Nashville Health Care Industry Turns to Fellows for the Future

From the left, Congressman Jim Cooper and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist talk to reporters after announcing the Nashville Health Care Council Fellows program. Photo credit Blake Farmer/WPLN

Some of the country’s most influential health care companies are banding together to train the industry’s next generation of executives. The Nashville Health Care Council announced its “Fellows” program Monday.

This is not just glorified professional development, according to organizers.

Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist – whose family founded HCA – is leading the effort along with Larry Van Horn, an associate professor at Vanderbilt’s business school.

“We will hopefully put in place a structure to preserve the Nashville legacy and build on it year over year.”

Hundreds of companies here are part of a health care system that Van Horn says is quickly becoming outdated and in need of new ideas and new leaders.

Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper says the city can’t afford to rest on its laurels.

“There’s so much more to health care. There’s a whole pharmaceutical sector that’s barely represented here. Medical devices are barely represented here, so we need to broaden our base.”

The program’s advisory committee is a who’s who of the industry, including the CEO’s of HCA, Community Health Systems and Healthways.