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Mountain States, Wellmont boards authorize final approval of merger; Ballad Health to celebrate launch Friday

Leaders named for top positions in new health system TENNESSEE and VIRGINIA – The boards of directors of Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System have voted unanimously to approve the final terms that will govern their merger, forming a new health system to serve the 1.2 million residents of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The transaction creating the new organization, named Ballad Health, officially became effective at 12:01 a.m. February 1, 2018. A formal launch will be held on Friday, February 2. The final vote marks the end of a nearly four-year merger process that began when Mountain States responded to a request for proposals from Wellmont inviting health systems to outline potential partnerships. The Wellmont board selected the proposal from Mountain States because of its unique vision to create a health improvement organization, limit health care pricing growth, maintain local governance, and invest in the region. Alternatives to the Mountain States proposal would have…

A message from Alan Levine: Welcome to Ballad Health!

This message posted at 12:01 a.m., February 1, 2018 On behalf of the board of directors of Ballad Health, it brings me great pleasure to announce to you that the boards of directors of Mountain States Health Alliance, Wellmont Health System and Ballad Health have voted unanimously to approve the final terms that will govern our merger. This is the final step required to complete this historic process, and we are now Ballad Health! We will hold our official launch tomorrow – Friday, February 2, 2018. Later this morning, you’ll receive some more information about our launch schedule as well as an invitation to attend one of many launch celebrations taking place in care sites and offices throughout our organization tomorrow. There will be a launch experience room set up near your place of work, and you’ll go there tomorrow to pick up your new Ballad Health badge and learn more about our new brand and…

Ballad Health announces retirement of Bart Hove

Ballad Health has announced that Bart Hove, the previous chief executive officer of Wellmont Health System, has retired, effective today. Hove had been slated to serve as CEO of Ballad Health. In a letter yesterday evening to the Ballad Health board of directors, Hove made the surprise announcement. In it, he articulated strong support for the newly appointed management team, a group composed of individuals from both organizations. “It is now time to let the newly appointed and capable management team and board lead the healthcare change for our region,” wrote Hove. “At this juncture in the road, it becomes an opportunity for my wife Marsha and me to continue on another journey, and thus I am announcing my retirement effective February 1, 2018. Thank you for having placed the trust and confidence in me to this point.” Hove, 65, had been asked to return from retirement in 2014 to lead Wellmont through its strategic options…

Here are some things that will NOT change on Day 1 of Ballad Health

Many things are changing as we transition from two health systems into one, but there are also a lot of things that ARE NOT changing right away. In fact, the overriding message for all our team members over the next few weeks might be: Keep calm and carry on. For the most part, our day-to-day operations won’t change on Day 1 of Ballad Health, and the most important thing is for team members to carry on with their normal duties. Changes will happen as we go forward, with some of the bigger transitions not occurring until July 1, 2018, the start of the new fiscal year. We’ll try to make every transition as seamless as possible along the way. To help answer some questions that are may be circulating, here are some of the key things that WILL NOT change on Day 1 as we begin Ballad Health: Benefits, including health insurance – Our benefits and health…

What about our uniforms? Our team members will help make this decision!

The most-asked question we have received is “What will the color of our scrubs be?” Rest assured, the transition team is on it. According to Lisa Smithgall, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer of Holston Valley Medical Center, a new policy is being designed with our patients and team members in mind. Smithgall has been asked by Ballad Health leadership to lead our efforts to develop a new policy. Her background as a nurse, and her experience in both Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System give her a unique perspective on what is important to our team members and patients. Both Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System currently have color-coded uniforms for team members in specific roles and/or departments. “We do want to have consistency throughout Ballad Health,” Smithgall explained. “This consistency will reduce anxiety of patients, improve patient safety and make sure it is as easy…

All team members to receive Ballad Health email addresses on Day 1; they’ll be similar to what we already use

When the merger of Wellmont Health System and Mountain States Health Alliance becomes final, all team members of the former systems will become Ballad Health team members – and that means everyone will have Ballad Health email addresses. Your new email will look similar to your current address. Most Ballad Health team members’ email addresses will follow the format of Firstname.Lastname@balladhealth.org, much like the Firstname.Lastname@wellmont.org and Firstname.Lastname@msha.com setups in use now. There is one exception to this change. For team members who share names, the addresses will add a number after the duplicate last name; for instance, Jane.Doe2@balladhealth.org. Please note: Team members will not need to do anything to set up their new accounts. The first time you log on to a Ballad Health computer or system after the Ballad Health launch, your new address will automatically come up – no need to manually change your information. After the transition, your previous email addresses from…

Ballad Health name badges will be available on Day 1

Day 1 of Ballad Health marks a major moment for our region and team members. To start off our new, integrated health system, all team members will receive new Ballad Health name badges on launch day. Badges will be available in brand experience rooms, which will be hosted at each facility, office and medical practice and open to all team members. You will also receive a Ballad Health badge pull, so you can start showing your Ballad Health pride. Please note: Your Ballad Health badge is a temporary badge and does not contain the electronic ID that you use to access buildings and other systems. You will need to thread your temporary Ballad Health badge onto the same plastic loop that you use for your current badge so the Ballad Health logo is facing out but your electronic ID badge is still present underneath. Permanent Ballad Health badges will be distributed after our security and…

When we become Ballad Health, our intranet and external website will have a new look, too

On the day Ballad Health officially launches, our digital presence will change as well, with a new external website and a new intranet landing page for the entire system. The Ballad Health intranet home page will have a new look featuring our new Ballad Health brand, and will incorporate features like an all-inclusive directory, a news site and quick links to human resources and a “frequently asked questions” page. Don’t worry – our current intranets aren’t going away. You’ll still be able to access Pulse and Wellnet through the new Ballad Health intranet. Icons on the left side of the home page will take you straight to your former organization’s intranet, and all your old links will still be there. On the Ballad Health intranet, you will have the ability to customize your home page with the links you use most. A tip sheet showing how to customize your links will be posted on the…

Welcome to Ballad Health News! It’s your story. We’re listening.

Welcome to Ballad Health News, your primary source for news about your health care system! With the upcoming launch of Ballad Health, this site has been created to help keep you informed as we embark on this exciting journey together. As a member of our team, which will be more than 15,000 people strong in care sites including 21 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient care locations, you are an important part of our region. From Rogersville, Tennessee, to Lebanon, Virginia, and from Smyth County, Virginia, to Greeneville, Tennessee, more than 2 million patient contacts prove that no group of people has more of an impact on our region than you do. And as part of such a special team, you deserve to be communicated with about what is happening throughout our new organization, and to have access to relevant, up-to-date information about our people and our integration from two great health systems to one health improvement organization. That’s what…

Area hospitals increase visitation restrictions due to escalating flu risk

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. and KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System have increased visitation restrictions at all their hospitals this week due to the severity of this year’s flu season, both locallyand across the country. To protect patients, team members and physicians from potential exposure, hospitals are asking the following individuals to refrain from visiting patients at this time: Anyone who has flu-like symptoms, such as cough, sore throat, fever, chills, runny nose, body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea Anyone younger than 18 Any groups of more than two adults per patient “This is a level of restriction we have not done before, but it’s important to understand the risks this flu season are higher than normal,” said Jamie Swift, director of infection prevention at Mountain States. “These restrictions match what is being done in many other parts of the country, as hospitals are seeing not only higher volumes of flu cases,…

We need your input: What are our values as Ballad Health?

As a member of the soon-to-be Ballad Health team, your input is wanted! As we begin Ballad Health, it’s important we establish a set of core values that will define us as an organization. These are the things that are most important to you as a healthcare worker and a Ballad Health team member. Our core values are the foundation of our culture. When our policies and training programs are grounded in our core values, our team members understand why we do what we do, and sharing those values helps us make ethical decisions. Our values should guide the way we recruit, orient, train and evaluate ourselves. To do this, we need the input of all our team members. We want our values to motivate each of us to help create a meaningful, dynamic, connected culture. We have created an online survey on the home page of Ballad Health News, on the right side, so you…

Here’s a podcast with Alan Levine talking about our merger into Ballad Health

Want to understand more about the Wellmont-Mountain States merger into Ballad Health? You can hear it straight from Alan Levine, who will be Ballad Health’s executive chair and president, on this two-part podcast interview that recently aired on “Business Matters,” a local podcast on Public Radio 89.5 WETS-FM. The podcast is hosted by ETSU economics professor Fred Mackara and investment consultant Bill Dunham of Dunham & Deitel Wealth Management. These interviews were aired in late November. Alan joined Bill and Fred for an extended discussion regarding the merger and its implications for business in our region. It’s an excellent, straightforward explanation of the merger and what Ballad intends to accomplish as a new health system. NOTE: Each podcast is about 30 minutes in length. For Part 1, the interview with Alan starts at about the 15:30 mark of the podcast, while for Part 2, the interview takes up the full podcast.