The Tip Sheet: 7/12

TODAY'S THE DAYToday is the deadline for nominations for the seventh annual Inside Memphis BusinessInnovation Awards. IMB has been recognizing the top thinkers and doers in the city for several years. Our seventh annual Innovation Awards issue is coming in September and we want your nominations for these people and organizations that are at the forefront of evolution — tinkerers, questioners, visionaries — who keep the machine of commerce oiled. Last year’s winners covered a range of areas, from medicine to music, education to civics. When you send us your nominations of the best and brightest candidates, please include any pertinent biographical or business information, and why the person, business, or organization should be recognized as a leader among innovators. Email your nomination to sparks@insidememphisbusiness.com.A LOWER COST OF LIVINGHealthcare is an expensive business these days, but if there’s a way to simultaneously lower costs and improve patient outcomes, why not seize it with both hands? A recent joint study between the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Methodist Le Bonheur found that more aggressive outpatient care can provide both of those benefits.The two-year SafeMed study, led by UTHSC professor Jim Bailey and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare president and CEO Michael Ugwueke, focused on high-need and high-cost Medicaid patients. The two looked at the advantages of improving outpatient care for what they call “super-utilizers,” or patients who are frequent users of hospital services and at more risk of immediate returns to a hospital after discharge.Across three hospitals, the team selected 285 participants and 1,950 others as part of a control group. Team members examined and got to know complex patients prior to discharge in order to more accurately assess their requirements for follow-up care. Nurses and pharmacy technicians would conduct regular home visits and check-ins via telephone for at least 45 days.For patients participating in the study, the SafeMed team found that there were 7 percent fewer hospitalizations, 31 percent fewer readmissions over a 30-day period, and a decrease of more than $8,600 per month in medical expenses. For Medicaid patients, the study discovered that they required significantly fewer emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and readmissions.The full findings can be found in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.- Samuel X. CicciNEWS FROM OTHER SOURCES- Steve Cohen's Fresh Start cannabis expungement effort discussed in House committee. Read Toby Sells' story in the Memphis Flyer here.- Used car dealer Carvana is hoping to get a substantial distribution facility in West Memphis. Read Jacob Steimer's story in the Memphis Business Journal here.- Fading Fred's sells HQ. Read Tom Bailey's story in the Daily Memphian here.- Sedgwick acquisition adds nearly 27,000 employees. Read Max Garland's story in The Commercial Appeal here.UPCOMING- 2019 Memphis Flyer Burger Week is happening now: Memphis Flyer Burger Week restaurants are serving thousands of $5.99 special Burger Week burgers. This year's scrumptious event is going on now through July 16. More info here.- The 4th annual Bacon & Bourbon Festival hosted by the Memphis Flyer will have creative bacon-inspired dishes of all kinds from some of Memphis' best restaurants, plus an array of distilled spirits to tempt your tastebuds. The music, merriment, and entertainment will be Saturday August 24th 2019 at Beale Street Landing downtown. A portion of proceeds go to the Memphis Farmers Market. More info here.THE HOT SHEETWho's getting promoted? Who's closing big deals? Who's getting awards? Inside Memphis Business magazine's Hot Sheet has the latest on milestones in Memphis.- Trezevant received two 2019 Bronze National Quality awards from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living.- UTHSC named Christopher Finch (pictured) chair of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translation Science.- The American Optometric Association inducted Dr. Glen Steele, the longest-serving faculty member at the Southern College of Optometry, into its National Optometry Hall of Fame.- PetSuites of America announced the opening of its first Memphis location. Doors will officially open Saturday, July 13th at 4520 S. Forest Hill Irene Road.- Lehman-Roberts Co. added two employees to its staff: Dawn Clark (payroll coordinator) and Luis Camacho (engineer in training).POWER PLAYERInside Memphis Business magazine publishes a list of local Power Players every year. These are the movers and shakers in more than 30 categories who get things done in their respective fields. IMB’s April issue has the complete list. We also publish individual categories in other issues throughout the year, and we feature individual Power Players in our weekly Tip Sheet.This week’s Power Player is Harry Pratt:President and civil engineer, Allen & Hoshall. B.S., Civil Engineering, Christian Brothers University. M.S., Civil Engineering, U of M. M.B.A., U of M. Registered Professional Engineer in six states. Past member, Dean of Engineering Advisory Board, Christian Brothers University; Civil Engineering Advisory Board, U of M. Past president, Executive M.B.A. Alumni Association, U of M. Former adjunct professor, Department of Civil Engineering, U of M. Member, American Consulting Engineers Council, National Society of Professional Engineers, Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers. With Allen & Hoshall since 1975. Served as project manager for 62 FedEx projects. Recently served as Technical Project Manager for City of Memphis’ Main Street to Main Street Intermodal Connector Project.For the complete list of Inside Memphis Business Power Players, go here.QUOTABLE"If you have a non-violent offense and you had gone seven years without an offense in the federal system, you could get your record expunged.”- Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) on his cannabis legislation