Amidst unprecedented levels of change and transformation, Nashville’s healthcare leaders are helping to shape a smarter, more efficient healthcare system for the nation. This fall, the Nashville Health Care Council is welcoming healthcare executives and innovators from across the country for its first conference. Cindy Baier, CEO of Brookdale Senior Living, discusses her role with the Council and what to expect from Nashville Healthcare Sessions, September 18-22.
In addition to serving as CEO of Brookdale, the nation’s largest operator of senior housing, you recently took over as chair of the Nashville Health Care Council’s board of directors. Tell me more about the organization and its mission.
The impact of Nashville’s healthcare industry is national in scope and influence. The city’s headquarter healthcare companies generate more than $97 billion in revenue and nearly 500,000 jobs across the globe.
Since 1995, the Nashville Health Care Council has served as the common ground for our city’s vibrant healthcare cluster. The Council offers our members engagement opportunities where the industry’s most influential executives come together to exchange ideas, share solutions, build businesses and grow leaders. It’s unlike any other member association I’ve been a part of, and I’m thrilled to serve in a leadership role for this esteemed group.
Nashville is known as Music City, but when you look at economic and national impact, it could also be called the Healthcare City because it has the nation’s largest concentration of companies who manage the delivery and innovation of healthcare. What makes Nashville’s healthcare industry unique?
Nashville’s healthcare community is interconnected and diverse, home to world leaders in healthcare services, hospital systems, outpatient care and outpatient surgery, long-term care, behavioral health, academic medical centers and health information technology sectors. While Nashville’s executives may compete with one another in the broad market, we respect, collaborate and mentor one another within our community, making this an exceptional place for businesses to thrive.
It’s not a coincidence that Nashville has grown to become the epicenter of the healthcare industry. This has happened over time because of the thoughtful investment of our leaders and the culture of innovation and entrepreneurism that thrives throughout the city. Nashville offers a wealth of talent, resources and a favorable business operating environment.
The Council is hosting its first major conference, Nashville Healthcare Sessions, this September. What sets this conference apart?
Nashville is a hub of energy and creativity. Sessions will bring together the people who make healthcare happen – the living legends, visionaries, change-makers and current and future leaders of the most preeminent healthcare organizations in the U.S. These are the people who share the deepest understanding of the healthcare system and what it takes to make innovation successful. By bringing together top players – across providers, payers, funders, startups, associations and more – we will heighten expectations around what participants can achieve when they come together with their peers.
What can healthcare professionals expect when visiting Nashville for Sessions?
Sessions is a one-of-a-kind event that provides a unique collection of experiences that purposefully bring partners and attendees together to foster the development of new connections, business opportunities, and innovative possibilities. With a combined reach of tens of thousands of healthcare facilities worldwide and billions of dollars invested annually in technology and innovation, our marquee partners have the power to make meaningful change in the healthcare industry nationwide.
In the energetic and creative atmosphere of Nashville, session attendees will collaborate with other like-minded drivers of change with the backdrop and liveliness of Music City. We can’t wait to welcome our guests in September!
