Nashvillians are in Chile and Argentina this week to forge health care business ties

Composite photo of Nashville's "Batman" Building
and Entel Tower in Santiago, Chile by John Lamb

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Nashville Health Care Council are in Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina this week, on their Ninth International Health Care Trade Mission. According to the Chamber and the Council:

This International Health Care Trade Mission is the first of its kind to South America. Led by Jack O. Bovender, Jr., retired chairman and CEO of HCA, it is a unique opportunity for delegates to gain unparalleled insights on the delivery of health care in Chile and Argentina while setting the stage for future collaborations and exchange of best practices.

This executive-level international mission is an opportunity for delegates to:

• Gain firsthand knowledge of the health systems in Chile and Argentina;
• Meet in small settings with U.S. Embassy leaders and Chilean and Argentinian government dignitaries;
• Establish high-level contacts among private industry leaders, financial services executives and entrepreneurs, professional service organizations and industry associations;
• Learn about business development opportunities in the broader South American region from leading experts;
• Gain expertise from other U.S. companies already doing business in South America; and
• Benefit from the unparalleled leverage and access provided by an executive-level mission.

The City Paper recently interviewed Caroline Young, president of the Health Care Council, and Janet Miller, chief economic development and marketing officer at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce about the mission, and this was Miller's response to the "why Latin America" question:

As we looked for potential destinations, we were surprised by the number of Nashville companies doing significant business in the region — names like Thomas Nelson, Gresham Smith and Gibson Guitar. So the general information that we’ll learn on this trip will also be helpful in a broader business sense.

The Nashville Post is publishing "dispatches" from the group this week, including this Monday dispatch and this Tuesday dispatch, in which parallels were drawn between the business opportunities following Chile's earthquake and Nashville's flood.