Clinical Education, Organizational Development and Epic have an INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY FOR CLASSES (OD-100-007-BH on the Ballad Health intranet). The policy was created out of concern for team members attempting to travel to classes when the roads are not in good condition.
PLEASE NOTE: This process for notifying team members about class cancellation has been updated from previous years:
- Team members will be notified of the decision to cancel educational classes via the Ballad Teams mobile app and Ballad Health News. In the event of bad weather, team members should check these two resources to receive the most up-to-date communication concerning schedule changes.
- An inclement weather message line has also been created to allow team members the ability to call to check the status of classes. A recorded message will alert callers if classes will be hosted as scheduled, or if the decision has been made to cancel based on weather concerns. This messaging can be reached by calling 423-431-1062.
This is a change from the previous Ballad Health policy, which determined class status by whether several regional colleges and universities held their classes.
Exceptions to the class cancellation policy are the systemwide classes and facility classes for new team member orientation, which will not be canceled.
The policy also includes Epic classes and all American Heart Association Classes at any location (BLS, ACLS, PALS, etc.). It is important that team members not wait until their AHA certification is close to expiring to attend a class, so they can ensure no lapse in certification in the event a class is canceled due to weather.
For information on how to download the Ballad Teams app, click here.
Be careful about bad-weather travel
Team members are always encouraged to use their own discretion when deciding if they should attempt to travel during inclement weather. For example, if a team member living in Virginia is signed up for a class in Tennessee but does not feel the road conditions are safe to travel to Tennessee, then they should notify their class instructor or the Organizational Development/Clinical Education that they will not be able to attend due to the road conditions.
Weather conditions can vary drastically across the region, so please always use caution. No-show fees will not be charged in these situations. Team members are responsible for notifying their manager of schedule alternation and arranging for a rescheduled class.
More info
For additional questions:
- OD can be contacted by emailing Organizational Development at OrgDevEducation@balladhealth.org or by dialing 423-979-2135.
- Epic questions can be emailed to EpicTraining@balladhealth.org
- Clinical Education may be contacted at 423-431-5444 or ClinicalEducationDept@balladhealth.org.
You can also contact the person listed in the Learning Management System (HealthStream) for the course.
