Your Daily Guide

🏥 Insight Into Hospital’s Medication Mix-up

Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown is in danger of losing its contract with Medicare after mistakenly giving four surgical patients potassium phosphate in their epidural injections during joint replacement procedures, causing severe harm. Last year, the hospital received nearly $17.9 million in revenue from Medicare. [🔐 Nashville Business Journal]

• As of Aug. 21, one of the affected patients was on life support, and three had significant paralysis.
• Following the incident, the state ordered a review of the events leading to the drug mix-up and found systemic failures across the board, from how the hospital pharmacy prepared medications to the response once it became clear something had gone wrong. The state issued three “immediate jeopardies” for the hospital, the most severe form of citation. [WPLN]
• The hospital has submitted several plans to address the safety problems, which the state of Tennessee has "deemed unacceptable.” [NewsChannel 5]
• If the injured patients sue the hospital, a state law limits the amount they can receive for damages. [NewsChannel 5]

👋 Nashville’s Best Classes for Beginners

Looking for a new hobby? On today’s podcast, contributor Amelia Edelman shares some of the city’s best classes and activities for adults — from tap dancing to skydiving and so much more. Plus, she offers tips for trying something new without the pressure to be perfect. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏞️ Nashville’s Newest Greenway

The River North Greenway along Nashville’s East Bank is now open. The 1,056-foot walkway along the Cumberland River offers a sneak peek at the proposed 118 acres of green space planned for the new development. “Our shared vision is for a place that shows respect for the river and allows us to enjoy its beauty,” said Mayor Freddie O’Connell at the greenway’s ribbon cutting. [🔐 The Tennessean]

• The greenway leads to what City Cast Nashville executive producer Whitney Pastorek calls “The Secret Shake Shack.” Watch a tour of the greenway here! [Google Maps; Instagram]
• Many local greenway projects never come to fruition. We asked the folks from the Civic Design Center why, and how Metro Parks could fully implement its 2026 Plan to Play goals. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🗳️ The Guardians of Nashville’s Ballot Box

The Nashville Guardians of Democracy is a newly formed nonprofit made up of local attorneys with the goal of ensuring voters have access to the polls on Nov. 3 amid threats of interference from the federal government. The group plans to place volunteers outside every polling location in Nashville. If an eligible voter runs into any issues casting their ballot, they can tell a volunteer, who will contact an attorney. [Nashville Banner]

• Here’s how Tennessee gubernatorial candidates U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Jerri Green responded to a recent questionnaire. [Nashville Banner]
• State officials say major renovations at the Tennessee State Capitol and Legislative Plaza will be completed before our new governor’s inauguration in Jan. 2027. [NewsChannel 5]

🚰 Did This Metro Employee Misuse His Position?

The Nashville Banner has reviewed thousands of pages of documents related to a federal investigation involving former Metro Water Services assistant director John Honeysucker, who recently retired from his position after being issued a charge letter from Metro. Metro has accused Honeysucker of misusing his official position to advance private interests and of providing preferential treatment to certain developers. [Nashville Banner]