By Aileen Katcher

Most of us in Nashville know it is not only Music City USA, but Health Care City USA too.  But it is not always known outside of the market.  When KVBPR joined the Worldcom Public Relations Group some years ago and became active in the Health Care Practice Group, many members from around the world seemed surprised that we had the health care expertise that we do.  I got the usual music industry questions – what stars do you work with?

The truth is, other than my musician son, the only celebrities with whom I have worked were as a result of my health care public relations work here.

Before we started KVBPR, I was marketing director of Nashville’s Baptist Hospital, then the hospital of choice of the music industry union’s health plan and thus, many of Nashville’s biggest stars.  They often helped us promote the hospital, my only professional connection to the music industry.

Now, thanks to the Nashville Health Care Council’s 2010 Economic Impact Study, we have hard data to back up the claim that Nashville is indeed Health Care City, USA.  According to the study, Nashville’s health care industry contributes nearly $30 billion and 210,000 jobs to the local economy, 56 health care company headquarters (more than 100 employees) that generate nearly 400,000 jobs and more than $62 billion in revenues worldwide.

Nashville is home to a diverse sector of leading health care companies not found anywhere else, including hospital management, health information technology, disease management and more.

More than 250 health care companies have operations in Nashville, an industry concentration that ranks us above 13 other similar cities including Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis and Louisville based on the number of health care companies, industry revenues and employment.

And, 300 professional service firms here, including KVBPR, provide expertise in the health care industry.

Health Care City USA:  Nashville Rocks!  KVBPR is proud to be a part of it.

Note:  The Nashville Health Care Council 2010 Economic Impact Study was conducted by Business and Economic Research Center  at the Jennings Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.