Outlook table-cell background image

David, I'm trying to achieve this very same goal with my email table cells, however, using "frame" for the fill type has resulted in the image being disproportionate. Since I have the height of the cell to be determined by the contents inside the cell, the background image does fill the width, however, the height is squeezed down. Can you help with any ideas to get the image to stay proportionate? I don't mind it being cut off, just not compressed. Here is my current string for that one portion:

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td background="https://www.dataclaritycorp.com/images/newsletter/2018/background-medical-financial.jpg" bgcolor="#1c2336" valign="top" class=""><!--[if gte mso 9]>
<v:rect xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" fill="true" stroke="false" style="mso-width-percent:1000;">
<v:fill type="frame" src="https://www.dataclaritycorp.com/images/newsletter/2018/background-medical-financial.jpg" color="#1c2336" >/v:fill
<v:textbox style="mso-fit-shape-to-text:true" inset="0,0,0,0">
<![endif]-->
<div>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="table-inner" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td height="20" class=""> </td>
</tr>
<!-- title -->
<tr align="center">
<td data-color="Title" data-link-color="Content Link" data-link-style="text-decoration:none; color:#ffffff;" style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Helping Assess Potential Danger in Child Poisoning</td>
</tr>
<!-- end title -->
<tr>
<td height="10" class=""> </td>
</tr>
<!-- content -->
<tr>
<td align="center" data-color="Content" data-link-color="Content Link" data-link-style="text-decoration:none; color:#cecece;" data-max="18" data-min="13" data-size="Content" style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(206, 206, 206); line-height: 22.1px;" valign="top" class="">By indexing structured and unstructured data, IBM Master Data Management provides better access to product information, helping poison control center give timely and informed advice and saving lives.</td>
</tr>
<!-- end content -->
<tr>
<td height="15" class=""> </td>
</tr>
<!--link-->
<tr>
<td align="center" style="font-family: 'Open sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(60, 145, 231); font-size: 13px;" class=""><a href="https://www.ventanaresearch.com/press-release/ventana-research-publishes-new-research-on-total-compensation-management" style="color: #3c91e7;">+ Watch the video</a></td>
</tr>
<!--end link-->
<tr>
<td height="20" class=""> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
/v:textbox
/v:rect
<![endif]--></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>