The new Shelby County mayor and County Commission elected in August will have some major budget decisions to make once they take office Sept. 1, including a new Regional One Health Center building that could cost more to build than the $250 million FedExForum and a permanent source of county funding for the universal prekindergarten effort.

2. Last Word: End of the Camp Out, Megasite Views and The Glory Years - Monday, January 29, 2018

No camp out this year for the opening of applications for optional schools because it is online at Shelby County Schools this year. Also the applications are available at the same time – Monday morning at 10 a.m. – for the open enrollment at any other SCS school that has available space. Those were some hardcore campers that in some cases had been at this for a couple of generations. Persisting through barcodes and a 99.9 percent probability that their first choice of school would happen without the tent, generator and heaters.

3. Primary Care Specialists Joins Regional One Network - Saturday, January 27, 2018

Primary Care Specialists has joined the Regional One Health family and its two physicians and six nurse practitioners are now part of UT Regional One Physicians.

“The acquisition of Primary Care Specialists is another indicator of our progress at Regional One Health and a positive for patients as we increase access to care,” said Reginald Coopwood, M.D., president and CEO of Regional One Health. “Adding a primary care practice in the Midtown area gives more health care options as we cover from Downtown to East Memphis.”

4. Regional One Health Looking to Grow, CEO Says - Monday, January 29, 2018

Dr. Jeffrey Warren remembers idolizing his family doctor while growing up in Salisbury, North Carolina, a respect for the profession that stayed with him and in part motivated his launch of Primary Care Specialists in 1992.

5. Primary Care Specialists Joins Regional One Health Network - Friday, January 26, 2018

Primary Care Specialists has joined the Regional One Health family and its two physicians and six nurse practitioners are now part of UT Regional One Physicians.

“The acquisition of Primary Care Specialists is another indicator of our progress at Regional One Health and a positive for patients as we increase access to care,” said Reginald Coopwood, M.D., president and CEO of Regional One Health. “Adding a primary care practice in the Midtown area gives more health care options as we cover from Downtown to East Memphis.”

6. Flee Joins Youth Villages To Lead Digital, Creative Strategy - Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Travis Flee has been named a director of Youth Villages’ marketing and communications department, where he serves as director of digital strategy and creative services. Flee comes to Youth Villages with nearly 20 years of marketing experience, serving most recently as the director of digital brand marketing for Hilton Worldwide.

7. Last Word: Restless Off Season, Memphis Open Closes and Single-Family Rentals - Monday, April 10, 2017

This is proving to be a restless off-season for Tigers basketball and it is not even summer yet. Add freshman guard Keon Clergeot to the Tigers players exiting the program with word still to come from Markel Crawford. Meanwhile, the Tigers have signed their second junior college recruit – Kyvon Davenport -- at forward.

8. Starting Up - Saturday, April 8, 2017

Scott Vogel is part of a small but scrappy band of entrepreneurs in Memphis focused on building and launching startups. Some have come here from around the country to participate in any of the area’s startup accelerators. They’ve founded everything from innovative medical devices to enterprises built around new twists on old challenges.

9. Fowlkes: Startups Create Most Net New Jobs - Thursday, March 23, 2017

Start Co. president Andre Fowlkes thinks most people in Memphis and communities like Memphis either ignore or misunderstand where most net new jobs are coming from these days.

10. CBU Honors Salinas As Distinguished Young Alumna - Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Gabriela “Gabby” Salinas has been named Christian Brothers University’s 2016 Distinguished Young Alumna. Salinas, who was among the honorees at the Bell Tower Gala on Saturday, Nov. 12, graduated from CBU’s biochemistry program in 2011 and went on to earn a microbiology degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She currently is a pursuing a Ph.D. in immunology and biochemistry at the University of Kentucky.
In addition to her studies and managing her job at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Salinas travels the country advocating the work of St. Jude. She’s also a three-time bone cancer survivor who founded Danny’s Dream Team, a fundraising team of pediatric cancer survivors who now participate in the St. Jude Half Marathon.

11. Changing of the Guard - Saturday, July 2, 2016

Michael Ugwueke’s office at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is a long way from his childhood years in war-torn Nigeria.

His earliest days in a country ravaged by civil war and the loss of a younger brother are part of the reason he eventually decided to pursue a career in medicine.

12. Innovating Health - Saturday, May 28, 2016

Dr. Guy Reed’s Memphis-based medical startup hit a big milestone toward the end of 2015, when Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo reached a deal to license the company’s technology.

13. Health Alliance Prepares for Annual Meeting May 12 - Saturday, April 30, 2016

The Common Table Health Alliance’s annual meeting will take place on Thursday, May 12, honoring three health impact leaders from the community and addressing the topic “Childhood Obesity: Have We Finally Turned the Corner?”

14. Common Table Health Alliance Prepping for Annual Meeting - Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Common Table Health Alliance’s annual meeting will take place on Thursday, May 12, honoring three health impact leaders from the community and addressing the topic “Childhood Obesity: Have We Finally Turned the Corner?”

15. This Week in Memphis History: December 18-24 - Saturday, December 19, 2015

2014: The University of Memphis Tigers play Brigham Young University in the first Miami Beach Bowl, marking the first bowl appearance by a Tigers football team in 10 years. The Tigers win 55-48. The game ends with a brawl between the two teams following the Memphis interception that ended it.
At the start of the current season, one Tigers player was suspended by the school for a game and a half, another for the first game. Four other players were suspended for the first half of the season opener. Those six players and a seventh also performed more than 300 hours of community service between seasons.

16. Anna Cardona Joins Ledford Engineering - Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Anna Cardona has joined Ledford Engineering and Planning, an Arlington-based land planning and civil engineering firm, as designer and marketing director. Cardona will add interior design to Ledford’s service offerings, making the firm a one-stop shop for building and development needs.

17. Tennessee’s Health Problem - Saturday, January 10, 2015

For years, the concept of “wellness” or “preventive health” measures has been the “eat your vegetables” mantra of a growing national discussion on health care that has focused primarily on the cost of such care and who should pay for it or try to control it.

18. Haslam Reaches Agreement to Expand Medicaid in Tennessee - Monday, December 15, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that he has reached a deal to expand Medicaid in Tennessee after more than a year of discussions with federal officials.

The Republican's administration touted the plan as an alternative deal with federal officials. The two-year pilot program, dubbed Insure Tennessee, would provide coverage for the state's uninsured without creating new taxes for Tennesseans.

19. Local Ebola Response Relies On Experience - Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Five years ago this month, there was a triage tent on the grounds of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and Memphis was a hot spot for the H1N1 flu pandemic.

Doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists from the hospital’s emergency room and intensive care units were the first in the nation to get vaccinations against H1N1. So were pediatricians and Shelby County Health Department employees on the front line of the city’s battle with the pandemic.

20. Regional One Health Expands Footprint - Thursday, July 24, 2014

In the last year, Regional One Health has added about 100 employees and its new name.

Of course, for about three decades it was known as The Regional Medical Center at Memphis – or simply The MED. That officially changed back on Feb. 26 when Regional One Health became the new name for the Shelby County Health Care Corp. and the “umbrella” name for the hospital.

21. Fourth Annual MED Night Raises Hospital Awareness - Wednesday, April 9, 2014

“Celebrate good times, come on!” The song by Kool & the Gang – this year’s MED Night: A Soul Celebration headliner – pretty much encapsulates not only the night, but the overall feeling about Regional One Health’s vision and new direction.

22. The MED Adopts Umbrella Name - Friday, February 28, 2014

Two names are better than one, although the new name will get most of the headline treatment.

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis – popularly known as The MED for the last three decades – will have a new “umbrella” name: Regional One Health.

23. This week in Memphis history: December 13-19 - Saturday, December 14, 2013

2010: In The Memphis News cover story on new leadership at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, MED president and CEO Reginald Coopwood said, “It was somewhat daunting in that, ‘Am I the closer, the guy who’s coming in to close the organization down, or is there an opportunity?’”

24. Wharton Names Eight to Pre-K Trust Fund Board - Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. nominated eight people Monday, Sept. 23, to serve on the board of a pre-kindergarten trust fund that would be established if city voters approve a half-cent sales tax hike in November.

25. Coopwood Lays Out Future of Health Care - Monday, September 23, 2013

Health care was the hot topic Thursday, Sept. 19, as nearly 150 people gathered in the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art auditorium to discuss the current landscape and impending changes in that field.

Health Care: The State of the Industry – one of six seminars in The Daily News’ 2013 Seminar Series – attracted a variety of professionals, most of them from outside the medical realm. They included lawyers, architects, administrative professionals, Realtors, assisted-living specialists and bankers, among others, and most of them were eager to learn more about the Affordable Care Act and how it would affect them. Others came to be inspired.

26. Events - Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Orpheum Theatre will present “Flashdance” Thursday, Sept. 19, through Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the theater, 203 S. Main St. Visit orpheum-memphis.com for showtimes and tickets.

27. Events - Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Kiwanis Club of Memphis will meet Wednesday, Sept. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. at The University Club of Memphis, 1346 Central Ave. William Rodney of Medicos will speak. Cost is $18 for nonmembers.

28. Events - Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Rhodes College will host a Constitution Day lecture featuring historian Gordon Wood on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. in the McCallum Ballroom of the Bryan Campus Life Center on campus, 2000 North Parkway. Wood will present “The Making of the Constitution.” Cost is free. Visit rhodes.edu.

29. Events - Monday, September 16, 2013

FedEx will host the 34th annual fashion show and auction benefiting The Baddour Center on Monday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Memphis, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd. Registration begins at 10 a.m.; the luncheon and program begin at 11 a.m. Tickets are $40. Visit baddour.org or call 662-366-6930.

30. Events - Saturday, September 14, 2013

Kiwanis Club of Memphis will meet Wednesday, Sept. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. at The University Club of Memphis, 1346 Central Ave. William Rodney of Medicos will speak. Cost is $18 for nonmembers.

31. Open Enrollment Approaching for Insurance Exchange - Saturday, September 14, 2013

With open enrollment for purchasing health insurance from the federally run Tennessee health insurance exchange set to begin on Oct. 1, local health care organizations are preparing with operational changes and plans for educating patients.

32. Readmission Reduction - Saturday, September 14, 2013

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis and The Regional Medical Center at Memphis are leading the pack in efforts to reduce patient readmissions with 30 days of hospital stays.

This year Medicare will levy $227 million in penalties against hospitals across the country that performed below expectations for readmissions.

33. MED Burn Center Expansion Nearly Complete - Thursday, September 12, 2013

The first phase of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis’ expansion plan is nearing completion, with the Firefighters Regional Burn Center set to double in size by the end of the year. The expansion will allow the hospital to better meet the demands of an increasing patient load.

34. Evolve Chairman Joins MED Board of Directors - Saturday, April 20, 2013

Scot Lenoir, Evolve Bank & Trust chairman, has been appointed to the board of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

35. Evolve Chairman Joins MED Board of Directors - Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Scot Lenoir, Evolve Bank & Trust chairman, has been appointed to the board of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

36. Events - Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The Center City Development Corp. board will meet Wednesday, March 20, at 9 a.m. in the Downtown Memphis Commission conference room, 114 N. Main St. Visit downtownmemphiscommission.com.

37. Events - Tuesday, March 19, 2013

National Association of Women Business Owners Memphis chapter will meet Tuesday, March 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Chickasaw Country Club, 3935 Galloway Ave. The topic is “The Little Known Secrets of Lenders: How to Access Capital to Grow Your Business.” Cost is $35 at the door. Visit nawbomemphis.org.

38. Events - Saturday, March 16, 2013

Rhodes College will host Mia Farrow and son Ronan Farrow, presenting “Cinema, Politics and Mobilizing Change in Our Community” Tuesday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the McCallum Ballroom of the Bryan Campus Life Center on campus, 2000 North Parkway. Email locap@rhodes.edu.

39. Palmer Joins Cannon Wright Blount As Director of Assurance - Wednesday, October 24, 2012

David Palmer has joined Cannon Wright Blount certified public accounting firm as director of assurance and accounting services. Palmer’s specialties include audit and profit-sharing plans in the nonprofit, health care, government and construction industries.

40. Coopwood Leads 2013 March for Babies Fundraising - Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Dr. Reginald Coopwood, CEO of the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, is the newly announced 2013 chair of March for Babies, the March of Dimes’ largest annual fundraising event.

41. Events - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Memphis Bioworks Business Association, the U.S. Small Business Administration and The University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service will host Memphis Bioworks SBA Fast Conference: Growing Your Bioscience Business Wednesday, Sept. 19, and Thursday, Sept. 20, at the MBBA conference center, 20 S. Dudley St., first floor. Visit bioworksbusiness.com.

42. Events - Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The Orpheum Theatre will present “Billy Elliot the Musical” Tuesday, Sept. 18, through Sept. 23 at the theater, 203 S. Main St. Visit orpheum-memphis.com for showtimes and tickets.

43. MED Forms Committee to Examine Minority-Owned Biz Dealings - Friday, May 4, 2012

The board governing The Regional Medical Center at Memphis has formed an ad hoc committee to review and make recommendations regarding the amount of business the hospital conducts with minority-owned companies.

44. ‘Soul-ed’ Out - Tuesday, April 3, 2012

On Saturday, March 31, as more than 800 guests entered The Peabody hotel’s Grand Ballroom for The MED fundraiser “A Soul Celebration,” the lyrics of “Imagine” hummed through the air. Attendees were soon treated to a video outlining the vision for “Tomorrow’s MED” and setting the theme for the evening.

45. Soul Celebration to Benefit MED Foundation - Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Four Tops, The Temptations Review, Thelma Houston, and Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. will bring their legendary brand of soul to The Peabody hotel’s Grand Ballroom Saturday, March 31, during “Med Night: A Soul Celebration.”

46. MED Foundation Announces Gala Lineup - Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The MED Foundation has announced the lineup for its upcoming gala, “Med Night, A Soul Celebration – Soul Food, Soulful Sounds and The Soul Train Scramble Board.”

Thelma Houston, The Temptations, The Four Tops and The 5th Dimension are slated to perform at the event, which will take place March 31 at The Peabody hotel.

47. MED's Coopwood Awarded by Tenn. Hospital Assn. - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Dr. Reginald Coopwood, president and CEO of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, was recently given a 2011 Award of Excellence from the Tennessee Hospital Association during its annual meeting.

48. MED Makeover - Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The first time Dr. Reginald Coopwood, CEO of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, ever saw the facility he now leads, he asked, “Where’s the front door?”

49. Wharton Leads MED’s Legal Team During Turnaround - Thursday, November 10, 2011

Monica Wharton, senior vice president and chief legal officer and general counsel at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, is taking care of business since being recruited by the hospital in 2008 to lead its legal team. She was on board during a transitional period for The MED, which was in poor financial health.

50. The MED Approves $20 Million in Upgrades - Monday, June 20, 2011

The board governing The Regional Medical Center at Memphis approved its fiscal year 2012 budget, including roughly $20 million in capital improvements, during a Thursday, June 16, meeting at the Adams Pavilion, 842 Jefferson Ave.

51. The MED to Vote on 2012 Budget - Thursday, June 16, 2011

On Thursday, June 16, the board overseeing The Regional Medical Center at Memphis will vote on its fiscal year 2012 budget, including a capital improvements plan approved last week by The MED’s Finance, Budget and Audit Committee.

52. MED's Coopwood Joins Health IT Task Force - Monday, June 13, 2011

Dr. Reginald W. Coopwood, president and CEO of the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, has been selected to serve as a member of the Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health Information Technology.

53. MED, BlueCross Partner for Medical Home - Friday, May 13, 2011

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis has partnered with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to establish a Patient-Centered Medical Home for BlueCross members in Memphis at its five Health Loop primary-care sites.

54. MED Gives Up $10M In County Funding - Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and the Shelby County Commission are still considering layoffs and service cuts to balance the county’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

55. Peabody Soul Gala Nets $250K for MED - Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Heavy soul and deep grooves were in the air at The Peabody hotel’s Grand Ballroom Friday night as 14 soul legends took the stage to raise money for The Regional Medical Center at Memphis and to celebrate two-time Grammy Award winner Peabo Bryson’s 60th birthday.

56. Who’s Who of Soul to Perform for MED Foundation - Thursday, March 31, 2011

More than a dozen legendary soul artists plan to bring down the house – in this case The Peabody hotel – during a one-night-only, blowout concert benefiting The MED Foundation, the fundraising arm of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

57. New Members Appointed to MED Board - Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Three new board members were recently appointed to the board of the Shelby County Health Care Corp. by Mayor Mark Luttrell.

58. Year of Resilience - Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Despite a weakened economy, Memphis’ hospitals, health care companies and biotechnology sector remained strong throughout 2010.

The industry, which employs one out of seven workers in Memphis, expanded operations and invested more than a billion dollars in new construction and equipment.

59. MED’s Comeback an Encouraging Start - Monday, December 20, 2010

The MED has a surplus.

It would be nice to say this is the fairy tale ending to a story that took a grim turn in 2009 when the public hospital’s immediate future was in very real jeopardy.

The Shelby County Commission put up millions. So did the state of Tennessee. And with their money came the spotlight – a spotlight not unlike that seen at a three-ring circus.

60. On the Mend - Monday, December 20, 2010

It’s said that you don’t choose The MED – you wake up in The MED.

Insured patients with other options haven’t historically selected for their health care needs The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, the area’s safety net facility that also is home to a top-notch burn unit and the area’s only Level 1 trauma center in a five-state region.

61. Downtime Digs - Friday, December 17, 2010

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis has a new center that will provide sleeping quarters and conference space for the surgeons who staff The Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center.

The new Trauma Training and On-Call Center made its public debut Thursday afternoon as The MED invited donors, board members and staff to tour it during an open house.

62. MED Eyes Dallas Hospital as Example - Friday, October 29, 2010

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell said Thursday his top priority is appointing a board for The MED that will help the publicly owned hospital build a stronger foundation.

63. Holcomb Steps Down from MED board - Friday, October 22, 2010

Gene Holcomb, the chairman of the board for the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, is stepping down from the position.

64. MED Part of New Arkansas Trauma System - Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Arkansas named The Regional Medical Center at Memphis as one of its three official trauma centers Tuesday with an announcement by Gov. Mike Beebe.

The MED is one of two Level 1 centers in the new comprehensive trauma system. The other Level 1 center is the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. A third hospital, Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, will be a Level II center.

65. MED Part of New Arkansas Trauma System - Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Arkansas named The Regional Medical Center at Memphis as one of its three official trauma centers Tuesday with an announcement by Gov. Mike Beebe.

The MED is one of two Level 1 centers in the new comprehensive trauma system. The other Level 1 center is the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. A third hospital, Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, will be a Level II center.

66. MPACT, MULYP Host MeetUP with MED CEO - Thursday, September 2, 2010

MPACT Memphis and Memphis Urban League Young Professionals will host Thursday a “YP MeetUP” with Dr. Reginald Coopwood, president and chief executive officer of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

67. Gov. Contender McWherter Tours MED - Monday, August 30, 2010

For candidates running for Tennessee governor, their frequent trips to Memphis this summer have resembled pilgrimages at times.

No one has made the most obvious Memphis pilgrimage stop yet – Graceland – but two other points in the city have been popular.

68. Conversion to Private Rooms Helps MED Meet Demand - Thursday, August 12, 2010

Moving in stealth-like fashion, the new leadership at The MED has begun upgrading hospital rooms to single-bed, private lodging with new flat-screen televisions.

The conversion of the semi-private rooms at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis is occurring unit by unit at three-week intervals. The MED is investing about $160,000 in the endeavor to make it more competitive until it can replace its sprawling and outdated facility.

69. Downtown's Hospital - Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Patients in a hospital bed could always use one more supportive visit, gentle touch or encouraging word.

Sometimes, that’s also the case for the hospitals themselves.

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, which has been buffeted in recent years by financial challenges, is one example. The safety-net hospital has a new CEO, is executing on a turnaround plan and is making strides to improve features of the hospital both large and small.

70. Parker Joins Management of Semmes-Murphey - Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Dr. Autry Parker has joined the pain management team at Semmes-Murphey Neurologic & Spine Institute. Parker is a board certified, fellowship trained anesthesiologist, specializing in the treatment of severe and chronic pain.

71. Towns’ MED Job Proves You Can Go Home Again - Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Tish Towns has just finished her first year at one of the most challenging jobs in the city – spearheading the effort to secure funding for The Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

It is a mission that brought her back home after 28 years.

72. MED Board Approves 2011 Hospital Budget - Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The board of trustees for The MED approved a budget Monday with a more promising financial picture for the publicly owned hospital that only a year ago faced the prospect of closing.

The budget anticipates that The Regional Medical Center at Memphis will end its 2011 fiscal year $8.8 million in the black. The hospital is currently on track to close out its current year $7.03 million ahead, compared to a loss of $20.2 million for 2009.

73. MED Leadership Begins Competitive Strategy - Monday, June 21, 2010

A few hours after Dr. Reginald Coopwood, the new chief executive officer of The MED, proclaimed that it “is going to lead in this health care community,” he unveiled the first actions toward making the publicly owned hospital more competitive.

74. MED Leadership Team Takes Shape - Monday, June 14, 2010

Dr. Reginald Coopwood is close to having his top leadership team in place three months after taking the helm at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis as chief executive officer.

75. Med Loses Wing Stake, Gains Write-Off - Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis will write off about $4.4 million in assets because it no longer has an ownership stake in the Hospital Wing.

Hospital officials did not know until recently that the charter for the air ambulance service had been modified to change it to a nonmember organization. The original owners of the service were The MED, Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.

76. Commissioners to Vote on Health Loop Clinic Funding - Monday, May 24, 2010

When The Regional Medical Center at Memphis decided late last year to spin off five of its outpatient care clinics, administrators of the hospital said the decision would give the institution financial breathing room. It would save the county $3.8 million annually.

77. Mississippi Approves MED Payments - Thursday, May 13, 2010

Mississippi officials have given final approval of a plan to allow The Regional Medical Center at Memphis to participate in that state’s Medicaid program, according a press release issued by The MED.

78. Hospitals Recognized for Quality Measures - Friday, April 30, 2010

The Memphis Business Group on Health Wednesday recognized area hospitals that have achieved “best odds of survival” for high-risk surgical procedures as measured by the 2009 Leapfrog Hospital Survey.

79. MED Halts Spin-Off of Loop Clinics - Friday, April 23, 2010

The board for The Regional Medical Center at Memphis decided Thursday to rescind the decision to spin off its Health Loop clinics to the Memphis Health Center.

The spin-off, which was recommended by FTI Cambio as a cost-cutting move, was originally proposed for completion months ago.

Dr. Reginald Coopwood, who became chief executive officer of The MED on March 1 when FTI Cambio’s management contract expired, had reservations about the hospital being without a primary care network.

At his job interview last November, he questioned whether the Memphis Health Center would continue referring patients to The MED.

Last month, he told Shelby County commissioners the hospital was reconsidering the decision to spin off the clinic.

It has yet to be determined, however, whether the hospital will keep the clinics for the long-term or strike a partnership with another health care entity.

“What our team will be doing is looking at whether the Loop Clinics are a good deal for The MED, or do we need to consider other options for Loop Clinics outside of The MED,” Coopwood said.

The clinics had an $8 million operating loss for the hospital during its 2009 fiscal year, an estimated $4.4 million loss for this year, a $2.6 million projected loss for 2011 and a $1.5 million projected loss for 2012.

A projection sheet the board considered Thursday would have the clinics operating in the black if Shelby County provides $2 million in subsidies this year and next year, which would be lowered to $1.5 million in 2012.

In the past, the county has subsidized the operation of the clinics with $3.8 million a year.

The MED early last year approached Christ Community Health Services and Memphis Health Center, which are federally qualified health clinics, about taking over their operations.

FTI Cambio had hoped to spin off the clinics by year’s end.

Only the Memphis Health Center agreed to consider the proposal.

On Dec. 17, The MED board passed a resolution approving the proposal to spin off five outpatient care clinics. The locations are the Hollywood, Bisson, Frayser, Third Street and Gurthrie clinics.

The decision Thursday to rescind that resolution was announced after an hourlong closed- door session, but the action will not become official until a follow-up vote occurs. That vote will be scheduled after seven days have passed, in accordance with state law.

Delays with the proposed spin-off were also a factor in the board’s decision.

“This was supposed to have happened in December,” Coopwood said. “We’re into late April going into May. In order for us to make the right decision, give the board good information, this is the first step that we had to do, is rescind that decision.”

80. Coopwood: MED Must Get Competitive - Friday, March 12, 2010

A few weeks into his new job as chief executive officer of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, Dr. Reginald Coopwood has identified an important priority – getting The MED past its culture of constant crisis.

81. Task Force Seeks Community Support for MED - Thursday, March 11, 2010

Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford has asked executives with some of the city’s biggest corporations to donate to The MED Foundation through direct gifts and employee payroll deductions.

82. Life or Death for The MED - Monday, March 1, 2010

A hand as tiny as a budding leaf punched at the air inside a baby incubator.

Kelley Smith, the head nurse of the neonatal intensive care unit at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, checked on the little fighter.

83. MED Leadership Change Almost There - Friday, February 26, 2010

The leadership transition between a temporary contract management company and a permanent chief executive officer at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis is nearing completion.

Dr. Reginald Coopwood attended his first hospital board meeting Thursday morning since becoming CEO of the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

84. New MED CEO Signs Contract - Thursday, January 21, 2010

Dr. Reginald Coopwood takes over the helm of The Regional Medical Center at Memphis March 1. The MED this week announced a three-year contract has been finalized.

85. 2010 - Monday, January 4, 2010

Is it over yet? That may be the most frequently asked question in the New Year. “It” is the worst national economic recession since the Great Depression.

Accurately reading the indicators will not be easy. Some will predict the recession is about to end, just as new indicators point to continuing economic agony for thousands of Memphians.

86. MED Committee Picks Coopwood for CEO - Friday, December 18, 2009

The executive search committee for the Regional Medical Center at Memphis unanimously voted Thursday to recommend Dr. Reginald Coopwood to be the chief executive officer for the financially struggling public hospital.

87. MED May Offer CEO Job To Coopwood - Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Dr. Reginald Coopwood, who leads a publicly owned hospital system in Nashville, has emerged as the leading candidate to be the new chief executive officer at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

88. County OKs Spinoff Of MED Clinics - Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis has the blessing of the Shelby County Commission to spin off its Health Loop clinics as part of a cost-cutting plan for the financially struggling hospital.
The move was approved by the commission on Monday. The spinoff is one several actions recommended by FTI Cambio, the consulting firm providing interim
management of the MED and devising strategies to cut costs.
The firm has lived up to its contract in the eyes of the finance committee for the county-owned hospital. The committee recommended in another meeting Monday that the hospital pay FTI Cambio its full $10.4 million fee. A portion of that amount, $3.2 million, was tied to specified performance standards.

89. First MED Task Force Meeting Focuses On State Funding - Thursday, December 3, 2009

Shelby County Commissioner Mike Ritz identified Tennessee as the primary deadbeat for failing to pay its share to The Regional Medical Center at Memphis during the first meeting today of a special task force looking for ways to help the financially struggling hospital.

90. MED CEO Finalists Question Hospital’s Board - Friday, November 20, 2009

Comments about “getting rid of the board over at The MED” made by Shelby County Mayor-elect Joe Ford shortly after being chosen for the post Tuesday caused some awkward moments the next day when hospital members interviewed candidates to lead the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

91. CEO search at MED down to two - Thursday, November 19, 2009

The search for a new chief executive officer to lead The Regional Medical Center at Memphis has been narrowed to two candidates.

The MED’s executive search committee on Wednesday evening interviewed Dr. Reginald Coopwood, the chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Nashville Hospital Authority, and George N. Miller Jr., who has served at the helm of hospitals in Texas and Ohio.