Publisher: The Memphis Business Journal


Mayor Harris calls for additional statewide restrictions

The Memphis Business Journal

In recent weeks, the local case count, positivity rate, and hospitalizations have been “stably bad,” according to University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) pediatrics chair and influenza pandemics expert Dr. Jon McCullers.


Dr. McCullers: County hits testing capacity, bar spread was ‘surprise’

The Memphis Business Journal

Until recently, Shelby County’s robust testing apparatus was something for local officials to point to with pride. Now, the county is “at or above” its testing capacity, labs are “overloaded,” and many test results are being returned after they have become “useless,” University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) pediatrics chair and influenza pandemics expert… Read More


Health Care Heroes in Unprecedented Times: Dr. Alisa Haushalter, Shelby County Health Department

The Memphis Business Journal

Growing up, Dr. Alisa Haushalter weighed whether she wanted to go to medical school or nursing. Having been exposed to the work of public health nurses, she ultimately decided that was the path for her. “I have always had an interest in understanding the intersection of culture, society, and health as well as the upstream… Read More


County COVID advisor McCullers: Hours restriction for restaurants likely

The Memphis Business Journal

This week, Shelby County will probably force restaurants to start closing by 9 or 9:30 p.m., according to one of the medical experts advising the county. UTHSC pediatrics chair and influenza pandemics expert Dr. Jon McCullers told the MBJ July 5 that the county will likely institute the restriction as a way to halt the… Read More


NIH funding part of script for college program’s success

The Memphis Business Journal

The National Institutes of Health dispensed significant dollars to colleges and universities last year. And, one local college tabulated a significant increase to fund research. The College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) moved up — from No. 20 to No. 16 — in the American Association of Colleges of… Read More


Why ‘phase two’ of Shelby County’s reopening doesn’t mean what it used to mean

The Memphis Business Journal

Shelby County health directives No. 6 and No. 7 — instituted on June 15 and June 22, respectively — provide more freedoms for events, restaurants, movie theaters, and live performance theaters than were allowed earlier in the phase. The changes cover most of what a move to “phase three” would have originally meant; the primary… Read More


McCullers discusses young-adult hospitalization jump, church services, and travel

The Memphis Business Journal

Late last week, Dr. Jon McCullers took a look at the local hospitalization data and thought, “Welp, that looks really bad.” As can be seen in the graph below, the number of confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations rocketed on June 10, after slowly climbing the two weeks prior. McCullers — an expert on influenza pandemics for the… Read More


McCullers discusses shifting focus from general public to older Memphians 

The Memphis Business Journal

This shift could affect local businesses if future safer-at-home orders are more focused on at-risk populations and older Memphians, as opposed to broadly restricting commerce.