Vanderbilt University’s schools of nursing, education and medicine have moved up on U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 graduate school rankings.

The nursing’s master’s program jumped from 14th to eighth, while its doctorate program in nursing practice rose from 11th to fifth.

Among individual programs, six specialties ranked in the Top 5:

• Family nurse practitioner, second

• Psychiatric – mental health nurse practitioner, second

• Adult – gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, third (tie)

• Adult – gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, third (tie)

• Nursing informatics, third

• Pediatric primary care nurse practitioner, fourth

“We’re thrilled with Vanderbilt University School of Nursing’s significant rise in the U.S. News & World Report rankings,” says Linda D. Norman, VUSN dean and the Valere Potter Menefee Professor of Nursing.

“It’s rewarding that the hard work by our faculty, staff, students and alumni over the past several years is being recognized. Such an accomplishment only reinforces our commitment to excellence and innovation in educating future nurse leaders and seeking solutions to health care challenges.”

Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development jumped from eighth to sixth. Peabody has consistently held a Top 10 spot for the past 25 years.

Its educational administration and supervision specialty remained at No. 1, a position it has held for the past 12 years. Special education returned to the No. 1 spot after being ranked second in 2018.

Peabody had six additional programs ranked in the Top 10:

• Educational psychology, third (tie)

• Education policy, fourth

• Curriculum and instruction, fifth

• Elementary education, fifth

• Secondary teacher education, seventh

• Higher education administration, ninth

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine ranked 16th among Medical Schools –Research, with its internal medicine specialty ranking No. 10. Entering the rankings this year were surgery, radiology, anesthesiology and psychiatry.

Vanderbilt Law School tied for 18th, while the MBA program at Owen Graduate School of Management came in tied at No. 29. Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering came in at 39th.

J. Alexander’s Holdings shows profit in fourth

Nashville-based J. Alexander’s Holdings, Inc., has reported its fourth-quarter financial results.

The company owns and operates J. Alexander’s, Redlands Grill, Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill and other restaurants.

The fiscal year does not include new year’s eve, a high-volume day for restaurants.

Net sales were $63,205,000, an increase of 3.0 percent from $61,338,000 reported in the fourth quarter of 2017.

For the J. Alexander’s/Grill restaurants, average weekly same store sales per restaurant were $115,800, a gain of 0.3 percent from $115,500 reported in the fourth quarter of 2017.

For the Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill restaurants, average weekly same store sales per restaurant were $85,400, up 2.4 percent from $83,400 recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017.

The company recorded a loss from continuing operations before income taxes of $470,000 for the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to income from continuing operations before income taxes of $4,340,000 in the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

The principal factor impacting income for the fourth quarter of 2018 was the non-recurring transaction expense of $4,560,000 related to the termination of the consulting agreement between Black Knight Advisory Services, LLC and the company.

Tivity’s Nutrisystem buy now complete

Franklin-based Tivity Health has completed its acquisition of Nutrisystem, Inc. for approximately $1.3 billion in cash and stock.

Tivity Health is a provider of fitness and health improvement programs, and Nutrisystem, Inc., provides weight management products and services.

With this acquisition, Tivity Health will be unique in offering, at scale, an integrated portfolio of fitness, nutrition and social engagement solutions to support overall health and wellness.

“We welcome Nutrisystem’s powerful brands and talented team to the Tivity Health family,’’ says Donato Tramuto, Tivity Health’s CEO.

“Both Nutrisystem and Tivity Health have successful track records improving health, both in the lives of consumers and health plan members, as well as in the communities where we do business. That experience, coupled with our shared commitment to our varied stakeholders, will power successful execution on the many opportunities that lie ahead.’’

Tivity Health will maintain all existing Nutrisystem brands, as well as Nutrisystem’s Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, location.

Tivity Health announced the merger on Dec. 10. Nutrisystem shareholders approved it on March 5.

State gives Smyrna, Lewisburg clean water loans

The state has announced Smyrna and Lewisburg will receive low-interest loans for clean water infrastructure improvements.

Smyrna will receive a loan totaling $3 million for green infrastructure and waste water treatment plant expansion from 5.85 million gallons per day (MGD) to 9 MGD. The loan is for $3 million with federal funding in the amount of $2.7 million and an additional $300,000 in principal forgiveness that will not have to be repaid.

A $3 million cap applies to the federal funding in the clean water loan program. The loan has a 20-year repayment period at an interest rate of 1.71 percent.

Lewisburg will receive a loan increase in the amount of $130,000 for waste water treatment plant improvements. The project is funded from the State Revolving Fund with a 20-year repayment period and an interest rate of 1.05

12South welcomes Madewell clothing

Madewell, a New York-based denim clothing company, is now open on 12South, taking over the longtime home of Corner Music.

The retailer, a part of J. Crew, is at 2709 12th Ave. S.

“Madewell is for denim lovers – or basically anyone who appreciates timeless designs that put you at ease,’’ says Joyce Lee, head designer

The company, which also has a location at The Mall at Green Hills, focuses on women’s jeans, shoes, bags, T-shirts and dresses. It has a men’s line of clothing and accessories.

The shop will offer the largest assortment of Madewell denim of any of its other stores and will provide custom embroidery on denim and cotton pieces and a leather embossing on accessories.

HCA: Infection control study successful

The results of a significant study on infection control, conducted exclusively within the Nashville-based HCA Healthcare system, has been published in The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal.

The report has shown an infection control technique achieved a 31 percent reduction in bloodstream infections and nearly a 40 percent reduction in antibiotic-resistant bacteria among non-ICU patients with central line catheters and lumbar drains.

As a result of the study, HCA Healthcare has begun implementing the infection prevention protocol in its hospitals.

“This reflects HCA Healthcare’s commitment to be a true learning health care system,” says Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, HCA Healthcare’s president, clinical services, and chief medical officer and one of the study’s authors. “We use the knowledge we capture from delivering care to millions of patients a year for continuous improvement and innovation, not only to fuel our own quality improvement efforts but also to solve vexing societal challenges such as infection prevention.”

Healthcare-associated infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are a serious patient safety issue and their elimination is a top priority for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one HAI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

State to raise rates for child care providers

The Tennessee Department of Human Services has announced it will raise the weekly reimbursement rates for all providers who take part in the state’s Child Care Certificate program beginning in April.

This rate increase is the first for child care providers since 2008.

Under this reimbursement rate change providers will receive:

• 35 percent increase in weekly reimbursement rates for infant and toddler care.

• 20 percent increase in weekly reimbursement rates for pre-school and school age care.

For example, these changes would mean an extra $46 a week for every infant that’s served by Smart Steps programs at child care agencies in Nashville and another $20 a week for each pre-school child.

“Quality child care is essential to the development of children and the thriving Tennessee we are trying to build,” says TDHS Commissioner Danielle W. Barnes. “These rate increases are a specific investment in Tennessee’s community of child care providers and will promote access to early childhood environments that are safe, healthy and educationally rich.”

Through the Smart Steps Program, TDHS provides child care financial assistance to families who are working or pursuing post-secondary education and who meet certain income eligibility requirements.

The certificate program also serves teen parents enrolled in high school, through the Teen Parent Assistance for Child Care Program.

Additional categories of child care payment assistance are available to families who take part in the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program known as Families First, parents transitioning off Families First, and children in foster care.

Tennessee has approximately 4,200 regulated child care agencies, who would be eligible to participate in program. Approximately 1,500 providers are currently participating.

Uniquest acquires senior living tech company

Uniquest, a cybersecurity firm in Nashville, has bought Touchdown, a tech provider for senior living communities.

Touchtown programs can be found in more than 1,200 communities serving 250,000 seniors and 200,000 staff members.

“Uniguest is dedicated to the growth of Touchtown by continuing their ‘customer-first’ approach in providing innovative engagement technology to the senior living market,’’ says Jeff Hiscox, chief executive officer of Uniguest. “We are excited to expand into this industry with Touchtown, the industry veterans in engagement, as our senior living center of excellence.