If you are currently enrolled in the Ballad Health Diabetes Management Program, you do not need to re-enroll for the FY20 plan year; your enrollment in the program continues. However, you must participate in the Ballad Health wellness program as the primary insured regardless of the medical plan chosen if you, your spouse, or dependent children wish to participate in the program. You can find more information about the Diabetes Management Program, including a list of the diabetes medications covered by the program, on the Ballad Health Wellness Page on the intranet. How to enroll You and/or your spouse/dependent can enroll in the program by calling 1-888-314-7803.          Eligibility for Diabetes Management Program Must be enrolled in a Ballad Health plan Must participate in wellness program Required affirmation of diagnosis Team member only Team member Team member Team member Team member’s spouse Both team member & spouse Both team member & spouse Spouse…

The annual Wine Women & Shoes fundraiser to support affordable breast cancer screenings is set for April 27 at The Virginian Golf Club in Bristol, Virginia, put on by Ballad Health Foundation. It includes wine tasting, shopping, a fashion show, contests, prizes and more! For tickets or more info, visit the WWS website here. You can also vote (by donation) for your choice to be King of Sole; check out the “Vote for Your Shoe Guy” page and you may see some familiar Ballad Health faces! It all goes to improve access and affordability for breast cancer screenings, so the cause is a great one.  

Check out this vacation loan special now being offered by Mountain States Credit Union — open to all members of Ballad Health! For more information, call 423-431-6361 or visit www.balladcu.org.  

Our Ballad Health wellness screenings are underway and the wellness survey is now available effective Monday, April 1. Here are some of the key links for participating in the wellness program: Click here to see the full schedule of screenings. Click here to log in for the wellness survey. Click here to access the team member wellness portal. Reminder: Both the team member and covered spouse must complete the wellness components to be eligible for the premium reduction and additional wellness programs, such as Diabetes Management Program. Here’s a list of frequently asked questions about the survey, screenings and health portal. Survey FAQs When will the wellness plan survey be available? The Ballad Health wellness plan survey is open effective Monday, April 1, 2019, and will conclude on June 5, 2019. How do I access the survey from a Ballad computer? The survey can be accessed at the following link: https://ballad.ezonlineregistration.net/. How do I access…

Ballad Health’s human resources department is offering discounted one-day Dollywood tickets to team members using payroll deduction. Ticket prices are $43.55 for adults, $40 for children, if purchased onsite from facility or corporate HR. Payment can be divided into two pay periods. Before picking up their tickets, team members can complete a payroll deduction form by using the payroll deduction tab on the HR page, or an HR team member can complete the form when the team member picks up the tickets. For team members not eligible for payroll deduction, tickets can be purchased online at a cost of $47.75 for adults, $43.80 for kids, using a Ballad promo code. To purchase this way, you must access via the Ballad Health intranet HR discount page here. Once on the HR discount page, do a search for Dollywood to access the discount link. Tickets at regular rates are $74 per adult, $61 per child, so this is a…

MARION, Va. – Team members and the auxiliary at Smyth County Community Hospital on Monday donated funds to give 3,000 books to the students of Smyth County in an effort to bridge the “summer slide” and promote reading at home, especially during the summer months, and encourage participation in our B.E.A.R. Buddies Program that matches an adult reading mentor with an elementary student. Ballad Health CEO Alan Levine and his wife Laura visited Marion Elementary School, along with James Tyler, CEO of Smyth County Community Hospital, and several members of the hospital leadership team, to read to classes and give away new books to each student in attendance. Check out the TV news coverage of the event from WCYB. To learn more about B.E.A.R. Buddies, please visit www.balladhealth.org/bear-buddies-reading-program.  

Dr. Jerry Blackwell to serve as president of MedAxiom, will continue service with Ballad Health MedAxiom announced today that it has selected Dr. Jerry Blackwell to serve as its president. The nation’s leading community of cardiovascular providers, thought leaders and innovators, MedAxiom is a subsidiary of the American College of Cardiology. Blackwell, who has practiced cardiology in Kingsport since 1995, and previously served as chief executive officer of the Wellmont CVA Heart Institute, has been serving as chief clinical officer of Ballad Health since Feb. 1, 2018. In his role as chief clinical officer, Blackwell oversaw the integration of the system’s quality and clinical functions, and led the creation of the Physician Clinical Council, which has overseen efforts to improve quality and the value of services provided by Ballad Health facilities. Under his leadership, in only one year, 14 of 17 key quality indicators have improved. At a national level, he currently serves as chair…

UPDATE: Our giveaway for Bristol Motor Speedway tickets has now closed and we’re contacting all our winners. Thanks to everyone who participated! We’re giving away tickets to the upcoming races at Bristol Motor Speedway! Just send us a short example of how a fellow team member represents one or more of our Ballad Health values, and you and that team member could each win a ticket to one day of the races (you choose which day). DETAILS Ballad Health is the exclusive healthcare provider for races at Bristol Motor Speedway, and we have a limited number of grandstand tickets to give away for the upcoming spring races April 5-7. The weekend is highlighted by Friday’s Bush’s Beans Pole Day, Saturday’s Alsco 300 and Zombie Auto 150, and Sunday’s Food City 500. We’ll give them out to team members who email us with a short example of a fellow team members who demonstrates Ballad Health’s values…

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Run For Your Buns 5K in recognition of colorectal health awareness is coming up Friday, April 12, at Franklin Woods Community Hospital. Stroll, walk or run your way to a healthier colon! Visit www.runforyourbuns.com to register or for more information.

One of Ballad Health’s six values, as determined by team members, is faith. “We nurture the mind, body and spirit of each individual to inspire hope and improve the health and well-being of our community.” Our chaplains across the system guide us in this process, so we are featuring them in a series of profiles in Ballad Health News. Today we feature Gary Metcalf, corporate director of spiritual health services.   “Where are you from?” That’s a question patients or family members and even team members are likely to hear if they happen to meet Gary Metcalf, D.Min. BCC, corporate director of Spiritual Health Services for Ballad Health. “I don’t usually stay on religious topics. Knowing where someone is from gives me insight and provides a way for me to connect to them when they are in crisis,” he said. “If they are from the mountains, we have something in common. “If they say they…

Local youth and stars from Broadway converge on the NPAC stage GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On Sunday, March 24, “Broadway Comes to Greeneville” will showcase young talent from Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia performing with professional Broadway stars. The Broadway-style show, now in its eighth year, raises awareness for Niswonger Children’s Hospital. Broadway stars Jeannette Bayardelle (“Hair,” “The Color Purple”), Jay Armstrong Johnson (“Out of Town,” “Phantom of the Opera”), LaKisha Jones (“Dreamgirls,” “The Color Purple”), Gary Mauer (“Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Miserables”) and Elizabeth Southard (“Phantom of the Opera,” “The Sound of Music”) will travel to Greeneville to perform at Niswonger Performing Arts Center (NPAC) on March 24 at 3 p.m. “Broadway Comes to Greeneville” is presented by the Ballad Health Foundation and Consumer Credit Union. Tickets to the event are $25, $30 and $35, depending on the seating section. Lydia McCraw, last year’s talent search winner, said, “It’s so special to know that,…