The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page D1

SPEEDWAY BUYER HAS APLAN AUTOOWNERSLARGELYIGNORINGRECALLS PAGE5B middletennessee BUSINESSEDITOR REPORTBUSINESSNEWS 259-8096ORFAX259-8093 Superspeedway. HisgoalistoturnthetracknearLebanonintoa motorsportsbusiness.Questionsabound,includ- surviveunderanoperatorwithdecadesofexpe- riencerunningtrackslikeDoverMotorsports? aninterviewlastweekatthemodestNeXovation headquartersinawarehouseparkoffHarding fromtheperspectiveofmotorsports.Butitwill ByG.ChambersWilliamsIII thatracingwillreturntoNashvilleSuperspeedway.Butquestions appearedonacorporateblog Wiecharttoshareaversionof hisstorywithreaders.Theedit- edversionappearsbelow. Mydaddiedalittleover threeyearsagoafteranextend- edbattlewithesophagealand latermetastaticbraincancer. Wewereprivilegedtobe abletocareforDadduringthe lastsixmonthsofhislife.He andmystepmothermovedinto ourguestbedroomdownstairs andmyrecentlyrenovatedand treasuredmancavegotrepur- posedintoanimpromptumedi- calwardcompletewithallman- nerofmedical equipment, whichincluded severallifting tybedsandIV feedingpoles. Caringfora lovedonein thefinaldaysoftheirbattle witharavagingdiseaselike braincancerisemotionally physicallychallenging(asin liftinga280-poundmaninto bed)andultimatelylife-chang- ing.

thingthatchangedformewas ingforafamilymemberlike thiscertainlypresentschal- lengestohumandignityfor boththecaregiverandloved one. Simplethingslikehelping themwithbathroomduties, suchasbathingandcatheter itsofpersonaldignity.Icantell anintenselyprivateandself-re- hatedit.Wedidn’tmakealotof eyecontactduringthoseearly tweenusfinallygavewaywhen onedayIfumbledtheurinecon- Irecallthinkingthatcare- giversdothisstuffallthetime witharguablymuchlessat reinforcedthefactthathealth careisnotsimplyaboutpolicies allabouthowweinteractwith sionandhelppatientsmaintain dignity. inbothgoodandnot-so-good ways.Startingwiththenot-so- theinherentflawsofasystem builtonfee-for-servicecareand potentiallymisalignedincen- tivesbetweenprovidersandpa- tients.OneofDad’sdoctorsout- becausehewasabadphysician, butbecausehewasneverwill- ingtobestraightupaboutthe wasfairlybleakoncethecancer hadmetastasized. Daddesperatelywantedto liveandoneofhisproviders forhopebyenthusiasticallyac- HospitalCEOchangedbycaregivingrole ByMichaelWiechart Wiechart.