Study shows “significantly decreased” death rates and decreased transfers to other facilities from the most serious traumatic injuries since consolidation of Level 1 trauma centers in the Appalachian Highlands JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – A peer-reviewed study released on Friday, March 29, by the national publication The American Surgeon reported that after consolidation of two Level 1 trauma centers in the Appalachian Highlands, the rate of deaths among patients who were the highest level of trauma activation (requiring surgery in the first 24 hours and admission to the surgical intensive care unit) decreased by almost 24%. The study concluded the decrease in the rate of deaths was “significant,” and it also concluded that, irrespective of the level of injury, “patients in the post consolidation group, regardless of level of trauma activation, required decreased incidence of discharge to other care facilities,” such as rehabilitation or skilled nursing. For the highest acuity patients, or those requiring an ICU…

Ballad Health is committed to supporting new members of the nursing profession, and we offer two excellent programs to help develop nurses just joining Ballad Health out of nursing school – our Nurse Fellowship Program (formerly known as the Nurse Intern II Program) and our newly relaunched Nurse Residency Program. Applicants must have accepted an RN position with Ballad Health in order to participate. Both programs are now open for applications. Visit here to learn more about the two programs or to apply! Nurse Fellowship Program Formerly known as our Nurse Intern II Program, this program takes place during the student’s last semester of nursing school and helps prepare them to enter the workforce as new graduate registered nurses. Who’s eligible to apply – ADN/BSN students who are entering the last semester of an accredited nursing program with a GPA of 2.75 or above, and have accepted a post-graduate RN position with Ballad Health. Program…

Since creation of Ballad Health Trauma Network and realignment of trauma care, there’s been a lower mortality rate for high-risk trauma patients NOTE: This article was released on March 14, 2024, by East Tennessee State University. After the regional alignment of trauma care, ETSU Health’s trauma surgeons are saving more lives while caring for more patients with severe injuries. That’s affirmed by an article soon to be published in the American Surgeon, a peer-reviewed journal from the Southeastern Surgical Congress. The article examined a matter of community interest – patient outcomes after the alignment of the region’s most serious trauma care at Johnson City Medical Center’s Level 1 Trauma Center, a part of the Ballad Health Trauma Network. ETSU Health’s Dr. J. Bracken Burns is the senior author on the project. After the regional alignment of services, he said the trauma team treated more patients, older patients, and more critically injured patients than in the…

Ballad Health’s mission is to honor those we serve by delivering the best possible care. Sometimes, that care moves beyond the walls of our hospitals. A critical component to health is having access to nutritious food – which many people in our region simply do not. Roughly 15% of residents in the Ballad Health footprint experience food insecurity.  As part of our effort to fight against regional food instability, Ballad Health has partnered with Feeding Southwest Virginia to pilot a food distribution program of 1,100 healthy food boxes to patients at Johnston Memorial Hospital and Bristol Regional Medical Center. The first phase of the pilot will run through June 30.  This work is part of Ballad Health’s Community Health Improvement Program (CHI), which works closely with regional organizations to support specific goals and strategies to improve population health outcomes for all citizens of the Appalachian Highlands.  The Healthy Food Box program is integrated into the…

BIG STONE GAP, Va. – Ballad Health has made significant progress on a multi-year plan to enhance services for patients in Southwest Virginia by completing a renovation project for the emergency department at Lonesome Pine Hospital. The $1.5 million investment included renovating 11 emergency department rooms and adding four new inpatient beds for medical-surgical use. Three of the rooms now have negative pressure capabilities, which are used for clinical isolation and designed to keep patients with infectious illnesses secure. “We are extremely pleased with the results of this project,” said Shannon Showalter, chief executive officer for Ballad Health operations in Wise, Lee and Dickenson counties. “These enhancements elevate the physical space and signify Ballad Health’s dedication to providing state-of-the-art facilities for Southwest Virginia. This investment reflects our ongoing mission to deliver compassionate and efficient high-quality care, ensuring every patient who walks through our doors receives that care in a healing environment.” The project included redesigning…

ABINGDON, Va. — More patients in the region will have access to advanced minimally-invasive procedures, as Ballad Health expands robotic-assisted surgery options at Johnston Memorial Hospital.   Hospital leaders unveiled new da Vinci and Ion robotic surgery units on Thursday, March 7, with an event that allowed community members a first glance at the technology. Johnston Memorial Hospital is the seventh Ballad Health facility to offer robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci system, and it is one of the first hospitals in the health system to offer Ion robot-assisted bronchoscopy. “Providing the best possible care means giving our patients more options when they need surgery, and we’re pleased to be able to bring these robotic-assisted options to Abingdon and our surrounding counties,” said John Jeter, chief executive officer of Johnston Memorial Hospital. “Johnston Memorial is proud to invest in the best technology the field has to offer, alongside specially trained surgeons and team members, to…