Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc., a Nashville-based communications and change management firm serving the health care industry, has been acquired by The Chartis Group of Chicago, a leading health care advisory and analytics firm.

Founded in 2006, Jarrard ranks among the top 10 health care communications firms in the nation. Specializing in areas such as issue navigation, transformation adoption, change management, strategic positioning and M&A, Jarrard has served more than 500 health care provider clients.

Under the partnership, Jarrard will retain its brand, culture, leadership and approach to client service, while being augmented by the expertise and resources of Chartis.

The acquisition of Jarrard follows Chartis’ acquisition of The Greeley Company in 2019 and Oncology Solutions in 2018. PALAZZO served as exclusive financial adviser to Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock Inc. in this transaction.

Titans announce deal with Postmates

The Tennessee Titans have teamed with Postmates to be the team’s first, official mobile ordering partner.

Postmates was recently named the NFL’s official on-demand food delivery partner.

“We are excited to partner with the Titans to be their official mobile ordering partner this season. Postmates operates a large office in Nashville, so we have strong ties to the city,” says Justin Esch, vice president of partnerships, Postmates. “As fans are watching games from home, they can use Postmates to deliver their favorite game day foods directly to their door.”

Throughout the season, Postmates will be rolling out new promotions and experiences on behalf of the Titans starting with $5 off $15 purchases every Friday during the season as part of “TitanUp Fridays.”

Belmont entrepreneur program in US Top 20

For the second consecutive year, Belmont University’s undergraduate entrepreneurship major is among the Top 20 programs in the country for students interested in starting a new business, according to a ranking released today from The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine. The education services company named Belmont No. 20 on its list of 2021’s Top Schools for Entrepreneurship.

Named in honor of the nationally acclaimed entrepreneur who is the only person to take three companies public at the New York Stock Exchange, the mission of the Jack C. Massey College of Business is to educate entrepreneurial and ethical future business leaders. Since launching the entrepreneurship major in 2003, it has become the largest major in the Massey College.

Envision, Humana expand into Florida

Envision Healthcare, a national medical group headquartered in Nashville, and Humana Inc. have reached a statewide agreement to provide Humana’s commercial, Medicare and Medicaid members in Florida access to in-network health care provided by Envision clinicians.

The multiyear agreement builds on their long-standing relationship.

Nashville, TVA, VU join solar initiative

Nashville Metro Mayor John Cooper has announced a partnership among Nashville Electric Service, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Vanderbilt University to construct 100 megawatts of utility-scale solar power.

The partnership is under the TVA Green Invest program – placing Metro General Government operations over one-third of the way toward being sourced with 100% renewable energy and enabling Metro to meet a 2025 benchmark for renewables established by Metro Council legislation.

Vanderbilt will be a 25-megawatt co-subscriber to the solar array, thereby reaching their own 100% renewable-energy goal for campus operations. Metro-Nashville will be the first local government to pursue access to Green Invest in TVA territory.

On Metro’s and Vanderbilt’s behalf, TVA will contract with Nashville-based Silicon Ranch Corp. to build a solar array in Tullahoma. Silicon Ranch pioneered utility-scale solar power in the Tennessee Valley and is one of the largest independent solar-power producers in America.

The company was selected through TVA’s 2020 competitive procurement process for construction of up to 200 megawatts of solar power on the Tullahoma site. There will be no fiscal impact to Metro’s operating budget until Fall of 2023 when construction of the array is expected to be complete and it is online, generating clean, renewable power.

Silicon Ranch Corp. estimates construction of the array will create 500 jobs in Middle Tennessee.

GSH Media leads Music City Gold Pen Awards

The International Association of Business Communicators Nashville Chapter announced its 2020 Music City Gold Pen Awards.

Thirty-six awards were presented in categories ranging from change communications to nonprofit campaigns. The award winners represented a range of industries, including strategic communications, public relations, nonprofit, marketing, media relations, health care and more.

IABC Nashville is the local chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, serving Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.

The teams at GSH Media and Keycom both took home numerous awards for their work in media relations, nonprofit campaigns, publications, audio/visual, social media programs and special events.

Joe Diorio received the Best of Show award for the writing entry “A Few Words About Words” that received the highest score out of all submissions.

This year’s award winners and categories include:

• Centerstone, Audio/Visual

• The Change Agent.cy, Change Communications

• Frist Art Museum, Social Media Campaigns (2)

• Gilda’s Club of Middle Tennessee, Nonprofit Campaigns

• GSH Media, Publications (6), Audio/Video (2), Social Media Campaigns

• Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Audio/Visual and Special and Experiential Events

• Keycom, Media Relations (2), Nonprofit Campaigns (2), Special and Experiential Events (2), and Writing (2)

• Smith Communication Partners, Human Resources and Benefits Communication

• Veritas Federal Credit Union, Communication for the Web

• Volkert, Inc., Communication for the Web

• Words By Joe Diorio, LLC, Writing and Best of Show

• World Christian Broadcasting, Audio/Visual (2)

In addition to the Music City Gold Pen Awards entries, IABC Nashville also recognized individuals contributing to the chapter and profession with its 2020 IABC Nashville Leadership Awards. This year’s award winners include:

• Kellie Davie, APR, SCMP, 2020 President’s Choice Award

• Kristin Appelman, 2020 Rising Star Award

• Michael Deas, ABC, SCMP, 2020 Communicator of the Year Award

• Genma Stringer Holmes, 2020 Hall of Fame Inductee

J. Alexander’s down 18% compared to 2019 Q3

J. Alexander’s Holdings, Inc., the Nashville-based owner and operator of J. Alexander’s, Redlands Grill, Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill and other restaurants, has announced a business update and reported results for the third quarter ended Sept. 27.

During the third quarter of 2020 as the pandemic forced changes, the company continued to reopen dining rooms and increase capacity as permitted under each local jurisdiction’s restrictions, including the installation of booth and pub dividers in certain markets.

“I’m beyond pleased at the significant recovery that we’ve been able to achieve in recent months. In September and October 2020, our sales averaged nearly 90% of sales experienced in the same periods of 2019 – all while continuing to operate at limited capacities for dine-in service at most of our locations,’’ says Mark A. Parkey, chief executive officer of J. Alexander’s Holdings.

Average weekly same store sales per restaurant for the third quarter of 2020 were down 18.1% to $86,700 for the J. Alexander’s/Grill restaurants and down 18.2% to $58,800 for the Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill restaurants compared to the third quarter of 2019.

HealthTrust adds Louisiana group

Nashville-based HealthTrust has announced it has been selected by LCMC Health to be the exclusive group purchasing organization for the New Orleans-based health care system. LCMC Health acute care facilities include Children’s Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans East Hospital, Touro Infirmary, University Medical Center New Orleans and West Jefferson Medical Center.

Recently, the health care system added East Jefferson General Hospital, a 420-bed hospital in Metairie and Louisiana’s first nurse magnet hospital. Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Tulane University School of Medicine and LSU Health New Orleans and is the first and largest freestanding academic pediatric medical center in Louisiana dedicated entirely to the care of children.

As part of the member agreement, HealthTrust will provide access to its broad portfolio of contracts including supply and capital spending, pharmacy and purchased services. In addition, HealthTrust will implement value-added services benefiting ambulatory, ancillary and physician practices affiliated with LCMC Health.

Newport Healthcare extends agreement

Newport Healthcare, headquartered in Nashville, has announced its Newport Institute is now part of an in-network agreement with Anthem Blue Cross in California.

The mental health treatment program for young adults ages 18-27 is part of an extension to the agreement with teen treatment program, Newport Academy, which is in its third year of in-network status with Anthem.

More than 60% of young adults report feeling more anxious or depressed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of more than 5,400 American young adults age 18 and older. Mental health conditions are disproportionately affecting young adults and increased prevention and intervention efforts were advised in the report.

Founded in 2019, Newport Institute is pursuing additional contracts with insurers and currently accepts a range of insurance plans, as well as providing financing options. Insurance often covers the majority of treatment costs at Newport, and up to 100% of the treatment and therapeutic modalities that Newport Institute offers.