NOTE: This email was sent to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, Ballad Health president and CEO, on Monday, July 31, 2023. Good afternoon: As healthcare professionals, we are called to bring a servant’s heart to other people, and in particular, to do this during their most vulnerable times of trouble. Whether it involves the frightening prospect of facing major end-of-life issues, serious mental health challenges, the loss of a child or the suffering that comes with illness, the opportunity we have each day to bring healing and comfort to people during their difficult time is a privilege and a gift.  Every time I step into our hospitals and other care locations, I see with my own eyes the passion and compassion amongst our team members when they are at work practicing their art. I am always moved by it. Just a few weeks ago, I was with a friend at Niswonger Children’s Hospital. He…

This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, president and CEO of Ballad Health, on Friday, May 26. Memorial Day 2023 is observed on Monday, May 29. Good morning: So many of our colleagues inside Ballad Health, and so many of our partners outside our system, have chosen to serve our nation in uniform. Today, as we begin the Memorial Day weekend in remembrance of those who gave their lives, I also want to give thanks to those who have sacrificed, and continue to do so, in the name of protecting our great nation. In 1996, I had the opportunity to be the Republican Nominee for the Florida House of Representatives. As I was only 28 years old at the time I embarked on that journey, there was so much I had not yet been exposed to in my life. Even though my own father served in the United States Air Force, that…

Note: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, president and CEO of Ballad Health, on Wednesday, May 3. Dear Colleague: I want to provide an update on our status related to COVID-19.   As you may be aware, the federal government has announced the public health emergency will expire Thursday, May 11, and will not be renewed. Also, the Biden administration has announced plans to repeal the HHS rule mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for healthcare facilities that receive federal funding.  As you may recall, Ballad Health forcefully opposed the COVID-19 vaccine mandate at the time it was imposed, and I testified before Congress in opposition to the mandate. The mandate went all the way to the Supreme Court, with the court ultimately siding with the Biden administration that it had the authority to impose the mandate. Ultimately, Ballad Health complied with the HHS rule so as not to jeopardize our participation…

NOTE: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from Alan Levine, Chairman and CEO of Ballad Health. There is also a press release covering this material that can be viewed here. Dear Colleague: When we receive an award for outstanding accomplishment, we always celebrate alongside our colleagues – because we know that behind each recognition is a patient whose life was saved, or whose life was made better. There is a family affected. A community impacted. So, when we receive a recognition, we like to applaud it. But … when multiple nationally respected organizations step forward and collectively agree that Ballad Health hospitals are among the nation’s elite in services spanning our entire region, it’s hard to even know where to begin to celebrate – particularly at the five-year mark of Ballad Health’s existence. Suffice it to say, we want to start the celebration by sharing the incredible news…

NOTE: This message was emailed on Friday, Dec. 23, to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Ballad Health. Dear Colleague:   I always enjoy sending out a message to each of you before the Christmas celebration, as it is an opportunity to remind myself just how large our extended family is. Each member of the Ballad Health family, each day, has an opportunity to give hope, empathy and kindness to someone else. And what a gift that is, particularly being part of such a large extended family. I just read a story this morning which reminded me about how much anger there is in our society – an anger which has manifested over the past few years in some things that we see, like violence against healthcare heroes, TikTok and YouTube videos of people resorting to physical acts of violence when something doesn’t go their way, fear related to the…

NOTE: This message was emailed on Wednesday, Nov. 23, to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Ballad Health. Dear Colleague:  With the holiday season upon us, and as we settle in for Thanksgiving, I’d like to first give thanks to our fellow team members who are planning to work during the Thanksgiving holiday. Some of them are working because they wanted to volunteer so others could enjoy the holiday with their families; others have chosen to work because they know their patients and colleagues need them. Whatever brings you to work on this holiday, you all have the gratitude of our patients, your colleagues and our communities.    As you know, I enjoy telling the stories of Ballad Health. These “mission moments” are many, and they all make me so proud to be a part of your team.  ut today, I want to tell you the story of one of our cherished…

NOTE: This message was emailed on Friday, July 29, 2022, to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, CEO and President of Ballad Health. Dear Colleague: Earlier this week, I communicated with you regarding some steps we are taking to help deal with the national nursing shortage, and the staffing concerns we face in many of our hospitals due to the nursing shortage.  I have received incredibly helpful feedback and questions from some of our team members, and I want to be responsive to what I believe are genuine efforts to help us make the best decisions. First, let me reiterate that we have taken several steps which benefit all our team members, and we continue to evaluate where changes in the labor market have made it necessary to change the pay for certain team members, particularly in nursing and other areas where we have faced national labor shortages.  Here’s what we’ve already done…

NOTE: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, President and CEO of Ballad Health, on Tuesday, July 26. Dear colleagues, The national nursing shortage, and shortages of other clinical and nonclinical healthcare professionals, continues to be a chronic problem for hospitals, nursing homes and other sites of care. Ballad Health and our post-acute facility friends continue to be impacted by these shortages – all of which impact our patients, availability of beds and our ability to discharge patients to post-acute facilities. In fact, just yesterday, I read a national story in U.S. News which cited that 87% of nursing home providers are facing shortages with half citing severe shortages; 98% are struggling to hire staff and 73% are concerned they will have to close their facilities. More than 400 nursing homes could close this year, according to the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living.  Hospitals are not immune. Just…

NOTE: This message was emailed on Sunday, June 26, 2022, from Alan Levine, Chairman and CEO of Ballad Health, to all team members Dear Colleague: As always, I want to share with you our most sincere gratitude for the incredible work each of you do. I know the pressure of the labor shortages continues to take its toll. While progress is slow, I can tell you that there has been some progress in terms of hiring and reducing turnover systemwide. We will continue to lean in with our initiatives to hire more nurses and nursing support, and will continue to listen to you as good ideas are shared for how we can continue to reduce turnover. As you may recall, Ballad Health last March announced a two-part bonus we wanted to provide to all team members, with the first part being paid out in March, and the second part being paid out in July. In…

NOTE: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members from Alan Levine, CEO and President of Ballad Health, on May 29, 2022. Dear Colleague: Gen. George Patton once said, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God such men lived.” Those are incredible words spoken by arguably one of America’s most revered military leaders. And he is right.  Each Memorial Day, as we celebrate the time with our families and contemplate the sacrifices made by so many for our freedom, it is easy to forget the time we are spending, the food we are eating and the comforts we are enjoying were all paid for by the blood and suffering of those who gave their lives for people they didn’t even know. And so, yes, General Patton was right. For if these brave men and women did not ever live, who then would have been…

NOTE: This email was sent from Alan Levine, president and CEO of Ballad Health, to all Ballad Health team members on Thursday, May 5. Dear Colleague, Tomorrow marks the beginning of a special week of recognition as Ballad Health celebrates each of you during National Nurses Week and Healthcare Week.  Nurses Week officially begins Friday, May 6, and runs through Thursday, May 12, while Healthcare Week starts on Saturday, May 8, and concludes Saturday, May 14. This year, I think all of us would agree that no matter what you do, whether a nurse, a technician, or even a non-clinical team member, we all contributed in a special way over the past two years to care for our communities. Each of us has had to call upon strength from within that perhaps we didn’t even know we had. We all had to balance our servant hearts with the needs of our own loved ones. On behalf of…

NOTE: This message was emailed on Thursday afternoon, April 7, from Alan Levine, Chairman and CEO of Ballad Health, to all team members: I have directed that our Information Technology department implement a forced password change for ALL Ballad Health email system users. At some point shortly, you will be required to change your password or you will be unable to access the system. There has been an increase in cases of attempts to access our email system, which can only be interpreted to mean there is increased risk of our systems being compromised.   THIS IS VERY SERIOUS. Effective today (Thursday, April 7, 2022), it is Ballad Health policy that your Ballad Health password, for any Ballad health application, may not be similar to, or identical to, any of your personal passwords for any of your personal devices or emails. While Ballad Health cannot require you to disclose your personal email passwords to us,…