Howell Allen

What Howell Allen does

Howell Allen Clinic is a private neurosurgery and spine surgery medical practice founded in Nashville, Tennessee circa 1983–1985 and operating continuously for over 40 years. The practice delivers brain and spinal surgical care through a single integrated physician group of approximately 16 fellowship-trained neurosurgeons and pain specialists, supported by an 11–50 employee workforce. Core clinical services include minimally invasive spine surgery, robotic-assisted spine surgery using the Mazor X system, brain tumor resection within the UNITY Brain Tumor Program (a dedicated Brainsuite with intraoperative MRI at St. Thomas Hospital), neuroendovascular surgery, radiosurgery, Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy, cervical procedures (ACDF, disc arthroplasty, laminectomy), lumbar decompression and fusion, and complex spinal deformity correction including scoliosis fusion. The practice reports a four-patent pipeline on novel spinal disease treatments, with inventions featured in Scientific American and MIT Technology Review.

The business model is professional services revenue generated from individual patient consultations and surgical procedures, with surgical cases performed at affiliated Ascension Saint Thomas Health hospitals (Midtown and West) and outpatient consultations delivered across 20+ clinic locations spanning Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. GTM is sales-led and referral-driven, with patient acquisition from PCPs, neurologists, and self-referrals supported by content marketing (educational blog, SEO), organic social (Facebook, Instagram, X), and physician-led community engagement including Dr. Jason Hubbard's neuro consultancy for the Tennessee Titans, Tennessee State University, and Austin Peay State University. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is mediated through insurance reimbursement per procedure.

Operationally, the practice is physician-owned and independently governed. Ernest Wright, M.D. FAANS became President in 2022, succeeding Gregory Lanford, M.D. who led the clinic from 1997 to 2022. Steven Abram, M.D. serves as Medical Director of the UNITY System at Saint Thomas Health. The practice has no disclosed external investors, parent company, or M&A activity, and no public revenue or funding disclosures exist.

Name

Howell Allen

Legal name

Howell Allen Clinic

Website

https://howellallen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Howell Allen Clinic is a physician-owned neurosurgery and spine surgery practice in Nashville, TN, with ~16 fellowship-trained surgeons delivering brain and spine procedures across 20+ locations in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Neurosurgical Services: The clinic generates revenue through surgical procedures on the brain and spine, including brain tumor resection, spinal fusion, laminectomy, and other neurosurgical interventions performed at affiliated hospitals.
2. Outpatient Consultations: Revenue from initial consultations, follow-up appointments, and ongoing patient care at clinic locations across Middle Tennessee and Kentucky.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Howell Allen Clinic is a neurosurgery and spine surgery medical practice providing surgical and consultative services for complex disorders of the brain and spine. Core offerings include minimally invasive spine surgery, robotic-assisted spine surgery using the Mazor X system, brain tumor resection through the UNITY Brain Tumor Program, neuroendovascular surgery, radiosurgery, laser interstitial thermal therapy, and cervical, lumbar, and spinal deformity procedures. The practice operates across 21+ clinic locations in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, performing surgical procedures at affiliated Saint Thomas Health hospitals.

Product overview

Howell Allen Clinic is a neurosurgery and spine surgery medical practice offering a comprehensive range of surgical services for brain and spinal conditions. The clinic operates as a unified service portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include minimally invasive spine surgery using small incisions, robotic spine surgery utilizing the Mazor X system, brain tumor resection through the UNITY Brain Tumor Program with intraoperative MRI in the Brainsuite, neuroendovascular surgery, radiosurgery, and laser interstitial thermal therapy. The clinic also provides cervical procedures (ACDF, disc arthroplasty, laminectomy), lumbar procedures (laminectomy, spinal fusion), and spinal deformity treatments including scoliosis fusion surgery. With over 40 years of experience and 20+ locations across Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, the clinic specializes in treating complex disorders of the brain and spine with fellowship-trained surgeons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Surgical procedures performed through small incisions (less than an inch) to minimize tissue damage and reduce patient recovery time, offered to adult patients with spinal conditions.
• Robotic Spine Surgery (Mazor X) Robotic-assisted spinal surgery using the Mazor X robotic arm, enabling procedures through small incisions with minimal tissue disruption and shorter hospital stays.
• Brain Tumor Resection Surgical removal of brain tumors, including craniotomy procedures performed in the Brainsuite with intraoperative MRI guidance, offered to patients with brain tumors.
• UNITY Brain Tumor Program A comprehensive brain tumor treatment program at St. Thomas Hospital utilizing the Brainsuite, an operating room designed specifically for brain tumor removal.
• Neuroendovascular Surgery Minimally invasive procedure involving catheter insertion through the groin artery to treat blood vessel abnormalities in the brain, including aneurysms and AVMs.
• Radiosurgery Non-invasive treatment using ionizing radiation beams to treat brain and spine cancers, AVMs, and trigeminal neuralgia without incisions.
• Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion (ACDF) Surgical procedure removing a herniated disc from the neck through an anterior approach, followed by fusion of surrounding vertebrae with bone graft.
• Cervical Disc Arthroplasty Artificial disc replacement surgery that maintains natural motion in the cervical spine as an alternative to fusion.
• Cervical Laminectomy Procedure performed from the back of the neck to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, often for cervical myelopathy or spinal stenosis.
• Lumbar Laminectomy Decompressive surgery removing part of the lamina to relieve spinal stenosis, performed as open or micro-laminectomy procedures.
• Spinal Fusion Surgery Surgical procedure joining two or more vertebrae using bone grafts and sometimes metal hardware to stabilize the spine and alleviate pain.
• Spinal Fusion for Scoliosis Surgical procedure to realign and fuse curved vertebrae to correct spinal curvature and prevent further progression in scoliosis patients.
• Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy Minimally invasive laser treatment for brain tumors allowing quicker patient recovery through small incisions.
• Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR) Surgical replacement of damaged spinal discs with artificial discs, preserving spinal movement as an alternative to fusion.
• Spinal Decompression Surgical procedures to relieve pressure on spinal nerves, treating spinal stenosis, herniated discs, and sciatica.

Quantifiable outcome

• Most experienced spine and brain surgeons in Tennessee
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Thomas HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHowell Allen surgeons operate at St. Thomas Midtown and Saint Thomas West hospitals. The UNITY Brain Tumor Program is a fully-integrated comprehensive Neurosurgical center dedicated to treating brain and spine tumors, housed at St. Thomas Hospital.
• Mazor X (Robotic Surgical System)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe clinic uses the Mazor X robotic arm for spine surgery, enabling small incisions with minimal tissue disruption and shorter hospital stays. Howell Allen was the first in Middle Tennessee to complete 100 robot-assisted spine fusions using this technology.
• Foundation for International Education in NeurosurgeryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Ernest Wright serves on the board of this foundation whose goal is to teach neurosurgery in the developing world. The clinic also conducts medical missions in Uganda, Tanzania, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
• Tennessee TitansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDr. Jason Hubbard serves as neuro consultant for the NFL's Tennessee Titans professional football team.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Semmes Murphey Clinic: Memphis-based private neurosurgery and spine practice serving Tennessee and the Mid-South. Directly comparable as an independent, multi-physician neurosurgery group operating across multiple clinic sites and performing complex brain and spine surgery at affiliated hospitals.
• Mayfield Brain & Spine: Cincinnati-based independent neurosurgery and spine practice. Closely comparable as a long-established, physician-owned neurosurgery group with deep specialty expertise, multiple locations, and a similar mix of brain tumor, spine, and minimally invasive surgical services.
• Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates: Charlotte-based independent neurosurgery and spine practice. Comparable as a large, multi-physician Southeast US neurosurgery group providing complex brain and spine surgery with a multi-site outpatient clinic model.
• Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine: Indianapolis-based independent neurosurgery group affiliated with academic medical centers. Comparable as a large, fellowship-trained neurosurgery practice offering brain tumor, spine, and endovascular services across multiple locations.
• Resurgens Orthopaedics: Atlanta-based large independent orthopedic and spine practice. Comparable as a multi-site Southeast US private specialty practice with significant spine surgery volume and a multi-physician, multi-office operating model.
• Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance (TOA): Tennessee-based large independent orthopedic and spine practice with multiple clinic locations. Comparable as a regional private specialty group that overlaps with Howell Allen in spine surgery and outpatient musculoskeletal services.

Broad incumbents

• Vanderbilt Neurosurgery (VUMC): Academic neurosurgery department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Comparable as the dominant academic neurosurgery program in the same Nashville market; competes for the same complex brain and spine case referrals and employs many of Howell Allen's former trainees.
• Ascension Saint Thomas Health: Hospital system that operates Saint Thomas Midtown and Saint Thomas West, where Howell Allen performs its surgical cases. Comparable as a strategic incumbent whose policies on OR access, employed physician strategy, and payor contracting directly shape Howell Allen's economics.
• HCA Healthcare: Largest for-profit hospital operator in the US with significant presence in the Southeast. Comparable as a hospital incumbent whose employed-physician and neurosurgery service-line strategies influence regional referral patterns and competition for Howell Allen.

Others

• Medtronic: Global medical device company that manufactures spinal hardware, Mazor robotic spine systems, and neurosurgical technologies used by Howell Allen. Comparable as a key enabling technology partner whose pricing, product roadmap, and competitive dynamics materially affect Howell Allen's cost structure and service capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/howell_allen
• Facebookfacebook.com/231085730629761
• Instagraminstagram.com/howellallenclinic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howell-allen-clinic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howell Allen