CMC/Covenant welcome new CEO

CROSSVILLE — A new chief administrative officer has been named at Cumberland Medical Center.

Covenant Health, which recently took over operations at the Crossville hospital, named Jeremy Biggs, vice president of operations for the health system, president effective March 1. Biggs will succeed Ed Anderson, who has served in various leadership roles at the hospital since 1992, including as hospital president and CEO and as a member of CMC’s board of directors. Biggs has been working with Anderson for the past couple months to learn his new role, officials recently told the Upper Cumberland Business Journal (UCBJ).

Biggs most recently served as chief administrative officer of Thompson Cancer Survival Center, which provides outpatient cancer services at locations in Knox, Anderson, Roane and Sevier counties, and which operates CMC’s Regional Cancer Center. In addition, Biggs has been the lead administrator for the merger between Cumberland and Covenant Health. As a Covenant Health executive, he has also served as president and CAO of Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System in Morristown.

Biggs has been with Covenant Health since 2011. Prior to that time, he was president of Mercy Medical Center North in Knoxville. He also served in positions of administrative leadership at St. Mary’s Health System and St. Mary’s Medical Center of Campbell County.

“Cumberland Medical Center is known for the important role it plays in…Crossville and the surrounding Cumberland Plateau region,” Biggs said. “At Covenant Health, we are very pleased to have the dedicated employees and affiliated physicians of Cumberland Medical Center as part of the health system. We will accomplish many great things together, and I am honored to be serving as Cumberland’s new chief administrator.”

Cumberland County considering audit after hotel/motel tax fails to meet projections

CROSSVILLE – Hotel/motel tax collections are considerably below budgeted projections in Cumberland County, and commissioners are considering commissioning an audit to make sure those funds are being collected appropriately.

According to the Crossville Chronicle, as measured through early March, a total of $424,357 had been collected, or 57 percent of the budgeted $738,000 for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Compared to the same period last year, collections are off by more than $20,000, although hotels in the county seem full, commissioners said.

An audit, which would be performed for a fee, would help ensure compliance. Cumberland County’s hotel/motel tax rate is 7 percent, according to Crossville-Cumberland County Chamber website.

Fall Creek Falls among ‘best American state parks’

SPENCER – An Upper Cumberland park has been named among the best in America.

Fall Creek Falls, which covers more than 26,000 acres in Van Buren and Bledsoe counties, was included in a list of “10 of the best state parks in America” by Mother Nature Network, an environmental and social responsibility online network.

Here’s what the website had to say: “Located on the top of Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, the 26,000 acres of Fall Creek Falls State Park are quite beautiful. Named after the impressive 256-foot waterfall that is its most popular attraction, the park also boasts extensive hardwood forests, numerous cascades, and a remarkable network of hiking trails. Though most visitors come to Fall Creek Falls only for a waterfall photo-op, you can easily get a backcountry camping permit (or stay in a park cabin or even the onsite inn) and explore the 34 miles of trails on foot or on horseback.”

Also included were Alaska’s Chugach State Park, Tallulah Gorge in Georgia and Itasca State Park in northeastern Minnesota, among others. Fall Creek Falls State Park is Tennessee’s largest and most visited state park. For more information, call (423) 881-5298.

J. Cumby Construction chosen as provider for nationwide network

COOKEVILLE – J. Cumby Construction has been selected as a preferred provider of repair, emergency and remodeling services through Crawford Contractor

Connection. Contractor Connection supplies insurance companies with a qualified contractor to perform insurance claim work, such as restoration or emergency repairs. It is a part of the Crawford Companies, one of the world’s largest independent providers of claims management solutions to the risk management and insurance industry.

“We’re extremely pleased to be associated with such a solid organization like Crawford Contractor Connection,” said Justin Cumby, owner of J. Cumby Construction. “Our team’s focus with every project is to make sure our clients are well taken care of. That falls right in line with what Contractor Connection stands for and strives to accomplish through its relationships with insurance claims companies.”

Contractor Connection member providers are continually evaluated on a scoring system based on response times as well as construction duration and completion.

J. Cumby Construction, located at 165 W. Broad St., is a full-service commercial, industrial, emergency restoration and water and wastewater construction company, offering general contracting and construction management services. For more information, visit www.jcumbyconstruction.com or call (931) 526-5158.

Phoenix USA introduces corrosion resistant galvanized toolboxes

COOKEVILLE – Phoenix USA Inc., a market leader in the truck and automotive industries, has introduced galvanized steel toolboxes to its line of work and tow truck accessories. These new boxes are specifically designed to withstand the corrosive elements of calcium chloride – commonly used to clear ice and snow covered roads.

“Our new galvanized steel body tool boxes have been tested to 1,000 hours of exposure to calcium chloride and showed considerable resistance to corrosion,” said John Bella, Phoenix USA Inc.’s director of technical services.

These toolbox bodies are made with hot dipped galvanized steel and have a black, automotive powder coat finish. For additional rust protection, the boxes are equipped with drain holes with removable plugs and rear vents to help control condensation. Addition of these galvanized toolboxes broadens the Phoenix USA offering of products. For more information, visit www.phoenixusa.com, www.TowRax.com or contact customer service at (931) 526-6128 or cs@phoenixusa.com.

Moore serving as Morrison city attorney

MORRISON – Ryan J. Moore is the newly appointed city attorney for the town of Morrison. He was appointed to the position in December. In practice since April 2012, Moore’s primary legal focus is in all types of family and business law. He regularly handles a variety of cases including divorce, child custody, real estate and construction issues. He also litigates criminal defense cases involving trial law.

Morrison, located on Highway 55 in Warren County, is a small town of about 700 people and serves as an industrial leader with plants such as Bridgestone, Yorozu and Morrison Tool and Fabrication. The town also recently announced the successful recruitment of another automotive supplier, expected to create over 100 new jobs.

“Morrison is the jobs Mecca for Warren County and its success is vital for our county’s continued growth,” said Moore.

“Morrison is a tight-knit community, and I’m excited to become a part of it through my role as city attorney,” Moore said. “I look forward to meeting as many residents as possible and helping the community prosper in a positive, responsible manner.”

In preparation for his new role, Moore attended in February a continuing education seminar in Brentwood hosted by the Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association of which Moore is a member.

Moore is a lifelong resident of McMinnville, serves on the board of directors of Main Street McMinnville, is president-elect for the McMinnville Breakfast Rotary Club and was recently appointed to the McMinnville Historic Zoning Commission.

For more information, call (931) 474- 7926 or visit www.attorneyryanjmoore.com.

WyndRidge Crossville earns five-star rating

CROSSVILLE – U.S.News and World Report has rated nearly every nursing home in the country based on data via the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and a Cumberland County facility has received the highest nod.

WyndRidge Health & Rehabilitation Center in Crossville has attained a five- star rating consecutively and is the only five-star rated facility in Crossville. Each home in the rating was assigned one to five stars in each of three categories: deficiencies in state-conducted health inspections; nursing staff time with residents; and quality of medical care provided to residents.

“Nursing homes are some of the most regulated industries in the nation, and we in the Upper Cumberland/East Tennessee area are fortunate to have excellent health care facilities,” said Michael Denney, president of Central Health Systems, the management company of WyndRidge. “I am especially proud of WyndRidge for achieving this.”

Other UC facilities receiving five- star ratings were Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation in Algood (Putnam County), Pickett Care and Rehabilitation Center in Byrdstown (Pickett County), Raintree Manor in McMinnville (Warren County) and Wharton Nursing Home in Pleasant Hill (Cumberland County).

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