Censis selected to work part of $542M VA hospital contract
Censis Technologies has been selected to provide its core sterile instrument reprocessing systems to Veterans Health Administration hospitals across the country.
Working as a subcontractor for HP, the Franklin-based company’s Censitrac Surgical Instrument Management System will be used in all 152 U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs medical centers — part of a $543 million federal technology revamping project, according to a company statement released Tuesday.
"Our cutting-edge technology allows the VA to appropriately serve its patients by offering a high-quality, yet incredibly efficient, system," said Mike Patterson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Censis Technologies. "The fact that Censitrac was selected after an exhaustive review process further validates our technology and approach.
Censitrac guides sterile processing professionals through proper sterilization procedures; tracks the location, usage and maintenance of every uniquely identified instrument and mobile assets; and interfaces with OR scheduling systems to ensure surgeons have the right instruments when they need them. With Censitrac, the reprocessing data and procedure case history for every instrument and endoscope is readily available for root cause analysis. This means OR efficiency and infection control are aligned, thereby improving the path to patient safety.”
Memphis-based accounting firm to open Green Hills office
Patrick Accounting and Tax Service, a Memphis-based firm, will open on July 1 an office within the 2400 Crestmoor Road Building in Green Hills.
Company President Matt Patrick said his two person staff — already in Nashville and working out of their homes — offers accounting, payroll, tax preparation and other services. Patrick seeks to develop a cadre of small business clients including dentists, chiropractors and restaurant owners (a group similar to the firm's client base in Memphis).
“Many of our clients here [in Memphis] have expanded into the Nashville area, so the decision to open an office there made sense," Patrick said.
Patrick’s firm employees 15, which includes the two CPAs here.
Genesco stock suffers setback
Genesco Inc. (Ticker: GCO) stock shares took a bruising today, falling $1.84 (2.59 percent). The drop, which follows a mediocre Monday, comes on the heels of a strong last week for the retailer (read more here). Of note, Genesco is involved in a lawsuit with credit card company Visa (read more here).
May revenues climb to $31.5M more than state budgeted
State Finance Commissioner Larry Martin said today overall May revenues were $31.5 million more than the state budgeted. Read more here.
EEOC files complaint against Dollar General
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a complaint against Dollar General, accusing the Goodlettsville-based retail giant of discriminating against blacks.
The EEOC, which also has filed a complaint against BMW for the same reason, brought the complaints under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin as well as retaliation, after the agency and the two companies could not reach a settlement.
The complaints are related to, according to the EEOC, African-Americans suffering disproportionately from job losses due to criminal background checks.
Interestingly — and likely unrelated to the complaint as the EEOC story broke late this afternoon after the markets had closed — shares of Dollar General Corp. (Ticker: DG) finished trading today up $1.32 (2.62 percent).
Read more here.
OakPoint acquires Austin office buildings
OakPoint Investments announced today its purchase of two office buildings located in Austin, Texas.
The Nashville-based real estate investment firm did not disclose the purchase price in a release.
OakPoint said the two buildings comprise a combined 122,525 square feet and are located in Austin’s North Burnet Gateway corridor.
“Given our cost basis and the dynamic locations of both buildings, we are excited about the long term potential of these assets,” James Granberry, an OakPoint principal, said in the release. “We have spent considerable time searching for value in the Austin market, believing that the comparability of Nashville to Austin will allow us to employ a similar strategy in both cities successfully.”
OakPoint plans significant renovations and upgrades to both buildings. The company’s Austin-based partner on the transaction, Haverwood Management, will manage and lease the properties.
This marks the firm’s tenth acquisition since its launch two years ago.
MDSave files $5M equity raise with SEC
The Nashville Business Journal reported today that Brentwood-based MDSave Inc. has raised $5 million, an equity offering, detailed in a June 7 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Click here for the NBJ blog.
The money will be used, partially at least, to “expand
expand its medical directory database into at least eight new markets in the next 60 days — Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Las Vegas, San Diego and another soon-to-be-determined market. To manage the growth, the company is opening a centralized office for its engineers and Web developers in San Francisco, funded in part by the new raise.”
MDSave began operating last June, the brainchild of local entrepreneurs Paul Ketchel and Clyde Spencer. The idea was to offer a Web-based service that gives self-pay patients and those with high-deductible insurance plans the ability to compare provider costs.
'Hollywood Reporter' gives Nashville some love
Is there any doubt that the national media has a crush on Nashville? Check out Hollywood Reporter’s feature on Music City’s coolness and “long-percolating renaissance.” The article references favorite haunts of A-listers and mentions Nashville-specific experiences such as ordering a short stack at Hillsboro Village’s Pancake Pantry or the ice cream on the east side of town at The Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden.
Read the article here.
Federal eGallon tool shows Tennessee price of 97 cents
The U.S. Department of Energy today announced eGallon, a web tool that gives consumers a way to compare the costs of fueling electric vehicles vs. driving on gasoline.
In Tennessee, the eGallon price is about 97 cents, meaning that a typical electric vehicle could travel as far on 97 cents worth of electricity as a similar vehicle could travel on a gallon of gasoline, according to a DOE press release.
The eGallon price varies from state to state based on the price of electricity. It provides a metric that is easily comparable to that of the traditional gallon of unleaded fuel. That comparison is made by calculating how much it would cost to drive an electric vehicle the same distance as a similar conventional vehicle could travel on a gallon of gasoline.
On Energy.gov/eGallon, consumers can see the latest eGallon prices for their respective states and compare them to the price of gasoline. The DOE suggests that consumers will notice that the eGallon price will be far more stable and predictable than gasoline prices in the long run.
“Consumers can see gasoline prices posted at the corner gas station, but are left in the dark on the cost of fueling an electric vehicle,” Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in a statement. “The eGallon will bring greater transparency to vehicle operating costs, and help drivers figure out how much they might save on fuel by choosing an electric vehicle. It also shows the low and steady price of fueling with electricity. Not only can electric vehicles save consumers on fuel and reduce our dependence on oil, they also represent an opportunity for America to lead in a growing, global manufacturing industry.”
Read the entire DOE release here.
Garner to host Cumulus radio show
Cumulus has announced the looming debut of America’s Morning Show on NASH FM 94.7. Blair Garner will host the show, to be broadcast from Nashville in front of a studio audience. Sarah Skates and MusicRow.com have the story here.
