Clinical Education, Organizational Development (OD) and Epic have an INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY FOR CLASSES (OD-100-007-BH). The policy was created out of concern for team members attempting to travel to classes when the roads are not in good condition.
If you’re taking a Ballad Health class, here are the two key ways to find out if the class has been canceled due to bad weather:
- Team members will be notified of the decision to cancel educational classes via the Ballad Teams app on their phones, and at Balladhealthnews.org. 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 (423-431-1062) has also been created to allow team members the ability to call to check status of altered scheduling 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.
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, to ensure no lapse in certification in case a class is canceled due to weather.
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 OD/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 will be responsible for notifying his/her manager of schedule alternation and arranging for a rescheduled class.
For additional questions, OD can be contacted by emailing Organizational Development at OrgDevEducation@balladhealth.org or by calling 423-325-8484. Epic can be contacted by emailing EpicTraining@balladhealth.org, and Clinical Education may be contacted by calling 423-325-8493. You can also contact the person listed in the Learning Management System (HealthStream) for the course.
