I wanted to let NashVillager readers in on a project we’ve been working on in the background for a few months.
It’s called HealthQ and produced with our partners at KFF Health News. My co-host is health journalist Cara
We can all agree that the healthcare system is pretty messed up, and as health journalists we often point at all the ways it’s broken. But we’re still left to navigate what exists now. So Cara and I are your approachable guides to an unapproachable system. We try to get answers to simple questions without overcomplication.
What we’re calling “HealthQ” goes by the term “health literacy” among researchers. And it was one recent health literacy study out of Vanderbilt that helped shape this project. In following patients through their cancer care journeys, those who were deemed to have higher health literacy lived an additional nine months compared to those with low health literacy.
Working on your HealthQ pays off.
Nashville is an ideal place to launch since healthcare is — by far — our top industry. We’ll be calling on many NashVillagers to help boost the nation’s HealthQ. Simply reply to this email with “Health Q” in the body of the email and we will add you to an notification list to update you on our rollout.
For now, you’ll get occasional stories, including today’s about when to seek treatment for a cold or flu. As Dr. Matt Rosenberg told us, going to see your primary care physician or even urgent care is usually a judgment call. Often, there’s little they can do since many bugs are viral.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Milner Staub gave us a helpful list of symptoms that should cause concern and even prompt us to find an emergency department:
- Shortness of breath to the point that you’re distressed, sweating and using extra effort to get breaths.
- Severe headache that’s unresponsive to medicine.
- Chest pain.
Flu-like illness remains in the “very high” range for the Nashville area. Stay well, and wash your hands (something I need to be better about).
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On today’s episode of the NashVillagerpodcast with host Nina Cardona 🎙️
One beloved barn is about to be torn down, but nearly a dozen Tennessee historic courthouses are getting money for rehabilitation efforts. Plus, the local news for January 12, 2026, and getting care during flu season.
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MORE TO KNOW
- The 114th General Assembly resumes in Nashville this week. According to WPLN power and equity reporter Marianna Bacallao, immigration and the governor’s school voucher program will still be priorities. This time last year, Gov. Bill Lee called a special session to pass a sweeping immigration bill and establish a statewide school voucher program. Both have drawn criticism and legal challenges, but lawmakers are looking to build on them and revisit a controversial bill that prompted widespread protests last year.
- Nashville musician Bela Fleck canceled his February performances at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In an Instagram post, the decorated banjo player said that performing at the Center has become charged and political, adding that the institution’s focus should be on the music. Fleck is the latest in a long line of artists who have canceled their performances at the Center, including Nashville’s Ben Folds.
- Tennessee students using private school vouchers are underperforming compared to their public school peers, according to a first report from the state comptroller.This data is based on the Education Savings Accounts launched in a handful of counties in 2022, not the statewide Education Freedom Scholarship implemented in 2025. WPLN’s Camellia Burris reports that by the end of the program’s third year in Nashville, the performance gap on the English language arts portion of the state’s standardized test worsened between voucher students and those enrolled in Metro Nashville Public Schools. “I can be a little critical of the cost of these school vouchers and the less-than-stellar results for the students that went from public schools to private schools,” said Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville. “The results are very poor.”
FROM WNXP
Nashville’s WILLIS may be known for viral hits, but they’re not chasing trends. Emily Young from WNXP reports that the childhood friends continue to honor the indie greats before them while honing in on their emotionally-driven sound. Blending indie production with elements of psychedelia and a touch of blues, their authenticity nearly outshines their palpable chemistry.
Watch WILLIS perform “Twist of Fate,” “Ballad of the Basement” and “Real Vacation” live at WNXP’s Sonic Cathedral.
Watch WILLIS live at our own Sonic Cathedral.
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