This message was sent to Ballad Health team members Tuesday evening from Alan Levine, president and CEO of Ballad Health:
I want to share with you this evening that the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) released its 2019 Certificate of Public Advantage Annual Report [found here].
Our merger and the COPA are an unprecedented effort to preserve rural health care access and improve community health in the region. We greatly appreciate the hard work of the Tennessee Department of Health in its assessment and development of the annual report, and their finding of continued public advantage. The report, in particular, highlights that hospitals that were under threat of closure remain open, there have been fewer layoffs post-merger than had been expected, the Greene County hospital consolidation appears innovative and successful, and that the Tennessee Department of Health is “particularly impressed by the Accountable Care Community that Ballad Health is playing a lead role in establishing in the region.”
In an effort to make sure you stay informed about the progress we are making together, I wanted to make you aware of this report as soon as possible. None of this would have been possible without the tireless effort of our team members, physicians and community partners who work every day to care for the almost 1.1 million individuals who call Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia home. We look forward to continuing to work with you and the TDH as we strengthen healthcare across our region, and to engaging thoughtfully with the communities we serve over the coming weeks and months.
Alan