NOTE: This message was emailed to Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, Ballad Health CEO and chairman, on Nov. 10. Dear Colleague, Amid a surge in violence against healthcare workers nationally, Ballad Health announced today additional steps it is taking to protect its workforce. A 2025-26 national survey of registered nurses, as reported by Security Magazine, found that nearly 85% of respondents experienced at least one workplace violence incident in the previous year, with more than 36% reporting increased violence on their unit. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare and social assistance workers accounted for 72.8% of nonfatal workplace violence incidents across private industry in 2021 and 2022. Over the 10-year period from 2011-2022, hospitals have seen violence against workers increase by nearly triple.  Ballad Health has seen similar trends, with 1,541 recorded workplace violence incidents in 2025 alone – an increase of nearly 19% over the previous year – including…

NOTE: This message was emailed to team members from Alan Levine, Ballad Health’s CEO and president, on Friday, July 3. Dear Colleagues:  As we mark our nation’s 250th anniversary commemorating the courage, vision and bravery of our founders, we owe it to them to remind ourselves that our freedoms came at a heavy price. We must not squander them. Instead, we must constantly seek to honor what was given so that we may take solace from the fact that our rights and freedoms came from God – not from government – and that this enduring principle will always set us apart. It is a gift, but it comes with enormous responsibility.   One of our founders, John Adams, reminds us that our real independence day came on July 2, the day the Declaration of Independence was voted upon by the continental congress. President Adams never actually celebrated the 4th, but in his writings, said that the anniversary of our…

NOTE: This message was emailed to team members on Thursday, June 4, from Alan Levine, Ballad Health’s chairman and CEO. Dear Colleagues,  In May, I had the opportunity to see our workforce in action, participating in the “Walk-a-Mile with a Nurse” tradition and celebrating future healthcare professionals at Signing Day with the second class of the Ballad Health Academy. This year, we welcomed over 200 new high school students to the Ballad Health Academy program, bringing our total enrollment to more than 500 students across six Tennessee school districts. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ballad Health Academy takes an innovative school-within-a-school approach to create accelerated pathways from high school into healthcare careers. Through the Academy, students aren’t just preparing for careers in healthcare; they are beginning to see a vision for their own futures and how they can give back to the communities they call home. Once they begin their training, many of them will soon spend time on the floor for clinical rotations, participate in educational events, and even learn from our own Nurse Mentors.  I also got a small glimpse of our workforce at its finest during “Walk-a-Mile,” a day when our senior leaders spend time shadowing a frontline nurse…

Dear Ballad Health Medical Staff and Team Members,  As we celebrate National Hospital Week and National Nurses Week, I want to thank each of you – more than 13,000 people who show up in the moments that matter most every day – bringing skill, compassion and caring to the people and communities we serve. Whether at the bedside, behind the scenes, in our clinics, offices or support services, your work is demanding, but it changes lives and strengthens the health of our communities. My wife is a nurse and my daughter a physician assistant. I am so proud of them and their love for their license and profession. As I observe our team members, I see a common thread, which is each person’s willingness – in fact eagerness – to show up for the long hours, and to be able to do it again and again whatever the circumstances, with a passion for giving relief to…

NOTE: This message was emailed to Ballad Health team members on Monday, March 30, from Alan Levine, chairman and CEO of Ballad Health. Dear Ballad Health Medical Staff and team members, Some of the most important work in healthcare happens in moments most people will never see. The late night phone call. The quiet advice given to a struggling patient. The critical thinking a physician does while speaking with a patient – where the patient is simply having a conversation, but the doctor is assessing what could be a complex diagnosis. The quiet judgment of a surgeon in the middle of a procedure. All of these things happen 24-7, and most people never truly get to see it. For many of us, we do, however, get the privilege of seeing some of the results of this work. As physicians across our region quietly do what needs to be done, we get to participate in the victories and the losses.  For…

NOTE: This message was emailed to Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, Ballad Health CEO and president, on Monday, Dec. 22. Good morning! As we approach Christmas, I want to take a moment to recognize what the spirit of this season inspires in us, and through us, as we seek to serve others.  This time of year invites reflection. It reminds us that even in the busiest moments, there is meaning in service, faith in connection and quiet power in simply caring for one another. One story shared recently brings that spirit into focus through the work of our team members and the lasting impact they have across our region. Molly McCrary was born at just 27 weeks in the NICU at Niswonger Children’s Hospital, weighing just over a pound. Surrounded by Ballad Health team members who never gave up on her, she received care that makes survival possible when the odds feel overwhelming….

NOTE: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, CEO and president of Ballad Health, on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Dear Colleague, As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to reflect on the many blessings we share, and to thank you for the extraordinary work you do every day in service to others. This season of gratitude reminds us of what truly matters: compassion, connection and purpose. At Ballad Health, our mission is grounded in values that guide everything we do — creativity, caring, honesty, respect, faith and quality. These aren’t just words on a wall. They are the values we have all agreed to be accountable for in our dealings with each other, our patients and our communities.   One shining example of our values in action is Sherrie Allen, an RN at Lee County Community Hospital. After caring for a patient who arrived by ambulance wearing…

One year ago, Hurricane Helene brought devastation to the Appalachian Highlands, testing the strength of our communities like never before. What followed was a story of courage, compassion and resilience. Alan Levine, chairman and CEO of Ballad Health, reflects on the extraordinary response of Ballad Health team members, the lives forever changed and the unwavering spirit that carried us through. From heroic rescues to continuing care in the face of loss, we pay tribute to those who showed up, stood strong and continue to heal together.

This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, chairman and CEO of Ballad Health, on Monday, Sept. 15. Good morning: First, let me say that, as part of an organization the size of Ballad Health, there are, no doubt, many opinions about a variety of issues. Each of us informs ourselves in various ways about issues of the day. We have people of various political ideologies, and each of us comes by our positions based on our own experience, upbringing and perspective. Given this variety of perspectives, we use our mutually agreed upon values, which were written by our own team members (Caring, Creativity, Honesty, Respect, Faith and Quality) to provide a road map for how we conduct ourselves. As an example, the value of “Respect” requires that we are mindful how we communicate in everything we do. In fact, each of our values provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate…

NOTE: This email was sent from Alan Levine, Ballad Health’s president and CEO, to all Ballad Health team members on Thursday, July 3. Good morning: By now, you are likely aware that the reconciliation bill, otherwise referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” is set for final passage by the House of Representatives. Ultimately, the House took up the Senate bill without making any changes. In an effort to get the bill on the President’s desk today, as requested by the President, the House met throughout the night to take the procedural votes necessary to pass it today.  I leave it to each of you to determine what in this bill you like or don’t like. There are very important policy issues addressed in the bill, and I encourage you to take the time to learn about it if you haven’t. With such a large bill, which contained so many broad policy issues, there was simply no way…

NOTE: This email was sent from Alan Levine, Ballad Health’s president and CEO, to all Ballad Health team members on Friday, June 20. Please note the call to action at the end of the message. Good afternoon: I wanted to provide an update to you on a fast-moving issue which we have publicly engaged on, and which you may have read about in recent days. There is an opportunity for you to weigh in, as you will see toward the end of this message. FIRST, A LITTLE HISTORY There are no people who know better the way hospitals have been impacted since the aftermath of COVID than each of you who were here during that period. In 2022, hospitals throughout the nation, including here at Ballad Health, experienced the worst loss of staffing in history, with turnover rates going as high as 30%. These labor shortages, made worse by supply chain disruptions, led to major challenges…

NOTE: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members on Monday, May 5, from Alan Levine, CEO and President of Ballad Health. Dear colleague, This week holds special meaning for all of us at Ballad Health. From May 5-11, we celebrate both National Nurses Week and Healthcare Week – a time to honor the incredible nurses who serve on the front lines and the many team members who support them behind the scenes, each playing a vital role in the care we provide. This year, Ballad Health has embarked on our B Excellent journey – an intentional commitment to strengthening our culture, reconnecting with our values and investing in the people who care for this community every day. We launched B Excellent to help us return to the “why” behind what we do: to take pride in our work, to support each other, and to create an environment where excellence isn’t just a…