Latest news with #NashvilleGeneralHospital
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Metro police investigate fatal shooting in Bordeaux
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Investigators are working to determine the cause of a shooting in Bordeaux Friday night that led to the death of a 23-year-old man. According to Metro Nashville Police Department officials, officers responded to the 2700 block of Hydes Ferry Road around 8:30 p.m. Friday after receiving a 911 call regarding the incident. However, when they arrived, there were no individuals in the house. Detectives found an AR-15 firearm in the residence and blood on the walls. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → Shortly after, a gunshot wound victim — Dontrail Spencer Jr. — arrived at Nashville General Hospital. He was reportedly driven by others who were in the house at the time of the shooting. Spencer was pronounced deceased a short time after he arrived at the hospital, officials said. MNPD said detectives are working to determine if the shooting was accidental, and no charges have been filed. No additional information was released. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Suboptimal at best': Embattled ex-Nashville General CEO to get an $890K settlement
Joseph Webb, the embattled former CEO of Nashville General Hospital, stepped down from his position several weeks ago just hours before the release of a scathing audit report covering various examples of mismanagement at the community's safety net hospital. Now, he's getting a more than $890,000 payout. On Tuesday, the Metro Nashville Council authorized the Metro Department of Law to pay Webb an $890,813.26 settlement after he claimed to be owed more than $1 million in unpaid salary and retirement benefits from his 10 years as the hospital's top official. The settlement was approved by a 34-1 vote, with District 12 Council Member Erin Evans the lone "no" vote. Council members Tonya Hancock, Jennifer Webb, Brandon Taylor and Courtney Johnston abstained, and District 22 Council Member Sheri Weiner was absent. Several council members voiced their hesitancy ahead of the vote. Some, like Evans, said they felt the payout was too high. Others like Johnston said it was a situation that gave her "heartburn." District 2 Council Member Kyonzté Toombs, on the other hand, said the settlement had nothing to do with Webb's performance and cautioned her colleagues against "adding acrimony" to an already strained relationship between Nashville General and the city. And District 5 Council Member Sean Parker urged the group to consider the bigger picture and turn the page on the hospital's current state. Metro Law Director Wally Dietz reminded council members that the settlement was also meant to help Metro avoid a lawsuit and likely "contentious and uncertain" trial. Along with the payout, Dietz said Webb agreed to drop any other outstanding claims he could have against the city. "This situation's suboptimal, at a minimum," Dietz told council members. "But we are where we are." The search for Webb's replacement is still underway. In the meantime, Chief Nursing Officer Veronica Elders was announced as the hospital's acting manager in early March. Along with the settlement, council members unanimously approved — with District 26 Council Member Courtney Johnston abstaining — another resolution related to Nashville General Tuesday night, authorizing a $10 million payment to the Hospital Authority of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. At-Large Council Member Delishia Porterfield, the chair of the council's Budget and Finance Committee, told the group that the funds are meant to help the hospital maintain its current level of operations through the end of the current fiscal year, and also to address some of the concerns outlined in the audit. Along with the $10 million added to the hospital's coffers Tuesday, Nashville General received a more than $59.5 million subsidy in the 2025 Metro budget. Austin Hornbostel is the Metro reporter for The Tennessean. Have a question about local government you want an answer to? Reach him at ahornbostel@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Embattled ex-Nashville General CEO to get $890K settlement
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nashville General Hospital is facing turmoil: What to know as it searches for a new CEO
Nashville General Hospital has served as the city's safety net hospital for decades but recently has been the center of controversies and upheaval. Last month, then-hospital CEO Joseph Webb, at the helm for a decade, sent a letter on Feb. 26 announcing he was stepping down to members of the Metro Nashville Hospital Authority Board, which oversees the hospital. His decision came amid allegations of mismanagement, nepotism and bullying and one day after board members, who serve on a committee charged with evaluating the CEO's performance, voted 3-0 to recommend to the full board not to renew Webb's contract. Here's what you should know about the hospital during this time of transition. Nashville General Hospital, located in North Nashville on Meharry Medical College's campus, has cared for generations of families − including paying patients and those who can't afford to pay. It serves as the index hospital for Meharry, one of the nation's oldest and largest historically Black academic health science centers. That partnership includes employing college faculty and medical students for on-the-job learning at the teaching hospital. Nashville taxpayers help fund the hospital. Every fiscal year, Metro Council members decide how much to reimburse Nashville General for caring for indigent residents. Last year, that figure neared $60 million. A day after Webb announced he was leaving, the Metro Nashville Office of Internal Audit released a scathing report alleging the hospital paid millions for contracts without proper board approval, overpaid a valet company more than $281,000 for hours that weren't worked and falsified contracts to mislead reporters while responding to public records requests. Webb said he hadn't seen the audit findings before it was made public, but he and his staff had been interviewed by auditors and knew the report was coming. Hours after the release of the audit report, the full hospital oversight board voted not to renew Webb's contract. Webb claimed his decision to leave had nothing to do the with audit or allegations and he told board members they should do more research "before you prosecute this administration." Webb left office March 14, more months before his contract was due to expire at the end of June. The allegations contained in the audit weren't Webb's only problem. At the start of the year, he had plans to continue at the helm. He told The Tennessean during a January interview about his vision for a new state-of-the art medical center spread out across 20 to 25 acres, at an undetermined location off Meharry's campus. He estimated it could cost between $500-700 million. The problem: the current Hospital Authority Board and Mayor Freddie O'Connell hadn't signed off on Webb's plan. Neither had Meharry, which supplies medical students and some faculty. Also, Metro Council members hadn't approved either the land or the cost of building the hospital, something some feared would climb closer to $1 billion. Webb's troubles didn't end there. Webb had pushed for Metro government to donate land and to allow the hospital to take over part of the Ted Rhodes Golf Course and nearby soccer fields. He pointed to findings by two consultants who agreed that was the best place to locate a large new medical facility. But again, Webb didn't have enough support. The hospital leases an aging building from Meharry, a contract that expires in two years. Some members of the hospital oversight board said they're not convinced the hospital should move off the college's campus. Several board members repeatedly mentioned concerns about the strained relationship between Webb and Meharry. Webb told The Tennessean there was "no friction" between him and Dr. James Hildreth, president of Meharry, or other college leaders. The fallout from a Jan. 30 letter Webb wrote to Hildreth suggested it was more of a chasm. Webb's tone seemed polite, saying "the community is crying out" for the two of them to sit down and discuss the partnership between the hospital and the college. But Webb also sent copies of the letter to more than 20 elected leaders, including the mayor, Metro Nashville Council members and hospital oversight board members. Hildreth's response was more direct, highlighting several "real" issues that won't be helped by merely talking. Meharry officials claim the hospital owes them more than $7 million, something Webb denied. Hildreth noted Webb's refusal to finalize a standard "physicians services agreement" or professional services agreement to outline physicians' services and compensation. Outside Nashville General's emergency room, a message on the windows touts there is no wait to be treated. That may sound like a good thing from a patient's perspective, but city leaders and the hospital authority board have voiced concerns that the hospital isn't treating enough patients, who often end up in the emergency rooms of other area hospitals. That caused some to question whether it was living up to its mission to care for indigent residents, especially at at time when Webb publicly discussed his vision for a much larger, costly medical center. The average daily patient population ranges from 30 to 50, even though the hospital is licensed for 150 beds. Webb said the current hospital only has room for 83 patients. Nashville's mayor has repeatedly vowed to support the hospital and to offer city resources to search for a new CEO. During an emergency meeting March 10, the hospital oversight board announced that Chief Nursing Officer Veronica Elders will serve as acting manager as a search for an interim CEO and then permanent CEO gets underway. The board discussed the importance of including residents and Meharry in the decision to select the hospital's next leader. Beth Warren covers health care and can be reached at bwarren@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville General Hospital: What to know amid CEO search
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Your taxes support Nashville General Hospital. Weigh in on its future.
Nashville General Hospital turns a new page when CEO Dr. Joseph Webb ends his 10-year tenure on Friday. The hospital now has the opportunity to redefine itself and its role in a city where healthcare is one of the dominant industry players, ironically in a community where health outcomes are generally poor. This is also a chance to move past financial and leadership controversies that have plagued General, the only public hospital in town. Most important, this a moment for all Nashville-Davidson County citizens to realize that they have a stake in the hospital's future. Over the last 11 years, city taxpayers have subsidized the hospital by an average of nearly $50 million a year. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, that subsidy rose to $59.5 million − or about 40% of the total budget. The hospital historically has served a large number of patients who cannot afford to pay for treatment. In 2016, the hospital, under Webb's watch, asked for two $10 million emergency city subsidies to pay the bills. The year prior, General's patient mix included 46% who could not pay. General cannot survive without the public's support. It must answer some tough questions. What is the mission of the hospital in 2025 and beyond? Is it sustainable? If so, how might the community gear it for success? The Hospital Authority Board lost confidence in Webb after a late February internal audit report revealed millions of dollars in contracts not authorized by the board, falsified contracts and overpayments. Board members began to push him out, and at a time where the outgoing leader was seeking a contract renewal, they clipped his wings. On Monday, even before Webb left his post, board members named Chief Nursing Officer Veronica Elders as interim manager while they seek and hire a new CEO. Over the last decade, governance has been at times tumultuous. Board seats in the 11-seat authority have not always been filled. In 2018, the board voted 5-1 to extend Webb's contract without an evaluation or setting any terms for his leadership. Seven years later, here we are. Webb's supporters say he was passionate about serving underrepresented communities. He touted his success in a news release after the audit. "Together, we have transformed Nashville General from a hospital of last resort to a hospital of choice for thousands of Davidson County citizens," Webb said. The hospital, which originally opened in 1890, has leased space at Meharry Medical College, one of Nashville's four historically Black colleges and universities, since 1998. However, the relationship between Webb and Meharry President James Hildreth has soured. Opinion: Trump's tariffs will hurt Tennessee. Gov. Bill Lee should speak up – for our sake Meharry officials said the hospital owes it $7 million and would not finalize a physician's services agreement. Plus, the hospital's lease is up in 2027. Before the internal audit's release, Webb worked to rally the community to support building a new hospital funded by the city. With his departure, another question that the board will have to resolve is what happens after the Meharry lease ends. Year Taxpayer subsidy 2014-15 $45,000,000 2015-16 $45,000,000 2016-17 $51,000,000 2017-18 $52,141,100 2018-19 $46,112,100 2019-20 $43,112,100 2020-21 $43,112,100 2021-22 $49,560,000 2022-23 $54,038,000 2023-24 $57,820,700 2024-25 $59,555,300 Community input is vital. In 2017, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry recommended Nashville General end its in-patient care, a controversial proposal that died very quickly. The recommendation drew an unusual alliance between then At-Large Council Member Erica Gilmore (now Trustee) and former Council Member Steve Glover to keep the hospital open. Gilmore, a Black Democrat, and Glover, a white conservative Republican, expressed concerns about lack of transparency by Metro Government and the impact on the Black community's access to health care options. Stay informed: Sign up for the Black Tennessee Voices newsletter "We understand the important role of Nashville General Hospital, and the role it plays in our city, and we have committed to securing its future," Gilmore said at a news conference in 2018. Nashville's Black community makes up 26% of the population of the city, which for decades prior to the Civil Rights movement maintained racial segregation laws. Even today, the lingering effect of the unequal treatment affects health outcomes and access to opportunities for marginalized residents. Current Mayor Freddie O'Connell expressed his support for Nashville General. "I'm very, very excited to work with both the board of Nashville General Hospital on establishing new leadership," O'Connell said in February. "This is to me the clearest opportunity we've had to look forward to a future for NGH in quite some time. Now is the time to amplify the public conversation on the role and future of Nashville General Hospital for the benefit of all citizens. David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@ or find him on X at @davidplazas or BlueSky at This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville General Hospital only survives with public support | Opinion
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Running on Ice: Tariffs may bode ill for already rising pharmaceutical costs
After a week of will-they, won't-they and days of back and forth, the U.S. imposed tariffs on its top trading partners, Canada and Mexico, for a little over 48 hours. Now, the 25% tariffs have been halted till April 2. So anything that was moving tariff free under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is moving freely again for the next few weeks. The 20% tariff on goods coming from China is still in place as is the 10% duty on imports of Canadian electricity and oil, as none of that falls under the USMCA. The import duties are aimed at forcing more cooperation from Canada, China and Mexico on stopping illegal immigration and drug smuggling into the U.S. As of now, there are still plans for reciprocal tariffs to go into effect with other countries on April 2 as well, meaning any country that has a tariff on importing American goods will have the exact same tariff on imports from that country. When it comes to the pharmaceutical industry and tariffs, it's spurring flashbacks to shortages of COVID-era supply.A Healthcare Financial Management Association article notes, 'Scarcity is going to happen,' said Nio Queiro, chief strategy officer at Nashville General Hospital, as well as a leadership consultant and coach, 'whether it happens because of long wait times in waiting to get supplies or it happens because there's a limited number of supplies.' Wait times on shipments have already increased as confusion about what products were subject to tariffs and which weren't created a backlog of sorts. In a letter to President Donald Trump, the American Hospital Association cited China as a source of cancer and cardiovascular medications, immunosuppressives, and antibiotics. Med-surg supply costs were projected to rise by 2.3%, in part due to the September 2024 tariff trhat affected products such as gloves, needles, syringes and some face masks. Even without the new tariffs, hospitals would be looking at a moderately inflationary environment for drugs as well. For example, Vizient predicted a 3.84% increase in pharmaceutical spending for the yearlong period starting in July of what happens April 2, it looks as though the health care industry will see aggressive rising costs and possible shortages this year and for the foreseeable future. New equipment who dis? Thermodyne Foodservice Products has announced some new equipment for the first time in a hot minute. Last week at the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show in Atlanta, the company introduced its Rapid Thawing Cabinet, which, by use of conduction and convection, produces fast thawing times. Rapid thawing might be slightly counterintuitive to the cold chain, but it's an important component of food service as well as vaccines, biopharmaceuticals and cells. Rapid thawing can help reduce the risk of bacterial contamination and poor cell recovery, which can affect cultures produced in other aspects of production. 'The Rapid Thawing Cabinet really is a game changer for kitchens,' says Thermodyne National Sales Representative Aaron Bremer. Demand for quick-fix items in the freezer aisle has brought in fan favorites. Checkers & Rally's, long known for iconic black and white buildings, have brought the chain's biggest assets to the freezer aisle. To be fair, the rest of the company's food is pretty solid, but the seasoned fries are where it's at. This collaboration allows the food wholesaler to sell Checkers & Rally's products in grocery stores and select retail outlets across the United States. David Dufault, SVP and general manager, retail sales, at Lamb Weston, said: 'Providing consumers with a restaurant-quality experience at home is a core strategy for Lamb Weston, and our long-standing relationship with Checkers & Rally's continues to create new usage occasions while boosting brand awareness.' 'Our partnership with Lamb Weston is among our most successful licensing agreements,' said Kristin Edstrom, director of marketing II global food retail and product licensing for Checkers & Rally's Restaurants. 'This expanded agreement lays the foundation for another decade's worth of great-tasting products that are truly representative of the unique Checkers & Rally's Restaurant experience.' This week's market under a microscope is Salt Lake City. Capacity is loosening a little in Salt Lake. Rejections are trending down, but reefer outbound tender volumes have returned to the same levels as early February. Reefer outbound tender volumes are up 2.32% week over week. On the other hand, reefer outbound tender rejections have risen 18 basis points w/w, which is some welcome stability to rejections that are regularly at 16.6%.Reefer spot rates in Salt Lake are going to be inflated as rejection rates haven't been below 10% since November 2024. Shippers and brokers can expect a reprieve on spot rates but still should expect low contract carrier compliance. Is SONAR for you? Check it out with a demo! Cold storage surpasses the impact of biological age and donor characteristics on red blood cell morphology classified by deep machine learning Emergent Cold LatAm adds capacity in strategic market with new facility in Monterrey, Mexico Target heats up its grocery assortment Ferrero marks 50 years with new warehouse facility Wanna chat in the cooler? Shoot me an email with comments, questions or story ideas at moconnell@ See you on the internet. Mary If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you must be pretty chill. Join the coolest community in freight and subscribe for more at The post Running on Ice: Tariffs may bode ill for already rising pharmaceutical costs appeared first on FreightWaves.
