes such
as the franchise and excise tax and must have
annual meetings and record meeting minutes.
Shareholders who also work for the business must
be paid wages and are subject to federal taxes
and payroll taxes. Note that the corporation may
deduct the portion of payroll taxes that it pays on
behalf of the working shareholder.
An S corporation - much like a partnership
- passes income, losses, deductions and credits
through to its investors (shareholders). This
allows S corporations to avoid double taxation
but they are responsible for tax on certain built-in
gains and passive income. Much like a regular C
corporation, an S corporation is a separate entity
so, again, there are many transactions you can
structure between you and the corporation to save
money on taxes. A corporation must meet certain
requirements to qualify as an S corporation such
as: having no more than 100 shareholders, having
only one class of stock and being a domestic
corporation. Note that while the income from
an S corporation is subject to federal and state
income taxes, the income is not subject to selfemployment or payroll taxes. Other important
factors include: shareholders are taxed on their
Do you know how to
minimize your 401(k) tax
exposure at retirement?
Our Raymond James team can help you determine the appropriate solution
to fit your retirement needs, including keeping your taxes at retirement to
a minimum. Contact us today for a complete analysis of your individual
situation. Let us help you achieve the retirement of your dreams!
Your Raymond James team: Lin Caldwell, Office Administrator; Bill Scruggs,
Branch Manager/Financial Advisor; Pamela Nash, Financial Advisor.
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC
430 N. Washington Avenue, Suite A
Cookeville, TN 38501
Phone: 931-520-0778
Fax: 931-520-0305 • Toll-Free: 800-565-2653
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Raymond James is proud to be celebrating
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Past performance is not indicative of future results. Dividends are not
guaranteed and must be authorized by the company’s board of directors.
income regardless of whether the corporation
pays the income out, like corporations they
are subject to additional state taxes such as the
franchise and excise tax and must have annual
meetings and record meeting minutes.
A limited liability company or LLC is a business
structure allowed by state statute. The IRS will
treat an LLC as either a corporation, partnership
or as part of the LLC’s owner’s tax return. There
is no maximum number of members and most
states allow “single member” LLCs. An LLC
with only one member is treated as an entity
disregarded as separate from its owner for income
tax purposes (but as a separate entity for purposes
of employment tax and certain excise tax), unless
it elects to be treated as a corporation.
Even though you can see each entity has its pros
and cons, there is no substitute for a full review
regarding your individual business situation with
a legal adviser and tax adviser.
H&R Block provides bookkeeping, payroll, tax preparation
and advice. Upper Cumberland offices and agents include
Nella Lohorn, EA, Sparta; Teresa Tompkins, franchisee,
Jamestown; Linda Tower, EA, Livingston; Dolores West, EA,
Celina; Lee Smith, EA, Carthage, Smithville, McMinnville; Bill
Hendrixson, EA, Crossville; Roger Tompkins, franchisee,
Monterey; Jerry Joyner, EA, Cookeville; and Shasta Yankee,
EA, Gainesboro. For more information, visit www.hrblock.
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14
news
march 2013
Commercial
Building Permits
JANUARY 2013
City of Cookeville/
Putnam County
List includes: Owner/contractor,
type of construction, address
and estimated cost
Construction Co. Inc.,
commercial remodel at 317 W.
Sprint St., $112,000
Cookeville Retail Holdings
Inc./Frisch & Associates,
commercial remodel at 377-6
W. Jackson St., $196,030
David Ardary/Keith Holloway
& Sons Construction, demolition
permit at 670 E. 22nd St., $50
Middle Tennessee Surgical
Properties/Farley’s Masonry
Inc., demolition permit at 217 N.
Cedar Ave., $50
B J and T Properties/W&O
//
OPINION
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City of Crossville/
Cumberland County
List includes: Contractor, permit
type/description, address and
valuation
W. Rogers Company,
building-commercial, addition
and renovation of water plant,
963 City Lake Road, valuation
$200,000
W. Rogers Company,
building-commercial, addition
and renovation on water plant,
105 Holiday Drive, valuation
//
profile
FROM buzz |12
includes employer health plans, primary
and specialty care and physician practice
management in western Kentucky. He is a
graduate of Western Kentucky University, and he
maintains professional affiliation with Medical
Management Group Association (MGMA) and
with numerous community organizations.
CCHI is an Accountable Care Organization
(ACO) in the Upper Cumberland that includes
36 primary care physicians in 12 counties who
maintain private primary care practices. The
physicians established the ACO so they can
work together to provide coordinated care for
Medicare beneficiaries under an agreement with
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS). For more information about CCHI, visit
www.CCHI-TN.com.
Doctors participating in the ACO include:
Cookeville area, Harold Chertok, Thomas
Jenkins, Chet Gentry, J. Darryl Richards,
Carolyn Ross, Gamal Eskander and Ty Webb;
Livingston area, Michael Cox, Mark Langenberg,
Kenneth Beaty, Kenneth Colburn and John
Clough; Smithville area, Doug Hooper, Hugh
Don Cripps, Jack Rhody, Kevin Rhody, Steven
Cooper and William Sherwood; Sparta/Spencer
area, Alan Drake, Chad Griffin, Webb and
Gentry; McMinnville area, Susan Harlow,
Bryan Chastain, Jimmie Woodlee and Michael
Questell; Carthage/Gordonsville area, Bowdoin
Smith, Larry Turner, Richard Rutherford and
Brent Staton; Woodbury area, James Spurlock,
Jeff Todd, Keith Young and Michael Thomas;
Jamestown area, C.S. Sewell; and Lafayette area,
Philip Hunt.
Wilmoth joins Frontier as new business
sales rep
COOKEVILLE – Joe Wilmoth has joined
People may have shifted some of their Christmas buying
back into those extra days.”
Eight counties, including the region’s largest three
collectors, Cumberland (-5.1), Putnam (-0.8) and Warren
(-3-3), all saw drops. Also in the red were Overton (-10.5),
Fentress (-5.9), Smith (-3.4), Van Buren (-2.7) and DeKalb
(-0.4).
White County was one bright spot, collecting more
than $1.26 million, an increase of 2.7 percentage points.
Also seeing gains were Clay (19.9 percent), Jackson (8.0
percent), Cannon (5.7 percent), Pickett (0.9 percent) and
Macon (0.7 percent).
The state as a whole also saw a drop in collections,
although at a smaller margin than the UC, at -0.3 percent.
“It’s hard to find much positive, but it was at least
somewhat comforting to know the state was also down,”
Bowman said. “At least we know it wasn’t unique to this
area.”
Frontier Communications
as a new business sales
representative in the company’s
Cookeville, Crossville, Martin,
Powell and Rutledge markets.
Wilmoth will focus on sharing
the company’s portfolio of
products and services with
wilmoth
potential business customers
and providing voice and data solutions to meet
their needs.
Wilmoth was previously employed by
Stonecom Radio/JWC Broadcasting in
Cookeville as a marketing representative,
assistant program director and web director.
“Joe is well known and respected throughout
the community, which is important to Frontier,”
said Sam Sallee, general manager. “We value
local engagement and representatives who are
articulate, trustworthy and technologically
savvy. Joe is constantly reading and researching
more about our industry and how Frontier
can make life better for our customers. We are
pleased to have the benefit of Joe’s knowledge
and expertise.”
J. Cumby Construction adds veteran
project manager
COOKEVILLE – Jerry Shaw, who has spent
14 of his 23 years in construction in the Upper
Cumberland, has joined J. Cumby Construction
as a project manager and estimator.
Shaw’s experience covers a wide range of
construction and management-related fields,
including civil engineering, soil testing, project
planning, quality control, recruiting and
training.
A 1991 graduate of Tennessee Tech University,
Shaw spent the last eight years with Livingstonbased W&O Construction in a similar role. Prior
to that, he worked with Environmental and Civil
column
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$250,000
P & C Construction, buildingcommercial, remodel at 114 The
Crossings, valuation $131,148
City of Crossville, buildingcommercial, renovation of
new police department, 99
Municipal Ave., valuation
$15,000
Crossville Housing Authority,
LDP, land disturbance permit,
Lot 43, 255 Fawn Loop,
valuation $50
Habitat for Humanity, LDP,
land disturbance permit, new
UC has disappointing holiday showing
UPPER CUMBERLAND – While the holiday spending
season may be far behind us now, it seems as if the Upper
Cumberland had a less than stellar showing, if the most
recent numbers released by the Tennessee Department of
Revenue are any indication.
The UC’s state sales tax collections for January – figures that reflect December activity – dropped nearly 2
percent from last year. It was a disappointing showing
considering the region had seen a 5.5 percentage point
gain just the month prior.
“It was interesting. I was surprised, frankly. I’d thought
we’d show stronger numbers than we did,” said Henry
Bowman, an analyst with the Upper Cumberland
Development District (UCDD), which compiles the local
numbers. He said it’s possible an earlier Thanksgiving
holiday in 2012 had an effect. “I suspect that it may be
related to the fact that there were two more days after
Thanksgiving in November this year than there were last.
//
Counties Cannon
Clay
Cumberland
DeKalb
Fentress
Jackson
Macon
Overton
Pickett
Putnam
Smith
Van Buren
Warren
White
UCDD
TN
CLASSIFIED
ucbjournal.com
home construction, Lots 2278,
2279, 2280, 510 Iris Circle,
valuation $100
Lori Neal & Associates,
LDP, land disturbance permit,
parking lot construction, 67
Irwin Ave., valuation $50
Romo’s Restaurant,
building-commercial, patio
for restaurant, 965 North Hills
Drive, valuation $14,400
Michelle Walton, buildingcommercial, covered deck at
750 E 70 Highway, valuation
$21,600
Business
Licenses
For a complete listing
of all the newest
Upper Cumberland
business licenses,
visit UCBJournal.com
January 2013
Year prior % change
$345,686
$274,251
$3,862,994
$797,436
$686,254
$191,628
$1,004,056
$754,170
$135,373
$8,125,215
$1,047,724
$68,377
$2,216,708
$1,264,614
$20,774,486
$708,092,000
$326,911
$228,682
$4,072,099
$800,681
$729,381
$177,500
$996,909
$842,920
$134,144
$8,191,018
$1,084,530
$70,288
$2,292,228
$1,231,924
$21,179,215
$710,226,000
5.7
19.9
-5.1
-0.4
-5.9
8.0
0.7
-10.5
0.9
-0.8
-3.4
-2.7
-3.3
2.7
-1.9
-0.3
Source: Compiled by the Upper Cumberland Development District from data published by the Tennessee
Department of Revenue.
Engineering Services in Crossville, with stints in
Athens, Tenn., and Birmingham, Ala.
“We’re excited about adding someone with
Jerry’s skills to our team,” said Justin Cumby,
owner of J. Cumby Construction. “He really
knows this market and can help us deliver the
high level of service our customers deserve. Jerry
is a great asset to bring on board.”
J. Cumby Construction is a full-service
commercial, industrial and residential
construction company, offering general
contractor, emergency restoration, construction
consulting and construction management
services. The firm recently moved into a new
office in Cookeville’s historic West Side district,
at 165 W. Broad St. For more information, visit
www.jcumbyconstruction.com or call (931)
526-5158.
TDEC launches state parks recreation
‘finder’
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department
of Environment and Conservation recently
launched a new GIS-based site that provides upto-date interactive maps and information about
recreational opportunities at Tennessee State
Parks and natural areas. Plans also are underway
to incorporate GIS information about historical
and archaeological sites in the future.
The new application offers a navigable portal
to access a map of TDEC-managed lands. This
system has been integrated into TDEC’s existing
infrastructure to provide geospatial information,
including core GIS tools, templates and
applications. These new interactive maps and
layers also are designed to help TDEC improve
operations and communicate more effectively
with the public, while saving both time and
money.
“Over the past several years, staff has
transitioned existing data into an Oracle
database – moving away from traditional data
storage,” TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau
said in a release. “Last year, we moved forward
with plans to serve a public-facing GIS
application within the department, giving staff
the ability to manage the data and the actual
site both effectively and cost-efficiently with no
additional costs to the department.”
Links to the new interactive portal can be
found at www.tnstateparks.com/findapark or
www.tn.gov/environment/na. Features include
customized icons, where basic information
and more in-depth details such as hiking trails,
accommodations and local amenities, are just
a click away, and a search function that allows
the public to access recreational areas across
the state within 20 miles of a particular address
and receive directions. The search function
also allows the user to search by the name of
a particular park, natural area or site or by a
specific activity – from fishing to kayaking to
camping.
“With a successful collection of data, staff
collaboration and very little infrastructure
investment, we have been able to quickly move
forward,” Martineau said. “In addition to
adding state historical or archaeological sites,
we are beginning to look at an expansion of the
application for TDEC’s Bureau of Environment,
to include permitted site data for various facilities
across the state and other environmental
interests, which will offer the public at large
access to important information quicker and
easier.”
For more information, visit http://news.tn.gov/
taxonomy/term/27.
BizBuzz highlights the movers and shakers in the region,
happenings at local businesses and important local, state or
regional information. To submit an item, email liz@
ucbjournal.com.
ucbjournal.com
news
//
OPINION
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feature
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profile
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CLASSIFIED
2013 march
15
professional directory
financial
744 S. Willow Avenue & 1065 East 10th Street
Cookeville, TN • 931.528.0138
416 E. Central Ave.
Jamestown, TN • 931-879-7007
www.CommunityBankOTC.com
We offer savings & checking accounts, online
banking, wealth management, lending services and
investing. Commmunity Bank of the Cumberlands is
hometown banking, wherever you are.
health care
McMinnville, Smithville, Sparta, Woodbury
www.capellahealth.com
Hospitals in the Capella Healthcare family will be the
center point for transforming the quality of life in their
communities, focusing first on improving the health and
well-being of every individual.
UCBJournal.com
CIA
METAL SALES
MOYER’S
INSURANCE AGENCY
Cookeville • Sparta
Jamestown • Smithville
www.CumberlandInsurance.com
Cumberland Insurance Agency is your independent
agent providing solutions compatible with your
requirement needs of all types.
legal
1 Medical Center Blvd, Cookeville, TN 38501
931.528.2541 • www.crmchealth.org
At MMA Creative we believe creative ideas are
most effective when an agency and its client partner
collaborate. Our strategic partners and creative thinkers
work with a client’s experience and market expertise to
make meaningful connections with an audience. We are
a strategically-driven agency with digital DNA.
general
C U M B E R L A N D
MARKETING
Cookeville 931.528.8852 • Nashville 615.297.6886
mmacreative.com
insurance
CRMC offers more than 40 specialties and over 200
physicians. We prove ourselves every day by meeting
health care needs with compassion and a commitment
to excellence.
For only $75 per month, your
business can be featured in its
respective
professional
category
with its logo, contact information
and a brief description of what makes
you special. Take advantage of this
new feature today and be seen by
thousands of Upper Cumberland
business leaders potentially looking
for your assistance.
Wright Daves & Jones,PLLC
1420 Neal Street, Suite 201, Cookeville TN 38503
931.372.9123 • www.WimberlyLawson.com
We are a law firm that represents management
exclusively in all areas of labor and employment law. We
serve clients throughout the United States with prompt,
diligent and cost-effective legal advice and services.
5161 Hickory Valley Road, Sparta, TN 38583
ph 931.738.7335 • fax 931.738.7302
We sell metal roofing, accessories & pole barn kits.
We also move storage buildings.
Watson
Metals
1210 S. Jefferson Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38506
931.526.1236 • www.WatsonMetals.com
• Wood & Metal Trusses • Some Panels in Stock
• Trim & Supplies • Tools & Accessories
• 20 colors / 40 year warranty
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
E.S. Construction
1.866.647.4644 • www.esconstruction.com
We offer commercial roofing solutions for all kinds of roofs,
and we are a certified, warranty-trained Master Contractor.
347 East Stevens Street • Cookeville, TN 38501
931.528.5514 • www.CHCcompanies.com
With a reputation for continuously providing revolutionary
solutions to today’s energy challenges, coupled with
an outstanding safety record and fewer delays, CHC
Mechanical remains one of the region’s premier heating,
cooling, refrigeration and plumbing specialists.
• Conkin Roofing Systems
•Lowers your energy costs year-round
•Custom-built on-site
•Multi-surface versatility
•Save money by saving energy
Classifieds
BUSINESS SERVICES
Real Estate For Sale
Enhance your business or home with live interior plants. Dr. Your
Plants offers design, installation, weekly maintenance, and for your
home, vacation plant care. Free Consultation. Call Mark at Dr. Your
Plants, 931-252-4180.
Perfect for Golf Enthusiasts. Cabin sets just off golf course near Fall
Creek Falls State Park. Fully Furnished, 2BR & 2BA, 1008 sq. ft.
fireplace. In a gated community. Great second home or retirement
home. Call Cassey at 931-409-9027.
Commercial Property For Sale
Dollywood’s Company Outing Program
Cloverleaf Property is 1.37 acres located off Hwy 111 and 30
in Spencer, perfect place for bank, McDonald’s or gas station. Call
Cassey at 931-409-9027.
StandS Out FrOm all the reSt!
Mid-State
· Exchange your one-day Dollywood Company Outing
admission ticket for a Season Pass!
· Ease of Planning and Customer Service…we do all
the work and you take all the credit!
· SpecialBenefitsforbookingyourCompanyOuting
event with Dollywood!
the Place for comPany outings!
For pricing and more information, please contact Lisa Phillips
today at (865) 428-9889 or lphillips@dollywood.com
For park information, visit us at dollywood.com
To place your classified in the UCBJ,
contact Melissa at 931.528.8852 or
email classifieds@ucbjournal.com.
gARAgE DOORS
• RESIDENTIAL
• COMMERCIAL
• INSTALLATION
• SERVICE
• RETRACTAbLE AwNINgS
WE DO REPAIRS!
243 Mayberry Street • SPARTA
931.738.DOOR
Over the past year, we have
made significant investments and
improvements at River Park to
assure that we’re providing the
best quality and service available.
From our goal of having every patient seen by
a doctor within 30 minutes of arriving in our ER
to the increased cardiology coverage provided by bringing Saint Thomas Heart McMinnville
to our campus, it’s our mission to provide the
highest level of service and patient experience
available in the region.
Tim McGill, CEO
River Park Hospital
MORE COVERAGE, MORE TECHNOLOGY, MORE CONVENIENCE
More Heart
Since the announcement of the partnership between River Park
Hospital and Saint Thomas Health, our community has seen an
expansion of medical services in cardiac care.
This past December, River Park and Saint Thomas opened the
Saint Thomas Heart McMinnville Clinic. The new facility, located on
level one of River Park’s Medical Office Building, includes nine exam
rooms. The cardiology clinic is located right next door to the River
Park Cardiac Imaging Center which includes all new, state-of-the-art
technology, offering stronger diagnostic imaging capabilities. With
the additional cardiologists now on staff, access to specialists has never
been easier.
Additionally, while River Park has had an accredited Chest Pain Center
for the past decade, we’re working now to earn national certification
for our Stroke Center, which is already a part of the Saint Thomas
Health Stroke Network. This enables us to treat and stabilize patients
who present with stroke symptoms 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.
Not only are we expanding cardiovascular services, including care for
heart and stroke patients, but our partnership has also provided the
opportunity for River Park and Saint Thomas to collaborate in offering
other new services, including a neurology telehealth clinic and a sleep
disorders center. It’s our mission to provide the highest level of service
and patient experience in this region. And we’re going to keep working
hard to bring you more.
MORE MEDICAL SERVICES AT RIVER PARK HOSPITAL
1559 SPARTA STREET | MCMINNVILLE, TN 37110
Want to meet the cardiologists who serve our
patients or learn more about our cardiovascular
services? Visit —
RiverParkHospital.com/MoreHeart