TO: Ballad Health All
FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024
TITLE: System updates for Oct. 3
ACTION: Please post and cascade to all team members.
NOTE: This is an updated version from what was released at 7 a.m. Please refer to this version.
Ballad Health’s Corporate Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) remains active due to ongoing issues caused by severe weather. Flooding, high winds and power outages continue to create problems throughout the Appalachian Highlands.
Please see below for the most current list of system updates.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) remains available to assist team members and their families with confidential mental health and substance abuse services through Ballad Health Counseling Services. Ballad Health provides coverage at no cost. Please review the enclosed list of locations and contact numbers at the bottom of this memo to learn more. Additionally, the 24/7 Respond Crisis Hotline can be reached at 1-800-366-1132.
NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION
Water line break in Kingsport
Due to a water line break affecting a large part of the city of Kingsport early Wednesday morning, Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital have suspended elective surgeries through Thursday, Oct. 3.
- Dialysis at both facilities was temporarily paused on Wednesday but has resumed.
- The city is making emergency repairs and has announced the waterline is fixed, and they are working to restore service.
- With water pressure below optimal levels at Holston Valley and Indian Path, water conservation measures are being taken at both facilities.
- Otherwise, both hospitals are functioning with full services, including full operation of the emergency departments.
Safety precautions during boil water advisories
During boil water advisories, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer continues to be the preferred method for hand hygiene before and after patient care, unless hands are visibly soiled.
- If a team member needs soap and water for soiled hands:
- Use water from the sink to perform hand hygiene with soap and water for 20 seconds.
- Scrub hands to remove visible soil.
- After drying hands completely, the team member should use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- If no running water is available:
- Hand hygiene with soap and water will become a two-person procedure.
- Assisting team member will pour bottled water over the hands of the team member performing hand hygiene to moisten the hands.
- The team member should then apply soap and scrub their hands for 20 seconds to remove any visible soil.
- The assisting team member should then rinse the hands by pouring more bottled water over them.
- Operating room scrubs for facilities under a boil water alert:
- For the first scrub-in of the day, hand hygiene procedure MUST be a two-person procedure.
- Assisting team member will pour bottled water over the hands of the team member performing hand hygiene to moisten the hands.
- The team member should apply soap and scrub their hands for 30 seconds to remove any visible soil.
- The assisting team member should rinse by pouring more bottled water over the hands.
- The team member should proceed with the six-minute “wet-scrub,” using chlorohexidine- or betadine-impregnated scrub sponges that are part of the normal surgical prep process.
- Once the wet-scrub is completed, the assisting team member should then rinse both arms and hands by pouring more bottled water until a complete rinse has been achieved.
- Additional safety precautions:
- Infection prevention is providing bottled water to patients.
- Oral hygiene should be completed with bottled water.
- Do not use ice machines or coffee machines or consume fountain drinks.
- Specialty education materials will be provided.
Sycamore Shoals Hospital resumes services
- Inpatient services resumed on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
- Surgeries will resume on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Flood recovery safety guidelines
- Anyone involved in disaster cleanup should check their tetanus vaccine status. Team members who are not up to date on their tetanus vaccine may present to any Team Member Health office and receive a TdaP vaccines free of charge.
- If working in muddy areas should wear a mask or respirator as there is a possibility toxins, irritants, chemicals and bacteria have settled into the mud and could be released as a microscopic airborne dust.
- If you or your family have a bee allergy, please be aware the flooding has disturbed bee hives so please have all need supplies on hand— EpiPens and Benadryl as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
- Prior to the floods, there was already an increase in West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, diseases spread by mosquitos. If working outside, please:
- Use insect repellent
- Wear loose-fitting long sleeve shirts and pants to cover all exposed skin
- Additional tips can be found here: Preventing Mosquito Bites | Mosquitoes | CDC
- Vaccine considerations – Hepatitis A vaccine is a routinely recommended vaccine for adults and children. Being exposed to floodwater is not a recommendation for this vaccine, but it’s still important to ensure you are up to date with all routinely recommended vaccines.
Send us your Mission Moments
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, our team members are bearing witness to incredible compassion, volunteerism, support and heroism.
To share these stories, Ballad Health has online systems for team members to submit their photos and experiences the Smartsheet form or click the “Mission Moment” button within the Ballad Teams mobile app. Please fill out the provided fields and provide any photos or other documents.
Please note: Only send photos you have taken – please do not share photos or videos posted on social media or sent to you from other sources.
Support through Ballad Health Foundation
- Multiple assistance funds have been established:
- The Ballad Health Team Member Emergency Fund is accepting donations that will benefit team members affected by the disaster. Details on donating PTO will be shared soon.
- The Patient Assistance Fund will benefit patients who have financial needs.
- The Disaster Relief Fund is a greatest need opportunity for support.
- To donate to any of these funds:
- Ballad Health Foundation has set up a new text option. Text “disasterrelief” to 44834 to make a gift.
Donation bins
- Donation bins are available outside of hospital gift shops
- Requested items:
- Baby formula, diapers and wipes
- Bottled water
- Cleaning supplies
- Feminine hygiene products
- New bedding, clothing, socks and shoes
- Nonperishable food
- Donations will support our team members, STRONG families, home health and hospice patients.
Volunteer coordination
Interested in volunteering? Volunteers can sign-up via Smartsheet with their name, contact information, desired locations and any relevant credentials. This will create a contact group and allow Ballad Health to best align volunteers with needs.
Human resources
- The flu shot deadline has been extended to Wednesday, Nov. 6.
- Team members who need emergency resources such as food or housing should reach out to:
- 423-431-2426
- ahcn.navigator@balladhealth.org
- Team members who need childcare assistance should reach out to:
- Pam.smith@balladhealth.org
- 904-451-2793
- The Inclement Weather Policy remains in place through the night shift on Sunday, Oct. 6, and until Monday, Oct. 7, at 7 a.m.
Medical Response Unit operations continue in Erwin
- Located in the auditorium parking lot of Unicoi County High School in Erwin, the site provides 24/7 first aid, triage for minor illnesses and injuries and stabilization, including:
- Basic treatment of infections
- Stabilization and transfer for trauma and serious conditions
- Respiratory infections
- Skin infections
- Located at 700 S. Mohawk Drive in Erwin, Tenn.
- Unicoi County Hospital team members will be staffing the unit around the clock until further notice.
- As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, the Medical Response Unit has seen 32 patients.
Greeneville, Lebanon Centers for Early Learning (CEL) update
- The Center for Early Learning in Lebanon has resumed operations.
- The Center for Early Learning in Greeneville’s operations will remain suspended until water supply stabilizes in the town.
REMINDERS
Canceled classes
- All classes scheduled for the week of Sept. 29 are canceled, including:
- AHA
- Clinical Education
- CPR
- Epic Education
- Organizational Development
- New team member onboarding classes will continue as scheduled.
- Questions should be directed to management.
Resources for displaced team members
- Various shower facilities on Ballad Health properties are available for team members and their immediate family members.
- Team members must provide their name badge when visiting the shower facilities.
- Shower facilities are available at
- Ballad Health hospitals. Contact the House Supervisor before visiting to receive location details.
- The Wellness Center in Johnson City
- YMCA in Kingsport
- Towels and toiletries are not provided.
Greeneville Community Hospital services to remain suspended
- Inpatient transfers to Holston Valley Medical Center have been completed.
- All services remain suspended at Greeneville Community Hospital except for those provided in the emergency department.
- Emergency obstetric (OB) services are still being provided for patients in active labor or have an emergent situation. OB patients with a scheduled induction at Greeneville Community Hospital should call their physician to receive care at another hospital.
- Patients experiencing an emergency may still come to the hospital’s emergency department.
Laughlin Healthcare Center evacuated residents
- Thirty-three patients were successfully evacuated from Laughlin Healthcare Center in Greeneville to Wexford House in Kingsport.
- Patients’ families have been notified.
- Laughlin Healthcare Center will remain closed until utilities and the Greeneville water supply stabilize.
Inclement weather policy update
- We recognize that some team members are unable to work due to personal circumstances or the suspension of some of our service operations, so we will work to ensure team members are paid their scheduled hours.
- Because we have relocated some of our patient population to other facilities, we will require some displaced staff to redeploy to other facilities within Ballad Health. We are working to get displaced staff assigned as quickly as possible.
- If a team member is asked to redeploy and they refuse, they will be required to take paid time off (PTO). If the team member does not have PTO, they will go unpaid. Absences will be handled per HR-200-005-BH, Attendance: Absenteeism and Tardiness.
- If a team member would like to pick up additional shifts, they may contact their manager or use iChoice.
- Team members should stay in touch with their manager as the emergency operations continue to develop.
Team member assistance
- Team members who need assistance should first reach out to HR.
- HR will route team members to the most appropriate avenue for assistance.
- HR is prepared to coordinate financial needs, referrals to the Employee Assistance Program or community needs assistance.
Questions
For questions, please contact the Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center at BalladHealthCorporateEOC@BalladHealth.org.
Ballad Health EAP locations
TENNESSEE
- Bristol
1 Medical Park Blvd, Suite 200E
Bristol, TN 37620
423.844.5100
- Elizabethton
1497 West Elk Avenue, Suite 21
Elizabethton, TN 37643
423.542.7420
- Greeneville
438 East Vann Road, Suite 202
Greeneville, TN 37743
423.636.0491
- Johnson City
701 Med Tech Parkway,
Suites 200 & 201
Johnson City, TN 37604
423.302.3480
- Kingsport
2204 Pavilion Drive, Suite 107
Kingsport, TN 37660
423.343.1442
- Rogersville
948 West Broadway Street, Suite 2
Rogersville, TN 37857
423.921.7150
VIRGINIA
- Abingdon
613 Campus Dr, Suite 200
Abingdon, VA 24210
276.628.1186
- Big Stone Gap
1980 Holton Avenue, Suite 103
Big Stone Gap, VA 24219
276.524.8100
- Lebanon
344 Overlook Drive, Suite 200
Lebanon, VA 24266
276.883.8042
- Rural Retreat
7021 West Lee Highway, Suite C
Rural Retreat, VA 24368
276.686.4148
- St. Paul
16431 Wise Street
St. Paul, VA 24283
276.762.2300
