Gail Kiser works at Norton Community Hospital as manager in the patient resource management department, serving patients and their families during and after their hospital visit as they navigate the healthcare system. She’s known for her empathy, dedication and vast knowledge of the patient resource system. Gail is the first one in the door and the last to leave on most days, always asking herself the question, “Have I done everything I can for the patients?” She began her nursing career as an LPN (licensed practical nurse) in 1975 and has dedicated her entire professional life to serving the Wise/Norton area. She has worked at both St. Mary’s Hospital/Mountain View Regional Hospital and Norton Community Hospital, consistently demonstrating an exceptional level of care and commitment to her patients and the community. Gail’s name is always displayed on the patient room whiteboards as she makes her rounds each day, and the feedback from patients is overwhelmingly…

Lindsey King, a physical therapist at Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion, Virginia, is the type of person who cares for her patients during work hours but doesn’t stop there. Her caring continues outside the hospital and after hours. A great example is the care she provided one of her patients who suffered a serious hamstring injury while hiking. A surgeon reattached the tendon, but to be able to restore full function in the hamstring and leg, it would require extensive physical therapy. Lindsey took on the complex rehab protocol and worked with the surgeon to make sure the proper rehabilitation was being done, and it was offered at a close location for the patient. “I could not have asked for a better physical therapist,” said the patient. “Lindsey is truly personally invested in her patients and their outcomes. She has spent hours of her own time researching my injury and various rehabilitation protocols in…

Article summary Angie Tolley, manager of clinical programs for Ballad Health Behavioral Health Outpatient Services, received the 2025 Andrea R. Chase Impact Award from the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations for transforming the delivery of behavioral health care across the Appalachian Highlands. Following Hurricane Helene, Tolley led mobile therapy teams, introduced innovative supports such as a certified trauma therapy dog, helped establish Long Term Recovery Groups and strengthened workforce resilience through crisis response, peer support and stress management initiatives. Read the full article Ballad Health’s Angie Tolley recently received the 2025 Andrea R. Chase Impact Award from the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations – TAMHO. As manager of clinical programs for Ballad Health Behavioral Health Outpatient Services, Angie is a visionary and deeply committed leader. Her work has fundamentally transformed how we approach and deliver behavioral healthcare across the Appalachian Highlands. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Angie worked tirelessly to organize and…

Susan Davis is a familiar face at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, Virginia. She began volunteering in 2011 in what initially was one shift per week in the gift shop – but nearly 6,000 hours of service later, she is still volunteering. Over the years, Susan added responsibility and now serves as volunteer assistant manager/buyer for Johnston Memorial’s In the Pink Gift Shop. She continues with her regular volunteer shift but spends many more hours behind the scenes attending vendor shows and organizing merchandise while keeping the store always looking tidy and appealing to the public and hospital staff. Susan shares a smile and a kind word for all customers entering the store and provides special attention helping customers choose just the right gift for a patient or loved one. She serves on the JMH Auxiliary Board and has held the positions of vice-president and president, in addition to being co-chair of the gift shop. …

Brooke Graham serves as chief operating officer for Behavioral Health at Ballad Health. In her leadership role, she goes above and beyond to make sure patients, team members and the community are knowledgeable about behavioral health services and can access what they need. Brooke’s leadership has helped grow outpatient access to mental health services by leaps and bounds. She has worked tirelessly to reduce stigma and has led many initiatives to expand resources and provide support to team members in crisis. She was instrumental in restructuring and expanding Ballad Health’s Employee Assistance Program to meet the increased demand during the COVID pandemic, and then post-Hurricane Helene. She worked to provide her team with professional development and training, which has been highly valuable during times of crisis. Brooke personally went to receive patients at the rescue site after the Unicoi County Hospital flooded. She worked tirelessly to support Ballad Health team members, the community and the…

We are proud to recognize the newest graduates of the Excellence in Leadership Program! On Dec. 2, the November cohort successfully completed this transformative experience, marking an important milestone in their leadership journey. Excellence in Leadership provides meaningful education, tools, resources and networking for effective and successful leadership at Ballad Health. It is for team members newly hired or promoted to their first Ballad Health position of manager, director or any position that requires supervision of team members. Although this group was small in size, it was mighty in impact. Over the course of five dynamic sessions, participants explored essential leadership competencies, including: Understanding Leadership Personality Styles – Leveraging individual strengths to lead effectively. Building Trust – Creating a foundation of credibility and integrity within teams. Engaging and Developing Team Members – Inspiring growth and fostering collaboration. Throughout the program, these leaders demonstrated courage and creativity – embracing vulnerability, sharing innovative ideas and supporting one…

Four team members with Ballad Health were among 40 young professionals recognized as part of the 40 Under Forty class of 2025 by The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia. The awards honor the best and brightest young professionals throughout the region, who are judged based on their business success and their achievements as an active member of the community. Our 2025 Ballad Health recipients are: Becca Blanton, Children’s Miracle Network manager, Ballad Health Foundation James Dzuba, operations manager, perioperative surgery, Bristol Regional Medical Center Morgan Morrell, director, marketing and communications, Southern Region Alisha Westmoreland, director of process improvement and clinical outcomes optimization Check out The Business Journal’s annual 40 Under Forty issue this month, which features more about our Ballad Health honorees as well as all the 40 Under Forty class of 2025. And be on the lookout for profiles of our winners on Ballad Health social media. We are very fortunate to have brilliant…

Since 2010, Dr. Joseph “Joe” Kretschmar has made it his mission to provide exceptional gastrointestinal care to the people of Greeneville, Tennessee, and beyond. His tireless dedication is legendary. He serves at Ballad Health Medical Associates Gastroenterology and Greeneville Community Hospital. As the only gastroenterology specialist in the area, he now routinely accepts transfers from hospitals throughout the region, often serving as the only provider outside of Johnson City Medical Center to perform complex, lifesaving interventions for patients with pancreatic and bile duct disorders, known as ERCP procedures – or gastrointestinal endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. This role carries an immense responsibility and often requires long hours as he provides urgent consults and performs the procedures – but he does so with grace and professionalism.  Dr. Kretschmar’s ability to manage a high volume of these cases demonstrates exceptional skill, resilience and compassion. He offers hope to patients and families who might otherwise face significant delays in treatment….

Dr. Herb Ladley is an unsung hero who quietly makes a big impact on everyone around him. The seasoned physician with Ballad Health’s CVA Heart Institute serves as chief medical officer for Wise, Dickenson and Lee counties in Virginia. Humble, generous and always willing to help, he goes above and beyond to serve the communities in Kingsport and Wise County. His dedication to others often flies under the radar, but those who know him understand the incredible difference he makes. Ladley, MD, MBA, FACC, became a cardiologist because he was captivated by the heart’s anatomy and physiology. He joined the Heart Institute in 1984. To bring healthcare to more rural areas, he travels to Ballad Health CVA Heart Institute clinics in Pennington Gap and Norton, and he also sees patients at the Heart Center in Kingsport, which he helped establish in 1999. Dr. Ladley loves the relationships he has built with his patients through the…

The latest cohort of Ballad Health’s Aspiring Leader Program graduated recently. The program is administered by Organizational Development and helps develop introductory leadership skills for team members who aspire to become leaders or who show leadership potential at Ballad Health. Team members must be nominated for the class by a leader in the organization, and the program requires a participation commitment by the aspiring leaders and their supervisor. Congratulations to the latest graduating class! Janette Johnson Brandon Johnson Breanna Miller Katie Steffen Sidney Vaughan Christina Wills Tia Davis Rachel Conner Alejandrina Basham Siera Wojciechowicz Ariel Ellis Seth McIntosh Shelby Hensley Brittany Spellar Haley Rice Tank Knotts Jessica Daggs Jacob Wright Amy Teague McKenna Hurley Lisa Bailey Heather Mullikin Diamond Smith This cohort completed a five-month program of in-person classroom training. Graduates learn leadership skills that can assist in bridging the gap from their current role to a leadership role. The curriculum includes topics and skills…

Charlie Castle was a beloved figure at Bristol Regional Medical Center who logged more than 24,000 volunteer hours over 35-plus years. He passed away in January of 2025 at age 93, and was awarded the Servant’s Heart Award posthumously. Charlie could be found greeting patients, visitors and team members at the front entrance; stocking the linen closet; or walking the halls of the hospital with his hospitality snack cart, smiling and chatting with everyone and offering comfort and cheer to those who needed it. Guests routinely commented about their interactions with Charlie and how nice it was to share a few moments with him. He began volunteering after his own personal experience at the old Bristol Memorial Hospital. As one of the first open-heart surgery patients in the region, he became committed to comforting other patients and their families at the same hospital that took such great care of him. His journey to impact the…

Ballad Health honors a select group of team members each year with the Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award, the organization’s highest honor. Over the coming weeks, Ballad Health will feature the 2025 Servant’s Heart Award winners through videos, stories and photos — and will open the nomination process for the 2026 awards. The award is given to members of Ballad Health who have been recognized by their peers for displaying the heart of a servant by going above and beyond the normal call of duty in helping others at work and in the community. It honors four categories of team members: volunteers, physicians, front-line team members and leaders. More about the Servant’s Heart Award This award is named in honor of Scott and Nikki Niswonger, who have exemplified what it means to have the heart of a servant throughout their lives. The Niswongers were the lead benefactors in creating Niswonger Children’s Hospital and…