Benchmark Litigation has named Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as its 2020 Tennessee Litigation Firm of the Year.

Bradley was one of three finalists for the award, which recognizes litigation firms in each state based on the significance of their representations. The firm also was a finalist for Alabama and Mississippi Litigation Firm of the Year.

The state honors are part of the eighth annual Benchmark Litigation U.S. Awards, with nominees chosen based upon research conducted between March and November 2019. Benchmark Litigation determines its annual rankings through peer reviews and case examinations.

It was announced in October 2019 that 52 Bradley partners across all the firm’s offices were recognized in the 2020 edition of Benchmark Litigation, which also listed Bradley as a “Tier 1” firm for Product Liability in the United States. Benchmark Litigation “highly recommended” Bradley in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, and “recommended” the firm in North Carolina.

African American Music museum sets opening

The National Museum of African American Music will open Sept. 3 with a Labor Day weekend grand opening.

NMAAM will open to guests as the anchor tenant of the Fifth + Broadway development. Fifth + Broadway is one of the largest mixed-use developments in the region that includes retail, residential and office space right on Broadway.

Museum goers will be immersed in generations of musical history created and inspired by the work of African Americans. NMAAM features seven content galleries – six permanent and one rotating – that chronicle black musical traditions from the 1600s up to the present day. More than 50 genres and sub-genres of American music are explored from spirituals and gospel, to jazz, blues, hip-hop, rhythm and blues and more.

Advance tickets for general admission to the museum are now available online from the museum website, www.nmaam.org. All admission tickets are timed, with tours scheduled every 30 minutes. Guests will be able to select their time slot based upon ticket availability.

VUMC acquires birthing center

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has announced plans to acquire the Nashville location of Baby+Company, a freestanding birthing center that emphasizes a family-centered, low-intervention approach to delivery for uncomplicated pregnancies.

Operations will be transferred to VUMC on May 1.

Baby+Company is the only licensed birthing center in Tennessee. The acquisition will make VUMC the only academic medical center in the country with an accredited out-of-hospital birthing center.

Located on West End Avenue, Baby+Company is 1.5 miles from Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital, providing expectant mothers with peace of mind knowing highly specialized intervention is quickly accessible if the pregnancy develops complications or becomes high-risk.

The Nashville location of Baby+Company, which has been operated in collaboration with VUMC since it opened in August 2015, specializes in highly personalized clinical care and a unique birthing experience with comfortable birthing suites, deep soaking tubs for water births, family rooms, a full kitchen and a living room area for families. Clinical services include prenatal, labor and delivery, postpartum and newborn care as well as annual exams, pre-conception and birth control.

Local companies team on drug discovery

Nashville Biosciences and PMI Biopharma Solutions, two Nashville-based companies, have announced a strategic collaboration agreement to provide an integrated product offering around drug discovery and development

Drug discovery is an expensive and high-risk endeavor, and proper target identification and validation is the foundation of a successful drug discovery campaign. Under this alliance, both organizations will have the opportunity to bundle Nashville Bioscience’s data and in silico technology with PMI’s comprehensive laboratory services and scientific expertise to experimentally test mechanistic & therapeutic hypotheses for a comprehensive drug target identification and validation package.

PMI BioPharma Solutions offers manufacturing and aseptic fill & finish services along with protein science research services for clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries that seek to outsource individual projects, as well as engage in entire discovery campaigns.

Nashville Biosciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was created to harness the Medical Center’s extensive genomic and bioinformatics resources for drug and diagnostics discovery and development.

Nashville’s MindCare merges with PsychNow

MindCare Solutions Group of Nashville has announced a merger with Dallas-based PsychNow.

MindCare, a leading provider of 24/7 telepsychiatry and telebehavioral health services to acute care and behavioral health facilities, primary care and specialty outpatient clinics, and correctional facilities, delivers over 100,000 telepsychiatry consults and evaluations annually by dedicated provider teams working with multiple layers of clinical leadership ensuring the delivery of high-quality psychiatric services.

The telebehavioral health market is anticipated to grow from approximately $3 billion to $15.2 billion in 2026. In order to service this 25% year-over-year growth, MindCare’s digital service integrates behavioral care into a variety of health care settings through a secure, end-to-end telehealth platform to reduce costs and improve outcomes.

PsychNow is a strong regional telepsychiatry company providing services throughout Texas to over 30 acute care and behavioral health care facilities and outpatient clinics.

Rio Grande Fence earns top contractor honor

Rio Grande Fence Co. of Nashville has been named 2019 Contractor of the Year at the American Fence Association’s FENCETECH/METALfab 2020.

Rio Grande also won the top award last year and it is the company’s fifth in seven years.

Since 1958, Rio Grande Fence Co. has provided businesses and contractors with perimeter security solutions.

Integrity Solutions garners 2 Stevie Awards

Integrity Solutions, headquartered in Nashville, won two honors at the global 2020 Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service

The company won a gold for Sales Consulting Practice of the Year and a bronze for Sales Training Practice of the Year. The firm won silver and bronze Stevie Awards in the same categories last year.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organizes eight of the world’s leading business awards programs, also including the prestigious American Business Awards and International Business Awards.

More than 2,600 nominations from organizations in 48 nations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this year’s competition.

Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 180 professionals worldwide on seven specialized judging committees.

Amerigroup seeks to help TN health nonprofits

The Amerigroup Foundation is inviting Tennessee nonprofit organizations to submit funding proposals to address the state’s top health challenges.

The Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup Community Care, is seeking proposals from qualified nonprofit organizations with proven, programmatic initiatives to apply for funding to improve health equity and address one or more of the following barriers to health in Tennessee communities:

• Neighborhood and physical environmental factors such as housing, crime and violence, access to healthy food, and healthy recreation.

• Healthy behaviors such as tobacco cessation, healthy diet and exercise, and access to mental and behavioral health services.

• Socioeconomic factors that impact health such as education, employment and food insecurity.

Programs seeking funding at all financial levels are invited to submit proposals.

Proposals received through March 20 will be given priority review with decisions made no later than July 1. Applications received after March 20 may be considered during the Foundation’s fall 2020 grant cycle.

To learn more about Amerigroup Community Care and the Amerigroup Foundation’s community commitment: www.anthemcorporateresponsibility.com

Real estate firm draws funds for Nashville investment

Cresset and Diversified Real Estate Capital has closed their first Qualified Opportunity Zone fund needed for high-growth markets, including Nashville.

The QOZ Fund raised $465 million in capital needed for its portfolio and the seven underlying projects.

Capitalizing on the success of Fund I, and the strength of their investment pipeline, Cresset-Diversified has launched its follow-on fund, the Cresset-Diversified Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund II.

Fund I invests in seven institutional-quality, core real estate development projects across the United States.

Fund I focused specifically on well-positioned urban neighborhoods in high-growth markets such as Nashville, Denver, Houston and Portland, among others.

Quorum sells hospital in Henderson County

Brentwood-based Quorum Health Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement with Braden Health to divest the 45-bed Henderson County Community Hospital in Lexington.

The transaction is expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2020, subject to customary approvals and conditions.

All cash proceeds from the transaction will be used to repay outstanding principal on the company’s term loan facility.

Quorum Health is an operator of general acute care hospitals and outpatient services in the United States.

Through its subsidiaries, the company owns, leases or operates a diversified portfolio of 24 affiliated hospitals in rural and midsized markets located across 14 states with an aggregate of 2,038 licensed beds.