Woodson SCOREs

State Sen. Jamie Woodson (R-6-Knoxville) will be the new CEO of SCORE, the state's education reform advocacy group. Release here.

Frist's SCORE's k-12 ed roadmap

The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), led for former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, M.D., today offers its roadmap for Tennessee k-12 education reform. The entire report is here.

NEWSBITS, Sept. 28, 2009

A strategic hire at Healthways, an update on TNInvestcos, a deadline at the local Entrepreneurs Organization chapter, new board members at Tenn. Biotechnology Association, major local tech-venture events, and Bill Frist's next step as part of an alliance to dramatically reshape Tennessee education. Here's the roundup.

TN Education critique

State Rep. Harry Brooks (R-19-Knox) is the latest to sound-off on the interim report of former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist's Tennessee SCORE, a nonprofit targeting comprehensive education reform. The KNS reports. As reported a week ago, Gov. Phil Bredesen and others are dusting-off their own critique of education. The Governor has previously said he'll make reform of higher education in the state his focal-point, during the remaining days of his second term, which ends in January 2011. Brooks is chairman of the Tenn. House Education Committee.

Aegis Sciences muscles-up for Growth

Aegis founder David Black (left) has been at it 23 years, and running his own show since 1990. Now, he's fast-approaching a 200-person workforce and adds a key medico-politico executive to his bench. Read the story here.

TN hopes to SCORE on education

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist unveiled his new K-12 initiative, with Gov. Bredesen in attendance: Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE). His new steering committee meets March 2 at Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. VU release re: Peabody faculty providing research support to the initiative.

Tech advocates Wamp, Haslam eyeing Governorship

Chattanoogan.com reports Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp (L-R, respectively) will run next year to succeed Gov. Phil Bredesen, and that former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will be taking a pass. As reported by VNC, Wamp has been the motive force of the Tennessee Valley Corridor initiative and a supporter of U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon-inspired Mind2Marketplace. Haslam was recently appointed to the board of the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation. [Update: Frist made official Jan. 4th his plans to remained focused on his roles at Cressey & Co., Vanderbilt University and elsewhere, rather than run for Tennessee governor.]

Heidtke's Picks

Doing our story on Buzz Heitdke's "worst year ever" in performance of his MidSouth fund was a pleasure. And, we enjoyed hearing how he picks some stocks on information gathered by walking around, or by trends he perceives. In addition to buying Healthways after hearing former Sen. Bill Frist's spiel on healthcare's future, Heidtke said he bought Smith & Wesson, thinking gun purchases would rise in a slow economy. Earlier this week, S&W posted a $76 million quarterly loss, due largely to cutbacks in hunting firearms. Yes, other reports indicate that sales have revolvers had, indeed, jumped recently. And so it goes.

Health tech intelligence

Former Sen. Bill Frist's presentation to local healthcare and venture executives was more than the usual Powerpoint slideshow meant to be watched with glazed-over eyes, while eating rubber chicken at a banquet. In fact, walking through his presentation might spur your thinking regarding healthcare technology opportunities. For instance, one could infer that 'outpatient' is going to get more attention. Here's the document from the organizers of a recent M&A conference where Frist held forth. And, here's a related posting about prospects for healthcare IT, generally, beyond Inauguration Day 2009.

Election '08 panelists on Health IT today in Nashville

At the Marriott at Vanderbilt this morning, the panel discussion of healthcare reform in the context of Election 2008 would probably never have touched upon the role of health information technology -- one of Nashville's claims to fame -- if panelist Dick Morris, who made clear his appearance here was underwritten by event co-sponsor Integrated Medical Systems (Birmingham) hadn't brought it up. Morris (a former Clinton White House strategist) and other panelists said that for the next few years Congress and the next President will have next-to-zero money to pay for healthcare policy reforms, but can mount a fresh attack on cost-containment and -reduction by pushing providers to improve business processes, pushing hospitals and physicians to adopt more health IT and using Federal reimbursement leverage to exact better performance. Panelist Chris Jennings, a consultant and former Clinton health-policy adviser, stressed that proper adoption of health IT should be understood as an "economic act" that forces efficiencies, rather than as an "altruistic" act that expands coverage, even though reduced costs could allow wider coverage. Panelist Chip Kahn, president of the Federation of American Hospitals, noted that in implementing health IT and related mandates, the "meat cleaver" approach must be avoided. It was Kahn who stressed, "It's the workflow, Stupid," not the technology, itself, that makes a sustainable difference. John Podesta, former Clinton chief of staff, said that while certain legal and regulatory issues (e.g., anti-trust, physicians' conflicts) must be "cleaned-up," the nation should recognize that if Wal-Mart operated the way U.S. healthcare providers do, that company would be bankrupt. The program was produced by the Nashville Health Care Council and the panel was moderated by former U.S. Senator and Majority Leader Bill Frist (shown above left, during a Princeton gathering), a partner in Cressey & Co., the venture capitalists. The panelists agreed the next President may be able to accomplish much in healthcare reform prior to 2010, but only if it's made a priority. The tone of the conversation and the number of panel comments that seemed predicated on an Obama victory, led some members of the Press covering the event to infer the panelists agreed that Obama is likely to win. Asked about that interpretation during the panelists' post-event Q&A with journalists, Frist preempted discussion by insisting that the race remains too close to call.