What is the backstory of your business?
  The Memphis Oral School for the Deaf was founded in 1959 by the late Mr. and Mrs. John Tayloe. They were the parents of a child born profoundly deaf. At the time, the only nearby oral deaf education program was in St. Louis, Missouri, and having the desire for their child to learn spoken language, enrolled him in the program 5 hours from his family. The Tayloe's made it their goal to create a local oral deaf program so that families in the Mid-South could have access to intervention and early childhood education focused on developing spoken language. With the help of the Exchange Club of East Memphis, deaf children in the Mid-South began receiving services to develop listening and spoken language skills.
  In the fall of 1974, the Memphis Parent's School for the Deaf and Aphasic underwent a name change, becoming Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. This change helped to further emphasize a program teaching oral communication skills. In 1986, MOSD moved into the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities, located within the UT Medical Center, as emphasis grew on early intervention, parent training, and early childhood education.
  MOSD is one of 37 OPTION programs of its kind in the world and the only one within 200 miles of Memphis.  It is the only program that offers specialized listening and language therapy for children birth to 2 years of age and is the only school in Shelby County with a primary focus on developing listening and spoken language skills for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. 
  MOSD professionals have more than 200 years of combined experience in the fields of Deaf Education, Speech-Language Pathology (as well as Auditory Verbal), and Audiology.  Audiologists, highly skilled speech language pathologists and oral deaf educators focus on the individual needs of each child. MOSD also employs the only bilingual Auditory-Verbal therapist in our region, helping to diversify our outreach among Hispanic populations. Our highly skilled and qualified staff believes the opportunity to build a spoken language foundation for every deaf child promotes success and independence.  Recognizing that there is a direct correlation between a child’s ability to hear and cognitive development, MOSD collaborates with statewide partners to help identify and serve children with hearing loss as soon as possible in life and supports the EHDI 1-3-6 model for identifying hearing loss and enrolling children in intervention.
  The mission of MOSD is to Empower Deaf Children to Listen, Learn and Talk. No sign language is used. With early identification, proper amplification, and early intervention, even the most profoundly deaf children can gain the listening and spoken language skills comparable to their hearing peers. Our goal at MOSD is to serve every child who is deaf and hard of hearing in the Mid-South early in life so that they may mainstream into kindergarten with their hearing peers and lead an independent life. 

Tell us your role in the business: first-person
  I am Lauren Hays and I serve as the Executive Director of MOSD. I became the MOSD Executive Director in March 2018 having previously served MOSD as Development Director since 2016.  I understand the importance of community support in our efforts to serve children with hearing loss from all over the Mid-South.  Ending a 10-year professional career in television, I aim to increase community support through my established Mid-South networking platform and hope that everyone will come to realize the life-long impact MOSD programs make in the lives of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.  I am actively engaged in the Mid-South community and am a graduate of Leadership Germantown, Class of 2018.   I am passionate about raising community awareness about MOSD programs and reaching parents of newly diagnosed children with hearing loss.  Most importantly, I am the mother of a child who is deaf and hard of hearing who graduated from MOSD.  I am excited to give hope to other MOSD parents since I have experienced the miracle of my child talking every day. I am proud to be an advocate for MOSD to spread the impact of MOSD programs to the community.

What are the biggest challenges?
  Every year in Tennessee, 1 of every 333 babies from all ethnic groups and socio-economic levels, is born with permanent hearing loss.  It has been clearly proven over the last few decades that with early identification, appropriate and aggressive audiological intervention, and immediate training by skilled professionals, even the most profoundly deaf children can develop and effectively use hearing to learn to listen and talk.
  The cost to provide high quality early childhood education at MOSD is more than $50,000 per child annually. Children receive 30 minutes of daily speech therapy, 30 minutes of aural habilitation (listening therapy), on-site audiological support and intensive classroom instruction. The MOSD Preschool is accredited by the Tennessee Department of Education and serves children ages 2-5. Students who are amplified early and begin our programs as an infant are able to progress at age-appropriate rates similar to a child with no hearing loss.  MOSD staff believes that every deaf child should be given the opportunity to build a spoken language foundation for a successful and independent future, especially for children born into poverty that might already be vulnerable to future limitations. The ultimate goal is for each child to enter kindergarten with their hearing peers, never needing to rely on a sign language interpreter. 
  This year has been one of the most challenging chapters of our school’s history. The unprecedented global pandemic disrupted our traditional teaching methods and created a significant amount of fear in our educators. Through the engagement and support of our MOSD Board of Directors, we developed protocols and procedures to help us navigate safety concerns.  We promptly learned to overcome and adapt to the challenge by creating teleintervention strategies for delivering classroom instruction, speech therapy, and aural habilitation virtually. MOSD recognizes that virtual learning is unavoidable in some scenarios during the pandemic, but an optimal learning environment for a child with hearing loss is to gain instruction in-person. MOSD has made every effort to remain open following CDC guidelines to provide these essential services in a safe manner.

​What are the biggest rewards?
Taking part in the miracle of giving the gift of sound and speech to our students is just one of the incredible rewards for our teachers and staff.  Many of our students do not speak at all when they begin attending MOSD and when they graduate, they are carrying on full conversations.  Taking part in this journey alongside our families, empowering parents to be their child’s best advocates, and strengthening the family as a whole is also extremely rewarding.  Helping each child reach their fullest potential and go on to enter mainstream kindergarten is the greatest reward of all.   

How does your business give back to the community?
  MOSD gives back to the community by teaching children to listen and talk without the use of sign language or interpreters.  This saves the community millions of dollars as children are able to mainstream into kindergarten without the need for costly special education. 
  MOSD is proud to say that in our 60-year history, we have never turned a family away because of their financial circumstances.  We serve children from all socio-economic backgrounds and have a diverse student population.

If your business is in Germantown, why did you select Germantown?
  Prior to moving to Germantown, Memphis Oral School for the Deaf was located downtown for twenty years.  As our school continued to grow, we started searching for a property that we could purchase so that the school could have its own building.  Thanks to a personal connection between the school’s director at the time and a member of Kingsway Church, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to build our school on the property of Kingsway Church. 
  In March 2007, MOSD found a permanent home in Germantown, Tennessee.  An 8,700 square foot facility was constructed specifically designed with acoustic elements to create an optimal listening and learning environment for hearing-impaired children. The Assisi Foundation committed $250,000 towards the success of MOSD in the new Germantown location and generously supported our capital campaign in 2019 to help MOSD become an independent entity. MOSD purchased the property at 7901 Poplar Avenue in June of 2019 - a milestone in our school’s 60-year history.

Has your business received any recommendations or awards?
Germantown Chamber of Commerce selected us as the Non-Profit of the Year in 2015.

How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
Being a member of the Germantown Chamber of Commerce has helped MOSD strengthen our relationships with the community and with other businesses.  We appreciate the hard-working staff at the Chamber for providing this opportunity for us to share MOSD’s story with the community. 

Is there anything else you would like to add about your business?
To help sustain our mission, MOSD relies on foundation support and donations from the community.  We host two major fundraisers each year, our SpeakEasy Gala in the Spring, and our Golf Tournament in the Fall.  We also host several smaller fundraisers throughout the year to ensure that we can continue providing the high-quality early intervention services and education that our students need.  For more information about how you can participate in our fundraisers and support MOSD, please visit our website at www.mosdkids.org or call our Development Director, Lindsay Larson, at (901) 800-1003. 

What is the backstory of your business?
Playhouse on the Square is a resident professional theatre company servicing the entire Mid-South.  This November, the organization will celebrate 53 years of operation. Between our two main stage venues: Playhouse on the Square and The Circuit Playhouse we offer 15 performances a year.  With additional performances in our black box space TheatreWorks at the Square and annual events such as the Original Art Auction and The Great Wine Performances.  Throughout the year we serve a broad community representing every age, race, gender, orientation, and socio-economic family. Our mission is to produce a challenging and diverse repertoire of theatrical work that speaks to the intelligence, the soul, and the imagination of the Memphis community.  We also take our show “on the road” offering theatre education outreach and touring productions through each calendar year culminating with Summer Youth Theatre Conservatory. 

Nestled in the heart of Memphis’ Arts District in the revitalized Historic Overton Square. Playhouse on the Square is a leader in the Memphis Arts community, fostering in a new era of performing arts.


 
Tell us your role in the business.
As Director of Community Relations, my role is to be the bridge between our theatre and our community businesses and organizations.  I call myself the door opener.  I find how, what we offer may help you and your business further its goals and mission.  Perhaps offering live, local professional theatre to your employees as apart of their benefits package sets you apart in job recruitment?  Do you belong to a non-profit organization and you are looking for ways to re-think fundraising?  Are you looking for opportunities to support the youth in your community or you want to sponsor an event for your neighborhood school?  I’m the guy that can make those things happen! 


 
What are the biggest challenges?
A challenge we face is the idea that “big time” theatre can only be in New York or Chicago.  Playhouse on the Square has presented professional level productions for over 50 years.  Most of that time has been in Overton Square.  Numerous performers and designers, that began their careers in Memphis are now household names performing all over the world.  It is true that we are a drive from Germantown.  But, when you include all the opportunities Overton Square has to offer from food, shopping, and entertainment with green spaces close by.  You can enjoy a whole day without having to catch a plane.




What are the biggest rewards?
After love and water, nothing beats everything art has to offer.  It makes you happy. It will make you get out that “good cry.” It can also inspire you to do good things for yourself and your community.  We produce shows that do all of those things.  In addition to our outstanding productions, Playhouse on the Square also offers over 13 education and outreach programs that touch the lives of over 30,000 children, teens, and adults each year. 
 
 


How does your business give back to the community?
 Our organization partners with over 30 non profit organizations local and nationwide.  We are delighted to partner in the groundbreaking work of organizations like The Children’s Advocacy Center and Facing History and Ourselves.  Our administrative building offers business space to other local non profit organizations, including Literacy MidSouth and Memphis FilmWorks.  An important part of our mission is to never allow finances to be a barrier to offering art to our community.  With that in mind, Playhouse on the Square offers ticket subsidies to area schools for theatre performances.  We also host Pay What You Can Nights for every main stage production during our season.
 
 
 
 
Has your business received any recommendations or awards?
 Playhouse on the Square has received a multitude of Ostrander Awards, the city’s highest award for theatre, for productions over the years.  We have been nationally recognized for continuing to produce theatre during the pandemic and maintaining a full staff without any contract cancellations or furloughs.
 
 
 
How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
Being a member of the Germantown Chamber has allowed as an opportunity to connect with our community and share the good work our organization is doing for the region.  The support Janie and her staff give us is beyond what we could expect.  We are proud to be apart of this community.  We also love the chance to let folk know that driving to Midtown is not that bad!

 
 
Is there anything else you would like to add about your business?
​Playhouse on the Square will continue to offer the Mid South the best in professional live theatre.  Whether in person or on your couch, your seat is saved!  We hope to welcome patrons back into our theatre this Summer with the opening of our 53rd season in July!  We want all of Germantown to Find Their Place at Playhouse on the Square.​

What is the backstory of your business?
-When?
Meritan was founded May 6, 1961.
-Why?
We were chartered by the State of Tennessee as “Senior Citizens Center,” as a result of the recognition of a need to organize and centralize the work of clubs and churches which were beginning to try to address the needs of elderly Memphians. We began providing older Memphians with social, health-related, and recreational services.
-How?
Meritan began with a group of seniors meeting in a local church. Throughout the years, our services have adjusted to meet the needs of the communities we serve. Our programs expanded from in-home supports to seniors to also serve medically fragile and at risk foster children, senior employment services, residential services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, skilled home health services and an elder abuse response program. Most recently, we have added COVD testing and vaccinating to our response.

Tell us your role in the business.
I am the current Director of Development at Meritan. I am responsible for all fundraising, communications, and marketing efforts through social media and digital marketing, written solicitations, grant writing and compliance for corporations/foundations, special events, corporate donors, and other community fundraising events. I am also responsible for external community relationships, volunteer coordination, and public relations.

What are the biggest challenges? 
Currently, one of our biggest challenges would be staffing for our In-Home and Community Based Services. We are in high need for home care specialists to help take care of our elderly clients, especially during the pandemic. For more information, please go to www.Meritan.org/careers.

What are the biggest rewards? 
Our biggest reward currently is having the opportunity to vaccinate people in their homes and bridging the gap. On March 16, 2021, Meritan began its homebound COVID-19 vaccinations program thanks to a grant from the Tennessee Association for Home Care. The Tennessee Association for Home Care (TAHC) received a grant from the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD) to vaccinate homebound people in the TCAD programs that include home-delivered meals, OPTIONS, and the Family Caregiver Program.

How does your business give back to the community? 
Meritan is a nonprofit dedicated to providing health and social services to more than 1,600 Mid-Southerners annually who experience a renewed sense of self-worth, celebrating 60 years this year. Founded in 1961 to address the critical need of the elderly, Meritan was founded as the result of the recognition of a need to organize and centralize the works of clubs and churches. Meritan provides an array of programs for diverse groups including, frail and homebound seniors, children in foster care, services to victims of elder abuse, senior employment, and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

If your business is in Germantown, why did you choose Germantown?
We are in Downtown Memphis, 345 Adams Avenue. We moved to our Downtown Memphis location in December of 2017 because we wanted to be closer and more accessible to the clients that we serve.We chose to join the Germantown Chamber because many of our volunteers, donors, and supporters live in Germantown, TN.

Has your business received any recommendations or awards?
Yes, we have received:
○ TopWorkplace award for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, 2018,2019, 2020 ○ TopWorkplacesWoman-Led Culture Excellence Award, 2021
○ “FlexibleWork Place” TopWorkplace Commercial Appeal award, 2016
○ cityCURRENT Nonprofit of the Year Award (with a budget greater than $5 million) in December 2018
○ COA Accreditation
○ ACHC Accreditation
○ Staff Awards -
■ Melanie Keller- Superwomen in Business and Health Care Heroes by the Memphis Business Journal
■ Dona Futch - TNCO Manager of the Year Eastern TN, 2018
■ Liz Dayton, RN, 2018
■ Chessie (Biggam) Hayes: AFP Global Outstanding Young Professional 2020, Greater Memphis Chamber’s Young Memphis Class of 2020, Award Memphis Flyer Top 20<30 Class of 2019
■ Kyle Eaton, Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2020
■ Patti Kesler, The Daily Memphian’s CFO of the Year, 2020

How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
Being a Germantown Chamber member has allowed us to increase our visibility, exposure, and business networking connections in the city of Germantown and surrounding areas.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your business? 
Although Meritan’s headquarters is located in Downtown Memphis, we are a regional nonprofit organization that provides programming in 4 states, which include Tennessee, Arkansas, George, and Mississippi. In Mississippi, we are known as Apelah, which is a subsidiary of Meritan.

Name:  Christopher B. Hope
Email:    chris@chrishopefoundation.org
Business:  Chris Hope Foundation (non-profit)
 
What is the backstory of your business?
 
When?
In 2015, the Chris Hope Foundation, a non-profit was established - dedicated to touching patients’ lives and empowering the families of those battling childhood cancer and other pediatric illnesses.
 
Why? 
I’ve always had a desire to help others. After realizing there were other needs outside of the medical aspect, I wanted to help provide both emotional and financial support to families who were facing one of the greatest fights of their lives.
 
How? 
With a dedicated group of volunteer staff and workers, we coordinate and administer resources acquired through sponsorships, donors and annual fundraising events.
 
Tell us your role in the business?
My role in the business is CEO/Founder. I can also be found working in every aspect of the business to ensure quality performance.
 
What are your biggest challenges?
One of my biggest challenges is acquiring and maintaining the necessary sponsors and donors to help fund our efforts in assisting families.    
 
What are your biggest rewards?
I am greatly rewarded when a life has been changed, a smile has been made, and a family has been helped through the aid and assistance of the CHF foundation.
 
How does your business give back to the community?
The Chris Hope Foundation has provided people with temporary housing, granted wishes for children in hospice, offered scholarships to teenage cancer survivors and organized community events advocating for pediatric cancer awareness and research.
When opportunity presents itself, CHF is always up for the challenge. The winter snowstorm 2021 caused serious issues in the Memphis area, including a water crisis.  CHF took the necessary steps to find a supply of bottled water outside of Memphis and provided it to the St. Jude Tri Delta Place housing facility, the Le Bonheur FedEx House, and Le Bonheur’s child life Delivering the bottled water created a multitude of smiles and brought joy to these individuals and facilities that provide top-notch care for children and their families.
During that same time period of inclement weather (snow, ice and freezing temperatures), two 53' UPS trailers of meal kits were stuck in Memphis and unable to be delivered to the shipper's customers across the country. The shipper decided to donate all of the meal kits locally. Being a UPS employee, they asked me to help make it happen. The CHF team jumped into action and successfully transferred 1,700 boxes packed with over 5,000 pre-packaged meals to the Mid-South Food Bank and eight other community organizations. We felt the opportunity to help was critical at a time when so many individuals and families are facing challenges brought about by the pandemic and the extreme winter situation in Memphis.
We were happy to be of service to others in our hometown!
 
Has your business received any recommendations or rewards?
In 2016, the Chris Hope Foundation was recognized among the Top Three Nonprofits in the Memphis Community by the Tri-State Defender.
 
Recently, on February 4, 2021, I was inducted into Marquis Who’s Who – a publication that  chronicles the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor.
 
I have attributed my professional success to my passion and my caring heart.
 
How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
The Chamber has helped us with our branding efforts and has been a support to the foundation by posting CHF’s information on various social media platforms. We were also spotlighted on the Philanthropic Thursday issue with information regarding our upcoming bowling event on April 24, 2021.
 
Is there anything else you would like to add about your business?
The CHF Family House opened its doors September 5, 2020. The house is free of charge to families when they don’t otherwise qualify for hospital-provided housing.
Many hands and hearts helped create the CHF Family House and we continue to maintain to ensure every family is comfortable and enjoy their home away from home.
 
As a result of the exceptional work of the CHF team, I have proudly witnessed the foundation grow from two volunteers to more than 50 active volunteers. Looking toward the future, I plan to hire full-time employees at the Chris Hope Foundation so that we can expand our services and operate on a nationwide level.

What is the backstory of your business?
Edward Jones was founded in 1922 and has built its business around establishing offices with one financial officer and one business office administrator. Our goal is to build relationships with our clients using our established process to help them reach their life goals.

Tell us your role in the business.
I serve as the financial advisor to our clients here in Germantown and the surrounding area.

What are the biggest challenges?
Getting the message of what we can accomplish together out to the public.

What are the biggest rewards?
We very much enjoy building relationships with our clients and partnering with them to reach their goals.

How does your business give back to the community?
Edward Jones has been a long time supporter of The Alzheimer's Association, Toys for Tots, and other local initiatives.

If your business is in Germantown, why did you choose Germantown?
Germantown is a thriving, vital part of the Mid South. We feel we can walk along side residents of the area through their entire financial journey.

How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
The Germantown Chamber has been an essential part of our effort to build credibility and trust as we strive to serve everyone we encounter. 

Is there anything else you would like to add about your business?
We are proud to be an active member of the Germantown business community and look forward to many years of success together!


Learn more about Tom Shelley and how to connect with him here:
https://www.edwardjones.com/us-en/financial-advisor/thomas-shelley

 
When facing musculosketal issues, why should kids visit a pediatric orthopaedic specialist?  

A pediatric orthopaedic surgeon is the best-trained doctor to properly evaluate, treat, and manage musculoskeletal (bone, joint, or muscle) problems in a child from a newborn up through the teenage years. They have completed specialized training and gained advanced practice experience in managing children and their families. It’s important to know that children are not simply small adults. Children have different physiology and biology that creates a different set of problems, different patterns of injury, and require different treatments in order to avoid problems that may go on to be life-long. Moreover, pediatric orthopaedic surgeons know that children may have a hard time describing what is bothering them, answering questions, or cooperating with an exam. They are experienced in how to examine and treat children in a way that helps them to be relaxed and cooperative, as well as appreciating the concerns and anxiety of the family members. 
 
For parents, what are some warning signs that suggest their kids need to visit a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon?  

Pediatric surgeons manage a variety of conditions that involve the arms, legs and spine. Broken bones, problems walking, crooked limbs, curves in the spine, bone/joint infections, and sports-related injuries are just some examples of the conditions that pediatric orthopaedic surgeons routinely manage. If your child has pain in their arms, legs, or back that is interfering with their activities or disrupting their sleep, then they may benefit from an evaluation that starts with questions and an exam. They may require imaging such as an x-ray or MRI if necessary.
 
What are some common kid’s sports injuries you see and what is the return to play process like? 

More and more kids are playing year-round sports, often for multiple teams, and with more intense training or practices than in years past. As a result, the number of sports-related injuries is increasing in Memphis and across the U.S. A majority of injuries occur in the lower extremity involving the ankle, knee, or hip, but injuries to the arm and shoulder are also common. Most injuries can be managed with rest, limiting activity, ice, and size-appropriate braces. Others may require age-appropriate physical therapy with therapists experienced in working with children. Even less often, your child may require surgery in order to get back to normal activities and function. It is important that if your child does require surgery, that your surgeon and entire care team is experienced in managing children and teenagers. Before athletes can get back to safe play, it is imperative that they have received appropriate treatment and achieved their functional and return-to-sport goals.
 
In the past, Campbell Clinic has been regionally recognized with Le Bonheur as one of the best pediatric orthopaedic facilities in Tennessee. What are some factors that have contributed to your success?   
​
Campbell Clinic is currently the only orthopedic provider for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital. We are a nationally recognized program for excellence in patient care, education, and leadership in the field of pediatric orthopedics for over 100 years. With nine specialty clinics at Le Bonheur and regular clinics at each of the Campbell Clinic locations as well as Jackson, TN and Tupelo, MS, the Campbell Clinic has never been better equipped to manage musculoskeletal problems in children across the Mid-South. 

Regel Pharmalab is a compounding pharmacy dedicated to the art and science of compounding. If you have a prescription with a side effect you can't tolerate, an allergy to a certain ingredient, or just can't get your medication down, the pharmacists at Regel Pharmalab can hand make your prescription to fit you.

Can you describe what your business offers?
Compounding pharmacy services to the general public, medical professionals, including veterinary medication, in addition to offering vitamin and nutrient supplements, as well as bio-identical hormone replacement.

How long have you been in business?
Since 2003 (18 years).How does your business give back to the community? Support local high schools and local medical-related events with sponsorships.

Why did you choose Germantown for your business?
The heart of our business is serving the residents in the Germantown area which is why we relocated from Cordova in 2012.
​
How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
Provides more local engagement with other area small businesses like ourselves.

Regel Pharmalab
1352 Cordova Cove
Germantown, TN 38138
​901-757-9434

*As our way to say Thank You to our fellow Germantown Chamber of Commerce members we are offering a 10% discount through 12/31/2021 to each member for online purchases of retail products purchased via www.RegelPharmalab.com (excludes prescription medication)*