The Music City Walk of Fame has announced four new inductees: three-time Grammy Award-winner Darius Rucker; Don McLean of “American Pie” fame; rock ’n’ roll guitarist Duane Eddy; and former record-label executive Joe Galante, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp announced.

The induction ceremony will take place Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. at Music City Walk of Fame Park. The public is invited to view the ceremony.

“This exceptional inductee class for the Music City Walk of Fame embody iconic moments in the history of music – from Darius Rucker’s rendition of “Wagon Wheel” to Don McLean’s classic “American Pie” to the distinctive twang of Duane Eddy’s guitar,” says Ken Levitan, Chairman of the NCVC board of directors and founder/co-president of Vector Management. “Nashville’s music industry would not be the dominant force it is today without Joe Galante, who solidified Country as a leading genre in the record industry and who continues to nurture the next generation of music leaders through tech startups and entrepreneur programs.”

The induction ceremony will bestow the 101st, 102nd, 103rd and 104th stars on the Music City Walk of Fame. Inductees are recognized for their significant work of preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song.

The Music City Walk of Fame was created in 2006 on Nashville’s Music Mile, a roughly one-mile stretch that connects downtown to Music Row. Permanent sidewalk medallions with the names of inductees are displayed in a star design.

Acceptance fills 40K backpacks for campaign

Acceptance Insurance, a leading provider of auto coverage and related insurance products, has given away more than 40,000 backpacks containing essential school supplies as part of its second annual Back to School community giving campaign.

Team members across 13 states participated in this year’s giveaway effort by working with local schools and school districts, many of which are located in historically underserved communities.

“Acceptance’s Back to School campaign is one of our team’s favorite annual community events,” says Tim Monk, vice president, Sales Operations. “Our mission is to help hardworking people deal with life’s uncertainties. There is nothing more important than ensuring children get the school supplies needed to enhance their future success.”

Continued inflation is straining families’ budgets as the 2023-24 academic year begins nationwide.According to the Consumer Price Index, the cost of school supplies has risen by 23.7% over the past two years and has outpaced a cumulative general inflation rate of 12.3%.

U.S. households are projected to spend an average of $890 on back-to-school shopping, setting another record high that will cost families $26 more than last year’s bill, based on research by the National Retail Federation.

The Picklr expansion includes Nashville

The Picklr, the United States’ premiere indoor Pickleball facility, headquartered in Kaysville, Utah, announced a major expansion that includes 80 new facilities and 13 new franchisees.

Five of the company’s new locations will be in Nashville, with specific addresses to be announced soon.

The new locations will span 11 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

The expansion represents The Picklr’s commitment to meeting the demand for top-notch indoor pickleball experiences while partnering with enthusiastic franchise owners who will be leading and developing The Picklr communities..

“In coming on board to expand The Picklr, our new partners see the value of making this sport accessible and enjoyable to people across the country,” says Jorge Baargan, The Picklr’s founder and CEO. “The Picklr stands out among our competition through high-end facilities and our unique sense of community that is evident to anyone lucky enough to be a part of The Picklr, whether as a member, competitor or now our new franchisees.”

Beginning Sept. 23, The Picklr will partner with The Dink to launch Picklr Your City, a contest where pickleball fans will determine the next franchise location of The Picklr. Fans can also enter to win a lifetime supply of pickleball gear or a lifetime membership to The Picklr.

Information: www.thepicklr.com

MedHQ partners with Montecito | TruPointe

MedHQ, a leading provider of technology-enabled expert services to hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician groups and ambulatory surgery centers, has completed a multifaceted strategic partnership with Montecito | TruPointe Partners Group Purchasing Organization.

This partnership enables customers of Montecito | TruPointe Partners to access MedHQ’s robust suite of outsourced administrative services including human resource management, accounting, credentialing, staffing and advisory services.

“We are thrilled to partner with Montecito and TruPointe to deliver solutions that enable physicians and their staff to focus on what matters most – delivering exceptional patient care,” MedHQ President Erik Miller says.

This represents the latest milestone in Montecito | TruPointe Partners’ commitment to empowering physicians to prioritize patient needs while simplifying the management of operations and procurement of goods and services.

TruPointe Partners joined forces with Montecito Medical in Jan. 2023 to introduce cutting-edge purchasing solutions tailored to serve Montecito’s extensive network of 9,000 partner physicians and affiliated organizations.

Unlock Health clears HITRUST certification

Unlock Health, a health care technology and services growth platform, announced their in-scope technology system, powered by HealthAware and Medicom Health, has earned Certified status for information security by HITRUST.

The status demonstrates that the organization’s in-scope technology systems have met key regulations and industry-defined requirements and are appropriately managing risk.

This achievement places Unlock Health in an elite group of organizations worldwide that have earned this certification. By including federal and state regulations, standards and frameworks and incorporating a risk-based approach, the HITRUST Assurance Program helps organizations address security and data protection challenges through a comprehensive and flexible framework of prescriptive and scalable security controls.

“Unlock Health knows that information security is a critical concern and this certification enhances our credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of our clients, partners and industry colleagues,” says Brandon Edwards, CEO of Unlock Health.

Aero Build expands Nashville RV production

Luxury RV manufacturer Aero Build LLC last week announced plans to expand its production operations in Nashville.

Officials said the company will invest $861,000 in the project, which will create an additional 43 new jobs at its Davidson County headquarters.

The new positions will support the production and innovation of Coast, Aero Build’s new line of fully electric luxury RVs, which launched earlier this year.

Founded in 2017, Aero Build, LLC specializes in manufacturing commercial business trailers and now, with Coast, fully electric luxury travel trailers.

New Vanderbilt center studies health inequalities

Vanderbilt University announced the creation of the Vanderbilt Center for Research on Inequality and Health, a trans-institutional collaboration of the College of Arts and Science and the School of Nursing.

The center will convene leading Vanderbilt researchers with deep expertise in economic and social inequality, population health science, LGBTQ+ health policy and gun violence to explore the health impacts of these interrelated areas of study.

Led by international subject matter experts, the center’s scholarship will deepen society’s understanding of the causes of health-related inequalities, how they intersect and how they affect population health.

The center’s research will inform potential solutions to these challenges through advocacy, intervention and public policy. The center is part of Discovery Vanderbilt, an initiative of the Office of the Provost and one of three pathways in the university’s Dare to Grow campaign to support and extend the resources underpinning Vanderbilt’s most innovative research and education.

The Center for Research on Inequality and Health will be led by Christopher “Kitt” Carpenter, E. Bronson Ingram University Distinguished Professor of Economics and Health Policy. Tara McKay, assistant professor of medicine, health and society and Shelagh Mulvaney, associate professor of nursing and biomedical informatics, will serve as associate directors.

MTSU/Southwest pilot program underway

Middle Tennessee State University officials and Southwest Airlines representatives marked the official takeoff of the university’s status as part of the Southwest Destination 225° Pilot Pathways program with a signing ceremony last week.

With MTSU Aerospace students in attendance, officials, including university President Sidney A. McPhee, signed the ceremonial documents in the State Farm Lecture Hall in the MTSU Business and Aerospace Building. The event was followed by an informational session for interested students presented by Southwest pilots representing the Destination 225° program.

With 900 professional flight majors in fall 2022, MTSU aerospace students have access to a pathway that leads to becoming competitively qualified for a commercial pilot career at Southwest. The Destination 225° program includes pathways for pilots who are just starting to fly, those working on a university degree and those already building time toward their Airline Transport Pilot certificate.

McPhee says MTSU has “steadily earned a distinguished reputation as one of the collegiate aviation’s largest and most respected programs in the country” and that Aerospace is the university’s largest academic major.

The president adds that to accommodate growing student demand and industry needs, MTSU has embarked on an almost $100 million project with nearby Shelbyville and Bedford County “to build a state-of-the-art aerospace campus.”

MTSU joins current Destination 225° university partners Angelo State University, Arizona State University, Auburn University, Baylor University, Louisiana Tech University, Kent State University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Texas Southern University, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and The University of Oklahoma.