business briefs
• Turkey Creek Medical Center and North Knoxville Medical Center have been recognized by Tennessee Hospital Association with a Zero Harm Award for achieving zero healthcare-associated infections in one or more categories throughout calendar year 2025.
The Zero Harm Awards recognize Tennessee hospitals and clinical departments demonstrating exceptional commitment to patient safety by preventing healthcare-associated infections. Awards are presented in four categories: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections, Clostridium difficile Infections and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus over the past calendar year.
Turkey Creek Medical Center achieved Zero Harm in categories CDI, CLABSI, CAUTI, and MRSA.
• Covenant Health recently announced David J. O’Brien, vice presidenet of information technology and chief information security officer, was named to Becker’s Healthcare’s 2026 list of Hospital and Health System CISOs and Chief Privacy Officers to Know. The annual recognition honors healthcare cybersecurity and privacy leaders who drive innovation, strengthen resilience and protect patient data across the industry.
• Weichert, Realtors - Advantage Plus recently announced David Hamilton has joined its Knoxville office.
• SmartBank recently was selected by Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine for the 2026 FortuneBest Work Places in Financial Services & Insurance List, ranking the bank No. 11 in the small and medium category.
• Pinnacle Financial Partners recently added three financial services veterans to its Knoxville team, expanding the firm’s ability to serve individuals, families and businesses across East Tennessee. Rand Thomas and Andrew Pankratz joined Pinnacle as financial advisors and Jamie Harrington joined as a trust and wealth advisor. All three are based at Pinnacle’s Northshore office.
• Knoxville Orthopaedic Surgery Center recently was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers for 2027.
The West Knoxville outpatient facility is one of only two in Knoxville, 14 in the state and 750 nationwide to earn the title. It was selected from an analysis of more than 5,000 surgery centers, and it is the second time in three years the facility has been listed, having earned a spot in 2024 as well.
Newsweek evaluates ambulatory surgery centers using data from patient satisfaction surveys, recommendations from healthcare professionals and quality and safety measures from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Leapfrog Group.
