Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Lab won the 2020 NASA Student Launch competition.

The Vanderbilt University program claimed top honors for the seventh time in the last eight years.

The category and overall winners were announced virtually July 23.

“This year’s teams showed true innovation and determination as they tackled the new payload challenge and the unconventional methods we had to employ to complete the competition,” says Fred Kepner, an education program specialist and lead for Student Launch at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, host of the competition. “Despite the unique obstacles they faced this year, their commitment to technical excellence and carrying on in the spirit of the competition never wavered.”

Although the annual launch finale event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams were still able to complete most of the design, building and testing portions of the competition.

The Vanderbilt team will receive $5,000 from Marshall industry partner Northrop Grumman for their win.

Lipscomb test-optional for 2021 applicants

Given the many challenges facing high school students in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lipscomb University has announced it will go test-optional for undergraduate students applying for entry terms in 2021.

Due to ongoing concerns about future test dates and the availability of test centers caused by the pandemic, Lipscomb University will not require standardized test scores, such as the ACT or SAT, for most first-year applicants entering in Spring 2021 and Fall 2021.

In reviewing applications that do not include standardized test results, the admission committee will place greater emphasis on other required application credentials including academic performance, course rigor, rank in class, personal statements, recommendations, and co-curricular involvement, says Byron Lewis, vice president for enrollment management..

The admission process for spring 2021 is currently open with the fall 2021 process beginning on August 1. Information: www.lipscomb.edu.

Music City Center earns accreditation

Music City Center has achieved GBAC STAR facility accreditation from Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a Division of ISSA.

GBAC STAR validates a facility’s preparedness for biorisk situations like the novel coronavirus. To date, facilities of all sizes in more than 64 countries are working toward formal accreditation.

“By becoming accredited through GBAC STAR, these facilities are demonstrating that they have third-party validation for a performance-based system for cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention and that they are dedicated to maintaining and carrying out these processes each and every day,” says GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger.

GBAC’s team of international leaders in microbial-pathogenic threat analysis and biohazard mitigation have hundreds of years of combined industry experience. While some program participants hire consultants or engage with internal experts to complete their applications, others rely on insights and guidance from GBAC to submit a cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention program for accreditation that suits their facility and fulfills local, state and other key guidelines. GBAC STAR is designed for facilities of all types, from hotels to stadiums, restaurants, schools and more.

Groove Life to expand in Spring Hill

The Groove Life Corporation will invest $1.9 million to expand its Spring Hill headquarters and manufacturing operations.

The investment will create 76 new jobs in Maury County over the next five years.

Groove Life, which manufactures silicone rings, watch bands and other accessories, currently employs 120 people in Spring Hill. The company will make upgrades to its existing space and renovate a newly purchased building.

Recently, Groove Life began designing, testing and manufacturing the world’s first breathable silicone watchband. Each watchband is made with breathable grooves on the interior of a medical grade silicone band and designed to fit Apple, Fitbit and Samsung watches.

“It’s hard to imagine a better place to do business,’’ says Matt Mitchell, Groove Life Chief Operation Officer. “We have been able to meet our needs and find every skillset required from right here in this area. We have been very blessed by the team we’ve been able to assemble.’’

Change adds payment solution

Nashville’s Change Healthcare has launched SmartPay Payment Integration solution integrated with Epic MyChart and encrypted device integration within Hyperspace.

This latest integration with Epic’s EHR technology allows providers to offer their patients a wide range of payment options with Change providing phone and mail-in payment channels to give providers a multichannel payment solution.

Using SmartPay Payment Integration, provider users won’t have to leave their workflow in order to collect patient payments. Providers also can take advantage of features including patient statements created with design thinking to boost patient engagement.

SmartPay Payment Integration for MyChart and encrypted device integration is available in the Epic App OrchardSM.

Humana, Dialysis Clinic agree to pact

Humana Inc. and REACH Kidney Care, a separate nonprofit affiliated with Dialysis Clinic, Inc., have agreed to provide kidney disease care coordination services to eligible Humana Medicare Advantage and Commercial members in Tennessee.

Dialysis Clinic, headquartered in Nashville, operates more than 250 dialysis clinics in 28 states.

The services are designed to help Humana members with kidney disease improve their health and quality of life through a more customized, integrated approach to care.

The collaboration, now in effect, is focused on early detection of CKD, slowing disease progression, and improving the patient experience by coordinating care in conjunction with a member’s primary care physician and nephrologist. REACH Kidney Care nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians will provide patient education about in-home treatment options, including home dialysis; and health and medication assessments.

It is estimated that in the United States, more than one in seven adults has CKD, with many unaware of their condition. Individuals with CKD have kidneys that cannot properly filter blood, causing waste and fluid levels that can be dangerously high. Management of CKD is complex, and failure to appropriately manage the condition may cause worsening health outcomes and considerable symptoms.

E-commerce coaching services unveiled

Metacake, based in Franklin, announces the launch of a new line of e-commerce coaching services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

E-commerce as a segment has grown dramatically since March. Worldwide e-commerce sales topped $3.5 trillion USD, an increase of approximately 18% from the year before. E-commerce is expected to nearly double by 2023 to more than $6.5 billion.

Metacake’s coaching services help businesses make the transition to e-commerce or strengthen their current e-commerce channel. These services are a lower cost option for businesses with in-house implementation or brands looking for expertise and guidance as they transition to e-commerce. Business owners will have the opportunity to receive expert advice on specific challenges and questions as well as thoughtful guidance on their overall e-commerce strategy.

VendEngine teams with MaxxContent

VendEngine, Inc., a software provider in the corrections industry based in Brentwood, is partnering with MaxxContent to provide educational solutions across VendEngine’s software and hardware technologies for county, state and federal correctional facilities.

The platform will provide educational content, partnered with workforce development applications and certifications an inmate may receive while incarcerated. With recidivism rates from 70%-80% across the U.S., the need to provide rehabilitation for incarcerated individuals is greater than ever and this partnership is designed to address that issue.

The combined partnership delivers education and curriculum to support professional development, technical skills, recovery, video documentaries, and access to a library of eBooks.

Cumberland releases Caldolor study

Nashville’s Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, reports results of a Level 1 Trauma Center study recently published in the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma, highlighting the use of Caldolor.

Results demonstrate Caldolor (ibuprofen) Injection significantly reduces the quantity of opioids required to manage pain after a traumatic injury with fracture. In addition, the time to first narcotic medication was longer in the Caldolor group than with hospital standard of care. Also, pain was managed better in the Caldolor group compared to standard of care narcotics.

This single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was led by Drs. Russell Weisz, M.D., and Alexander Fokin at Delray Beach Medical Center in Delray Beach, Florida.

The aim of the research was to evaluate the efficacy of Caldolor administration in the management of acute pain in orthopedic trauma patients and to minimize opioid use.

PMI BioPharma is now August Bioservices

PMI BioPharma Solutions, a Nashville-based contract development and manufacturing company, has announced new funding from Oak HC/FT and a rebranding initiative.

The company plans to expand its capabilities to become a specialized, one-stop-shop contract manufacturing organization for clinical and commercial injectable therapies.

PMI also unveiled its rebranding to August Bioservices and has augmented the company’s expertise with the appointment of several industry executives to its leadership team. The new funding and expanded leadership team position August Bioservices to deliver best-in-class and highly flexible capabilities that span the research and development continuum and scale with customers’ needs.

The company also announced several important senior appointments, including Jenn Adams as CEO; Mats Bjoerkman as chief financial officer; Joe Mase as EVP of Operations; Brad Leach as SVP of commercial development.