TO: Ballad Health All
FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: Oct. 2, 2024
TITLE: System updates for Oct. 2
ACTION: Please post and cascade to all team members.
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.
NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION
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.
- Ballad Health team members will be staffing the unit around the clock until further notice.
Greeneville, Lebanon Centers for Early Learning (CEL) update
- The Center for Early Learning in Lebanon will resume operations beginning Wednesday, Oct. 2.
- The Center for Early Learning in Greeneville’s operations will remain suspended until water supply stabilizes in the town.
Vaccine considerations
- Tetanus
- Those who experience cuts, scratches or other injuries while working in cleanup and recovery should ensure their tetanus vaccine is up to date.
- Either a tetanus vaccine or the TdaP vaccine can be used to protect against tetanus. (TdaP also protects against pertussis).
- Hepatitis A
- 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.
Sycamore Shoals Hospital resumes services
- Inpatient services will resume Wednesday, Oct. 2.
- Surgeries will resume on Thursday, Oct. 3.
REMINDERS
Human resources
- The flu shot deadline has been extended to Nov. 6, 2024.
- Annual performance appraisal deadline has been extended to Dec. 13, 2024.
- Team members who need childcare or other emergency resources such as food or housing, should reach out to:
423-431-2426
ahcn.navigator@balladhealth.org
- The Inclement Weather Policy remains in place through the night shift on Sunday, Oct. 6, and until Monday, Oct. 7, at 7 a.m.
Canceled classes
- All classes scheduled for the week of Sept. 29 will be 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.
Phone system, network resumes operation
- All inbound and external phone service is now fully operational except for Johnson County Community Hospital. Please report any issues to the IT Help Desk at 423-431-6290.
- The behavioral health crisis Respond Hotline, which was inoperable on Saturday, is now operational at 1-800-366-1132. Please note, this is an updated number that what was previously published.
- Network connectivity has been restored and should be consistent throughout the Ballad Health system, except in Unicoi County.
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 (GCH) 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 GCH 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.
Elective procedures resume where possible
- Elective procedures have resumed at facilities that can perform them.
- Patients will be contacted in the event their procedure needs to be rescheduled.
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.
Safety advisory
- Those under a boil water advisory – like Johnson, Carter and Unicoi counties – should follow boil water directives.
- Team members and members of the public are not to be on Unicoi County Hospital property as it is deemed unsafe.
- The facility is experiencing a propane leak, which makes being in or around the building extremely unsafe.
- Emergency service professionals have advised to let the leak dissipate.
- Security is onsite 24 hours a day.
- Be aware that floodwater can contain sewage, and eating or drinking anything contaminated by floodwater can cause diarrheal disease (such as E. coli or salmonella infection).
- Wash your hands after contact with floodwater.
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.
- Anyone wishing to help can go online to make donations to various assistance funds.
- The Ballad Health Team Member Emergency Fund is accepting donations that will benefit team members affected by the disaster. Detailed information on donating PTO will be coming soon.
- The Patient Assistance Fund will benefit patients who have financial needs.
- The Disaster Relief Fund is a greatest need opportunity for support.
- All three relief funds can be accessed online at www.BalladHealth.org/foundation/donate-online.
- Barrels are available in the lobbies of Ballad Health hospitals near each Gift Shop to take donated goods.
- Donated items being accepted include:
- Baby formula, diapers and wipes
- Bottled water
- Cleaning supplies
- Feminine hygiene products
- New bedding, clothing, socks and shoes
- Nonperishable food
Event cancelations, later dates to be identified
- Niswonger Children’s Hospital steel-topping ceremony and pediatric subspeciality open house, originally scheduled for Oct. 4.
- Ribbon-cutting event for the Abingdon Center for Early Learning, originally scheduled for Oct. 8.
- Greeneville Community Hospital Friend Raiser, originally scheduled for Oct. 17.
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 W. Elk Ave., 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 W. Broadway Street, Suite 2
Rogersville, TN 37857
423.921.7150
VIRGINIA
- Abingdon
613 Campus Drive, Suite 200
Abingdon, VA 24210
276.628.1186
- Big Stone Gap
1980 Holton Ave., 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
