Dear Colleague:
As we settle in for Thanksgiving, I’d like to first give thanks to our fellow team members, physicians and volunteers who will be serving our patients during the holiday. Many of our colleagues choose to work during the holiday so others can be with their families, and of course, to be able to show special attention to our patients who must be hospitalized or need other services during the holiday. Whatever brings you to work on this holiday, you all have the gratitude of our patients, your colleagues and our communities.
This time of year provides us with an opportunity to count our blessings, and to reflect on what we value most. I hope that we all agree that kindness, compassion and empathy are core virtues that, when put on display and lived, make the lives of those around us better. In each and every interaction we have; with each other, with our patients and their families, and with any of our multitude of stakeholders, there is no doubt that these virtues lift others up. I am always filled with pride when I see these values on display at Ballad Health, and I hope each of us reflects on the incredible opportunity we have each day to have a positive impact on another person each and every time. It is truly special to see.
When we became Ballad Health, our team members decided what our core values are as a health system: Caring, Honesty, Creativity, Respect, Quality and Faith. These are very powerful words, but put in practice, they can be life changing for the people who benefit from them. Thanksgiving week, and then the Christmas season, are opportune times to reflect on whether each of us are living up to these values each day. Certainly, I fall short at times, but the north star of reflecting on these values is a great way to self-correct. Kindness, compassion and empathy are core components of these values, and they touch each of them.
Over the coming weeks, we plan to provide stories for you, from you, and about you, as demonstrations of the great ways we touch people, and also as opportunities to learn how we can be better – for the benefit of our patients and each other. I think you will enjoy these stories, and hopefully, benefit from them.
To highlight these tenets of care, I am honored to announce our most prestigious award created to honor team members, volunteers and physicians: the Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award. This award is given to members of our team who have been recognized by their peers for displaying the heart of a servant by going above and beyond the normal call of duty in helping others at work and in the community.
This award is named in honor of Scott and Nikki Niswonger, who have exemplified what it means to have the heart of a servant throughout their lives. The Niswongers were the lead benefactors in creating Niswonger Children’s Hospital, and they have a long history of serving others throughout the region, with a strong focus on improving the future trajectory of our communities. In fact, WJHL recently featured Mr. Niswonger in a Community Heroes segment which you can watch here.
The recipients of the Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award model the values of Ballad Health every day, and they always seem to find a way to help others.
The recipients of the Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award model the values of Ballad Health every day, and they always seem to find a way to help others, whether that be a fellow team member, patient or visitor.
For example, one of the winners this year works with people in our communities who often need more than healthcare – she helps them find shelter, food, warmth and, crucially, a caring heart and companionship. She has a sixth sense of being able to read people and determine what their needs are. On top of that, she’s extremely empathetic and knowledgeable. She’s everything a community nurse should be.
Another one of our winners this year has an instinctual ability to monitor hearts of those around her, too. If she hears a child in distress while receiving care, she’s there with a video game to provide calmness and distraction, allowing the nurse and doctor to successfully complete their procedure. Team members say she has an unparalleled perception for those who are heavy-hearted, and she routinely lifts the spirits of hospital leaders, team members and physicians who’ve had a difficult day.
We also have volunteers who choose to give their time and talents to brighten the days of our patients, visitors and team members. And many of our winners are as well-known for their work in community organizations and the impacts they make there, as they are for their day-to-day jobs in our health system.
These are just a few of the astonishing stories we’re sharing as part of the 2023 Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award winners. Beginning this week, those stories will be shared on Ballad Health’s social media pages and in the Ballad Health News through the Ballad Team app. Please take a few moments to visit our website, witness their incredible stories and share them with your friends and family during the holiday week.
Please join me in congratulating the 2023 Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award winners:
- Allison Cordell, a nurse at Holston Valley Medical Center
- Jeanne Clarke, a registered nurse and health promotions coordinator
- Dr. Keith Young, a pulmonologist and critical care physician with Ballad Health Medical Associates
- Shane Duncan, the Consumer Contact Center director
- Dr. Paul Arthur Phillips, an emergency medicine physician at Russell County Hospital
- Nancy Randall, a volunteer in our Northern Region
- Nellie Arrowood, a telemetry technician at Unicoi County Hospital
- Regina Barkley, the emergency room manager at Sycamore Shoals Hospital
- Carolyn Medley, a volunteer at Smyth County Community Hospital
A few items of interest as we bring in the holiday season:
Reminder of the annual wage increase
First, as we close out the year, I want to remind everyone that eligible Ballad Health team members will receive a 3% annual wage adjustment effective on the Jan. 19, 2024, pay date. In addition to information posted on the Human Resources department site, you’ll receive more specific information regarding eligibility soon.
Speedway in Lights at Bristol Motor Speedway
Also, Ballad Health has once again partnered with Bristol Motor Speedway to purchase tickets for every team member, including medical providers employed by Ballad Health Medical Associates. Each team member will receive one ticket for Speedway in Lights, which is good for one vehicle to experience the holiday light spectacular. These tickets will be mailed to the team member’s home address.
Food City gift cards
I am also pleased to announce that Ballad Health will continue our tradition of providing a $25 Food City gift card to all team members. This year, the gift cards will be electronic and emailed to each team member’s Ballad Health email address to be printed or forwarded to a personal email. The bar code is specific to each team member and can be scanned at any Food City location.
*Please note, our partner, Ensemble Health Partners, has special gift and bonus programs for its associates, and its own wage programs, and so I refer these associates to Ensemble for any holiday programs administered by Ensemble or for any questions about compensation.
Associates of our other partners, Compass One and Morrison’s, will receive the Food City gift card and Speedway in Lights tickets. Those will be distributed through their leadership. Any questions about compensation should, as always, be referred to Compass One and Morrison’s.
In wrapping up, I want to leave you with this thought. No matter where we come from, the paths we’ve walked, or the challenges we’ve encountered, what impresses me is the resilience woven into our shared experiences. Let’s rejoice all we have accomplished to get to this point and look forward to the bright future ahead.
No matter our life circumstances, I pray you find peace and joy this holiday season. May God bless you and your family, and I hope you’re able to create many memories full of happiness and love.
Thank you for your service, and God bless.
Alan
