Ballad Health’s corporate audit and compliance services will host a WebEx session on Thursday, July 25, covering the patient’s right to request an amendment. When the time arrives for the session, join the WebEx meeting on your computer by clicking here and using the access information listed below, or by calling the toll-free number.      

Tickets for The Classic Kickoff Concert are now on sale KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The indie folk duo Shovels & Rope will headline this year’s Classic Kickoff Concert, a daylong festivity on Sunday, Aug. 11, at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center to celebrate the beginning of the 2019 Niswonger Children’s Hospital Classic. Comprising husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, Shovels & Rope has released seven albums since 2008, most recently By Blood in April of this year. In 2013, the pair won the Americana Music Association’s Emerging Artist of the Year award and the Song of the Year for their hit single, “Birmingham.” Joining Shovels & Rope for The Classic Kickoff Concert will be local Southern rock band The Twang Bangers and singer-songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan. “We hope the community turns out, not only to enjoy themselves with the festivities and great music, but to support a great cause,” said Lisa Carter,…

Ballad Health executive Eric Deaton has been named to the 2019-2020 class of Leadership Tennessee, a program that brings leaders from across the state together to engage in collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issues of statewide importance. For the past two decades, Deaton has held leadership roles in Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina. He currently serves as Ballad Health’s senior vice president of market operations. Deaton is one of 46 leaders from rural and urban communities across Tennessee to be selected for this year’s Leadership Tennessee class. “For me, it’s a real honor to be a part of this year’s class. Growing up in this area, I feel very fortunate to represent our region in Leadership Tennessee,” said Deaton, a native of Carter County. “I see it as a learning opportunity for me, not only to learn more about other parts of the state, but to better understand how we can make improvements across our region and…

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Following the success of last year’s event, the World Long Drive Association is returning to Cattails at MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort and Convention Center for the Tennessee Big Shots benefiting Niswonger Children’s Hospital, which will air live on Golf Channel. The long-drive golf event will take place Saturday-Monday, Aug. 10-12, and feature a Men’s Division and Women’s Division. The qualifying rounds will occur Aug. 10-11, with the finals on Aug. 12 broadcast live on Golf Channel beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Tennessee Big Shots is part of the Niswonger Children’s Hospital Classic, a signature golf tournament that attracts top players each year from the PGA, LPGA and PGA Champions tours. Last year, the free event attracted a standing-room-only crowd of an estimated 2,000 people. More than 100,000 others watched it live on Golf Channel in 66 different countries. Reigning Tennessee Big Shots Open Division champion Justin James (Jacksonville, Fla.) described it as the “best…

July 1, 2019, marked the beginning of the new fiscal year and the effective date of the Ballad Health benefits you selected during open enrollment this past May. The premium deduction for benefits will occur on the July 12, 2019, paycheck. Scroll down this list to see what you need to know about each part of your benefits as the new plan year begins: MEDICAL – The Ballad Health Choice and Ballad Health Bronze plan deductibles and out-of-pocket accumulators start over on July 1. Remember to use a Ballad Health Preferred Provider for services to receive the maximum benefit under the plan. The provider directory is available online at bcbst.com/balladhealth. Click on the resources tab to review the provider listings. If you newly elected the medical plan and have not received your ID cards or if you need additional cards, please call BCBST at 800-565-9140. WELLNESS PROGRAM – The wellness screening process is complete and…

If you attended the annual Ballad Health Celebration of Service Awards last month, you may want to check out photos from the event, now available on the human resources intranet site. Click here to access the photos on the HR intranet site. Photos can also be downloaded. Click on the photo to access it, then click again to display the picture in larger format. Then you can right-click to save the photo. To find the page, go from our Ballad Health intranet main page to the “Human Resources” page. The photo link can be found under “Important Human Resources Links” titled “2019 Service Awards.” If you missed the Ballad Health News article about the event, with a separate photo gallery, click here to check it out, as well. Congratulations again to everyone who was recognized, and thank you for your service!

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Our Ballad Health Foundation office has moved. The new address is 1019 W. Oakland Ave., Suite 2. This is in the NorthPoint 1 building, next to the new Ballad Health human resources corporate office. It is located on the part of West Oakland Avenue near Cheddar’s and Mad Greek restaurants. The foundation was formerly located in both Johnson City on Knob Creek Road and in Kingsport on American Way. For more information about the Ballad Health Foundation, visit www.balladhealth.org/foundation or call 423-302-3131.

Ballad Health and Niswonger Children’s Hospital are sponsors of the Crazy 8s events coming up in Kingsport on Saturday, July 13. Team members get a discounted registration fee by using the code BALLADC8. Check out the information below and go to the werunevents.com site to register online for any of these events.  

Due to technical difficulties, some team members could not submit or complete their applications last week for improvement projects for our Ballad Health Excellence Awards. In an effort to ensure all teams have the opportunity to submit their projects, we are extending the deadline to Monday, July 8, at 5 p.m. Here’s the link to our Ballad Health Excellence Awards page. If you are submitting a project and have any difficulties completing the submission, please contact us at QualityDepartment@balladhealth.org. We are working directly with the IT department to resolve any issues. It’s not too late; we want to hear from everyone who’s got a quality improvement project to present! Note: The inaugural Ballad Health Excellence Awards will be held on Oct. 1, 2019, at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport.

Our “Kudos & Recognition” feature highlights team members and others from across Ballad Health who have earned honors, awards, professional certifications or done other notable things worth recognizing. If you know a team member who might qualify, email information to doug.janz@balladhealth.org.   Dr. Joseph Armstrong recognized with 2019 Outstanding Physician Award by TMA BRISTOL, Tenn. – Joseph Armstrong, MD, an eye doctor who serves at Bristol Regional Medical Center, was one of two doctors honored statewide with the 2019 Outstanding Physician Award by the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA). This is TMA’s lifetime achievement award and is presented during the annual meeting of TMA’s House of Delegates. Dr. Armstrong has provided compassionate ophthalmic care to people in Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia for 35 years. He founded Mountain Empire Eye Physicians as well as the first ophthalmic surgery center in the region, to bring ophthalmic care to an underserved area of Appalachia. Dr. Armstrong has served…