Accountable Care Regs!

Here's a link obtained via a trade pub to Accountable Care regs published today.

Passport Health Communications accreditation

Passport Health Communications announced today it has achieved full accreditation with the Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program (HIEAP) from the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC). EHNAC’s HIEAP accreditation recognizes excellence in health data processing and transactions, and ensures compliance with industry-established standards and HIPAA regulations. Passport will post its release on its site.

Kalenborn expands

German-flagged Kalenborn, the steel fabricator, will spend more than $1MM expanding its capacity at Soddy-Daisy. The TFP reports.

Advent Health recap

From today's "Inside Baseball" edition via email from Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, the Nashville healthcare public communications firm (not yet posted here), in part, "A small circle of Nashville heavy hitters – Fred Goad (investor through Voyent Partners and founder of Envoy Corp.), Joel Gordon (local investor, former head of HealthSouth and co-founder of Surgical Care Affiliates), Jim Sohr (local investor and former head of AIM Healthcare) and Dave Swenson (investor through SSM Ventures and Coleman, Swenson & Booth ) just to name a few – have a big deal in the works [...] to recapitalize Chicago-based Advent Health Partners, a revenue cycle management company..."

Angel Cap Group + Screampoint

Nashville-based Angel Capital Group has invested an unspecified amount in a recently reopened C-round raise for Screampoint, a data-visualization software and services provider with offices in Menlo Park and abroad, according to a release. ACG CEO Rachael Qualls told VNC that ACG learned of the opportunity through an ACG angel. Screampoint's C-round remains open and will eventually close with about $3.5MM total, she said. Previous ACG coverage on VNC is here.

Aegis Sciences presses suit

Aegis Sciences, the drug-abuse and -efficacy forensic testing service, is suing California-based Millennium Laboratories, alleging unfair competitive practices including offering inducements to physicians. The NBJ reports. An earlier VNC story on Aegis.

DBC profits debut

Profits are materializing at Nashville-based Debut Broadcasting, the exurban radio group, according to a release this week.

HealthStream material news

Nashville-based HealthStream announced it spent $3.5MM cash to acquire 50% of SimView, a Laerdal education debriefing video system essential in learning processes; and, announced it had changed its line of credit arrangement with SunTrust, partly to support growth efforts.

DigitalReasoning & Cloudera

Brentwood-based Digital Reasoning Systems and Cloudera (Palo Alto) announced further enhancement of their data-analytics partnership. Release here.

Collins to Bazaarvoice

Stephen Collins spent five years tightening-up the-Brentwood-based Juris, the lawfirm software company, for sale to LexisNexis. It wasn't all fun. Now, he's with Bazaarvoice, a mid-stage social-commerce company in Austin, as CFO. Our story is here.

DisastersNet

DisastersNet, the Cool Springs firm that helps manage mobilization of resources in emergencies or other situations, added some Indiana hospitals to its clientele. Our previous report on DisastersNet is here, including the role of The Martin Companies.

Venture roundup

Our 28 March NewsBits features news from Council Ventures, edo Interactive, University of Tennessee, Terry Esper, Kelly Tiller, Vaden Landers, crowd-funding, SimCenter and much more more, right here.

McWhorter in 24/7

Stuart McWhorter has personally invested in 24/7 Sports, a Brentwood pro-college sports site that will certainly rival Rivals.com, the competitor created and later sold to Yahoo! by Shannon Terry. Our bit is here.

TNInvestco data

The rising tide of TNInvestco-funded portfolio companies suggests there may soon be a flood of information that will inevitably be disparate, confusing and incomplete (given NDA's, etc.). No word yet on how the TNInvestco assessment will be done. Our latest report is here.

Amazon TN recruiting?

Mike Pare of the TFP reports that Amazon.com has posted management-level jobs that may be for the company's new TN operations.

Runaway Tech valuations

The New York Times reports on the tsunami of cash flowing into venture funding, and recalls the 1999-2000 period when the 'hot and sexy' litmus test was a proxy for due diligence. HT: NashvillePost.com

10 TNINvestco's compliant

Gov. Bill Haslam's Department of Economic and Community Development issued data today certifying that each of the state's 10 TNInvestco funds were, based on data submitted, compliant with state law and regulation in executing their funding programs during year one of TNInvestco. ECD spokesman Mark Drury indicated this afternoon he was uncertain regarding the Haslam Administration's next step in evaluating the performance and value of the program. The ECD report is here. Other background info is here.

edo Interactive Google, Groupon talent

Edo Interactive in Nashville's Green Hills area has hired former Google and Groupon execs, per the company's news releases here and here. Earlier edo coverage on VNC here.

NV Med Trade Center-VUMC pact

Market Center Management Company, the Dallas firm developing the Nashville Medical Trade Center, announced today that Vanderbilt University Medical Center has dubbed NMTC a preferred vendor for space and infrastructure for continuing medical education. Details of the relationship were not released. Related earlier VNC story.

Congressional visit

Chattanooga's small-business owners gathered this week for a visit with U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves, and apparently there were plenty of complaints about financial and health reforms' impacts on hiring and lending. The TFP reports. Other VNC coverage.

MTSU aerospace

Middle Tennessee State University has a new air-traffic control simulator and is addressing the nation's projected needs for thousands of new ATC's as veterans retire. WPLN NPR reports.

Memphis message

Gwyn Fisher, head of MPACT Memphis, is traveling abroad to spread the message of Memphis' allure for young professionals. The MDN reports it.

Energy Corridor update

The KNS provides a brief update on how waste heat, solar, clean coal and other initiatives are shaping-up in Eastate. Other VNC news here.

Nanoday March 29

The UT Health Science Center in Memphis hosts Nanoday, March 29, to spread awareness of the importance of nanosciences. The MDN reports. Other VNC news.

Wacker PolySi

Wacker Polysilicone has donated $3MM to support training for its future workers at Chattanooga State Community College, the TFP reports. Oh.. and the State's giving Wacker $5MM in cash and $29MM in bonds, in gratitude for Wacker's recently announced expansion of its capacity and workforce, the TFP also reports.

Chattanooga solar

Chattanooga Metro Airport may soon have a solar-panel field not far from its runways if a grant comes through. It would be a signal achievement, the TFP reports.

Haslam praises trainers

Gov. Bill Haslam praised Tennessee's technology education centers for preparing our workforce. TNReport has it.

N'ville lifesciences unsung?

Biotech, life sciences, pharmaceuticals... these are domains most Nashville entrepreneurs and investors feel are beyond their ken. Yet, there are amazing things going on here, as we report from Vanderbilt's new drug discovery center.

TTDC at speed

Yesterday's announcement of $400K in grants for eight promising Tennessee ventures in development may signal Tennessee Technology Development Corporation is back at-speed. The VNC story's here.

AT&T-T.Mob-TN?

Erin Lawley and Geert De Lombaerde provide access to recent stories on the AT&T-TMobile mashup and implications for Tennessee. NP.com has it.

TN 'energy grab'?

In the 21 items of this week's NewsBits, perhaps nothing is more intriguing than news that several Tennessee legislators are working to gain state support for a clean-coal initiative. All that and more, right here.

Pinkston persists

Will Pinkston, a former Bredesen Administration aide, has hung out his Sync Strategies shingle and is helping translate complex education and research issues into English. Our story's here.

Acadia migrating

Acadia, an Atlanta behavioral health firm, is migrating from Atlanta to middle Tennessee, propelled by new CEO Joey Jacobs and $20MM in management-team investment. NashvillePost.com has it.

Wacker Workers

Wacker Chemical Corp.'s planned hiring of up to 650, with 70 lead operators upfront, has brought out throngs of jobseekers. The TFP reports.

TNInvestco milestone nigh

A State ECD spokesman says the first annual report on progress among the state's ten (10) TNInvestco funds will be out before month's end. Read more here.

FourBridges, Lupton execs in Fund

Execs from FourBridges Capital Advisors and Lupton are among the leaders of the new Chattanooga Renaissance Fund, the news is here.

Venture Incite

Venture Incite, the tech-transfer arm of Solidus and its emerging network of incubators, confirms it has several tech maturation grants in prospect. NashvillePost.com has it. Our earlier note on Venture Incite chief Scott Ewing (at left).

Alexander on Nuclear

Long a proponent of U.S. nuclear energy and power generation, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) counsels moderation in reacting to the tragedy in Japan. The KNS has it.

Reactor safety

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has a group that focuses on Reactor safety and siting. Related WBIR story. Related KNS story on ORNL research reactor earthquake resistance.

AEL keeps Memphis lab biz local

American Esoteric Labs, owned by Australia-based Sonic Healthcare, doesn't aim to sell hard nationwide, but will focus on being "local." The CA reports. Other news from VentureNashville.

Alstom's 1st US-made turbine

Alstom, the French company now producing steam and gas turbines in a new plant in the Chattanooga area, this month shipped its first delivery. The TFP has it. Other VentureNashville coverage.

Volkswagen 'magnet'

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander says Chattanooga's Volkswagen plant will be a jobs magnet for SE Tenneseee for years. The TFP has it. Other VentureNashville coverage.

N'ville Med Trade Center fate

Well, having been in those shoes, we can't say we blame Nashville Medical Trade Center spokesman Cole Daugherty for stayin' on message. Here's our note.

TNInvesto: 'Messy Capitalism'

Thanks to all the sources who cooperated in our weekend newsgathering, to collect comments on The Tennessean's Sunday piece on the TNInvestco program. Here's our report.

Sher: State government faces end of Stim funding

With Gov. Bill Haslam's State of the State a day away, Andy Sher of The Times Free Press reviews what's at stake, and how some state agencies and programs have prepared for the end of Stimulus funding. The TFP has it.

Humphrey reading Haslam's mail?

Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News Sentinel provides detailed prognostication on the eve of Gov. Bill Haslam's first State of the State, looking ahead to the Administration's first budget submission. The KNS has it.

TNInvestco results questioned

The Tennessean's Chas Sisk reports on the state's TNInvestco program, on the cusp of release of a formal report on the TNInvestco-chartered funds' performances. The story's here (and soon behind the cost wall).

ORNL $ vulnerable

Oak Ridge National Lab's budget, like everything else right now is vulnerable to the federal budget axe, and that means clean-energy programs are in jeopardy of losing funding. Read about it.

ORNL Solar

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has joined a Colorado State University-based consortium focused on improving photo-voltaic technology for Solar energy generation. Read about it.

HCA entrepreneurial family tree

WPLN Nashville Public Radio's Blake Farmer reports on the likely proliferation of entrepreneurs and investors that could result from the latest HCA stock offering.

HCA IPO effective, trades 10 March

HCA issued a press release this afternoon, saying the company's IPO has gone effective and will begin trading tomorrow, March 10, and should close by March 15 (the Ides?), raising an estimated nearly $3.8bn, with 126.2 million shares priced at $30.

Cybera ONE tech offering

Cybera, the Franklin, Tenn.-based data security and payment-card systems security provider, announed today it's taking its Cybera ONE suite national. A recent release describes the suite. They said they've added Mapco as a client, also.

TNInvestco fund's Silvercare lashup

TNInvestco fund Tennessee Angel Fund, an affiliate of Nashville Capital Network and the NCN sidecar fund, joined with FCA Venture Partners, an arm of Clayton Associates, to fund the B-round of incontinence-care specialist Silvercare Solutions. A quick take here.

Solvay lawsuit proceeds benefit VU, Meharry research

Lieff Cabraser, the class-action litigation firm, announced that Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Meharry College will each get just over $1MM from a settlement related to marketing practices by Solvay Pharmaceuticals. The release is here.

Memphis exec MBA-Pharmacy

The University of Memphis and UT College of Pharmacy are allying to offer an MBA for health-system pharmacy executives. The CA has it.

VW 500th test car

Volkswagen's 500th test vehicle rolled through the Chattanooga facility, and may be among those scrapped prior to the full-scale production ramp-up, in a few weeks, the TFP has it.

Net Neutrality debate

The Internet Neutrality debate resumes in a Congressional committee today, and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn may attend. The CA has it.

TVA region redux

Investment and employment recovery in the 7-state region served by TVA is up only slight, said SVP John Bradley. The TFP has it.

OnLine Development

Knoxville's Online Development named a new operations chief. The company helps major companies outsource electronic development work. The release is here.

Lipscomb Center for Entrepreneurship

Lipscomb University is launching a Center for Entrepreneurship with robust programming, just ahead. The Center will name an 'Entrepreneur of the Year' and host a pitch session for student entrepreneurs, among numerous other initiatives. Details here.

Haslam waits to count TNInvestco chicks

Gov. Bill Haslam said today he's eager to see the early results of TNInvestco funding, before judging the program. The Nashville Business Journal has it. NBJ also reported the Governor asserted Metro/Nashville government should continue paying a share of the cost of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, story here.

Aegis Health market leader

Aegis Health Group, which helps hospitals develop market strategy, named Patrick Carlton vp-market ops. Release is here.

PrimeHealth movant

PrimeHealth, the Nashville-based PPO network company, announced it bought CoreChoice, a Radiology network. Release is here.

Device Innovation revealed

Nashville's TriStar and Limestone TNInvestco funds have created a new venture for medical-device innovations, and have seed-funded it. The news was released today. Josh Nickols is the new company's first employee.

SBA in Memphis

For the fourth consecutive year, Memphis has been chosen by the SBA for funding for a program designed to help increase the survival rate for businesses in the inner city. The CA has it.

Linx leadership

Cardell Orrin's Linx Consulting in Memphis helps guide small businesses toward strategic success, the CA reports.

Jensen engineering award

Diversified Technologies Services founder Charles Jensen (left) received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Ozker award recognizing achievement in radioactive waste management, posted on the KNS site.

NewsBits, March 7, 2011

Hopes had grown we might land TyraTech, a VU portfolio company, but it's going elsewhere.. But, there's more encouraging news out of Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga.. Plus, a new PodCamp and an Oak Ridge NL tech-investment forum debuts.. read about it here.

Baker Donelson tosses gauntlet

Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz landed a prominent technology attorney and has been quietly broadening its venture footprint. The story's right here.

Local VCs fear smokin' holes

A local panel discussion reveals a bit of the perspective of Townes Duncan, founder of Solidus, which has spawned JumpStart Foundry and other programs. Read about it here.

America Service merger

America Service Group and Valitas Health Services (St. Louis) will merge, according to a release today. The headquarters will be in Brentwood.

Groupon sadism?

Okay, so VNC finally just decided to opt-out of receiving deals from Groupon and Groupon wrote they were so sorry to see me go, they'd like to introduce me to Derrick, the 'guy who thought I'd like to receive Groupon offerings'. You click on that, out of curiosity, and you see a geek mesmerzied sitting live-vid at his PC and there's a button beneath the stream saying, "Punish Derrick." It was hard, but I passed. You're welcome, Derrick. (Okay, so what actually happens when you push the button?)

GTx Ipsen team ends

Memphis-based GTx, backed by Pitt Hyde and others, yesterday announced the end of its toremifine collaboration with Ipsen, which had stepped into the partnership slot after Merck left. The MDN reports.

Solidus-Seed Hatchery mentees named

Seed Hatchery and Solidus (JumpStart) announced their first 6-startup cohort for the Memphis Seed Hatchery incubator. The only one with an alpha website is StiQRd, technology for the digital loyalty wallet; others in the cohort (all with URL's parked) Tridyn, focused on electronic device recharging stations with digital marketing; Obeedo, online groceries with drive-through pickup; Krikle, which enables self-expression via GPS and Smartphone-enabled virtual graffiti wall; WTF Memphis (the acronym can't have the usual meaning), which relates to "domesticating wireless sensor networks"; and Work for Pie, a "Match.com"-ish for entrepreneurs and co-founders. The Seed Hatchery release is here. It says, in part, "Seed Hatchery is a mentorship-driven seed fund that invests to accelerate new companies through the early phases of starting up. It was founded by serial entrepreneur Eric Mathews in partnership with Solidus Company, one of the new TNInvestco venture funds. The Seed Hatchery startups will receive access to successful business leaders, an innovative 90 day cohort program to help them develop their startups, as well as $15,000 in capital. Incubation space and other operational support are furnished..." The tip o' the Seed Hatchery spear in Memphis is entrepreneur and consultant Eric Matthews. More VNC news is here.

VU tech transfer leadership

As VNC reported earlier this week, Vanderbilt University is recruiting a leader for the newly created position of assistant vice chancellor for technology transfer and commercialization, with Korn Ferry's Atlanta's office doing the search. A source tells VNC the University is in discussion with several strong candidates, but that later-arrivers are welcomed, up to a point. VU's office of tech transfer and enterprise development has been led quite a while by Chris McKinney (left). Good chance the new AVC will be inplace by 1 July 2011. VU OTTED has made a visible push the past decade, but increased Administration emphasis on leveraging campus IP -- consistent with global trends -- is likely to benefit city, society and University.

Louisville globalizes

Louisville has established a new office to help immigrants and to support businesses seeking international trade ties. The LBJ has it here.

Oscar-winning science

We're certainly going to be hearing about Natalie Portman's Intel-competing, Harvard-attending verve, talent, brains and determination for a long time. The "Black Swan" star deserves the notice.

FedEx sustainability

FexEx VP sustainability and environmental affairs Mitch Jackson has been named one of the nation's 100 thought leaders by Trust Across America. The MDN has it.

Electrolux pressure

Elextrolux writes state-city officials, saying it needs incentives payments promised the company, quickly, or may be no news investment in the Memphis area. The CA has it.

Your ORNL on diesel

Larisa Brass reports for KNS on ORNL research and development that is helping big rigs run more efficiently, right here.

TN GOP: dereg over jobs initiatives

The NBJ reports that Tennessee GOP, including Gov. Haslam and Speaker Harwell, are emphasizing the private sector must create jobs, while government can create a better environment by reducing excessive regulation, etc. Read about it.

First lightbulbs of Spring

In less than a year, sale of 100-watt incandescent bulbs will be outlawed, as part of a U.S. energy-conservation initiative. Larisa Brass of KNS reports.

Aqua-Chem advance

Knoxville-based Aqua-Chem said it got positive results from a pilot of its technology for removing dyes and other additives from water used in carpet manufacturing. The KNS reports.

Nissan HQ solar chargers

Nissan has installed solar-powered e-car charging stations at its headquarters in Franklin, Tenn. Read about it here.