Ballad Health welcomes Rogersville native Hunter Hamilton as the next administrator of Hancock County Hospital and Hawkins County Memorial Hospital as Regina Day, the facilities’ current administrator retires after five years of successful leadership.
Regina Day concluded her 22-year in healthcare on Friday, Dec. 15, after a tenure that began in 2002 as an accountant at St. Mary’s Hospital in Norton, Virginia, which would eventually become Norton Community Hospital. She was responsible for finance management for seven Ballad Health’s facilities, including Hawkins County Memorial Hospital and Hancock County Hospital, until 2018, when she accepted the role as administrator for those two facilities.
Under Day’s leadership, both facilities have earned several awards and accolades. Hawkins County Memorial Hospital earned national recognition as an IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospital for three consecutive years, and Hancock County Hospital was named by the National Rural Health Association as a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital for best practice in patient satisfaction.
“Regina always puts her community first, and we are grateful to see that Hawkins County and Hancock County flourished under her leadership for the past five years,” said Lisa Carter, president of Ballad Health’s Southern Region. “We couldn’t have asked for a better person to lead two of our key community hospitals, and while we will miss her influence and her passionate service, we know that she has primed her communities to continue being successful as we move toward the future of healthcare in Hancock and Hawkins counties.”
To continue building on Day’s legacy, Hamilton has accepted the role as the next administrator for Hawkins County Memorial Hospital and Hancock County Hospital. Hamilton’s career in healthcare began at Hawkins County Memorial Hospital as a patient care technician while he earned his nursing degree. He worked as a registered nurse at Holston Valley Medical Center’s emergency department before returning to Hawkins County to work as an emergency department RN. Since his return to Hawkins County Memorial Hospital, Hamilton has grown his career to become the emergency department manager and, most recently, the associate administrator and chief nursing officer for both Hawkins County Memorial Hospital and Hancock County Hospital.
“It’s bittersweet to end what has been a memorable and extremely rewarding career in healthcare, and to say these communities have welcomed me with open arms is a huge understatement,” Day said. “God has truly blessed me. I love working for Ballad Health. I love working with my team and I love the patients and communities we serve. I am truly thankful to be able to say those things with sincerity as a huge chapter in my life comes to a close.
“I have every confidence that under Hunter’s leadership, Hancock and Hawkins counties will continue to thrive and grow. I cherished every moment of my journey and will be forever grateful for the memories I created with my colleagues and friends.”
