JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Franklin Woods Community Hospital is now recognized as a Center of Excellence in Robotics Surgery, highlighting Ballad Health’s commitment to providing the top-quality patient care with the latest, leading technology.   In addition, three surgeons who practice at the hospital earned accreditation as a Surgeon of Excellence from the Surgical Review Corporation: Dr. John (Trey) Robertson III, with Premier Surgical Lawson Group; Dr. Kenneth Cutshall, with Premier Surgical Lawson Group; and Dr. Michael Hodge, with State of Franklin Healthcare Associates (SOFHA) Surgical Group. The Surgical Review Corporation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to patient safety, offers top-tier accreditation programs for medical professionals, surgeons, hospitals and freestanding outpatient facilities worldwide, improving the safety and quality of patient care and lowering the overall costs associated with successful treatment. “We take pride in offering the latest technology to benefit our patients,” said Lisa Carter, president of Ballad Health’s Southern Region, which includes Franklin Woods. “With…

Shane Hilton, chief financial officer for Ballad Health, has been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of “36 rural hospital CFOs to know” for 2024. Rural areas have long struggled with limited access to quality healthcare, often requiring residents to make long journeys, incur high costs or face other significant challenges when seeking care. Rural hospitals strive to alleviate these issues for underserved communities, and their chief financial officers play a critical role in this effort. Hilton first joined the system in 1991 as a pharmacy technician at Holston Valley Medical Center, but over the years turned his career focus to finance and held a series of leadership positions, including CFO of corporate, retail and non-acute services, before assuming the role of chief financial officer for Ballad Health in June. To read the full article listing all the selected CFOs, click here.

For the second straight year, Ballad Health’s Pam Austin was selected as a finalist for the Tennessee CIO ORBIE Awards, which honor chief information officers across the state who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership. TennesseeCIO is an organization that connects, recognizes and inspires leaders in the field. The awards recognize technology executives for leadership, innovation and excellence – as selected by their CIO peers. Austin, senior vice president and chief information officer for Ballad Health, was one of four finalists in the Large Corporate category (up to $2.5 billion in annual revenue), along with Haden McWhorter of Premise Health, Joel Tracy of IMC and Mike Ward of Covenant Health. IMC’s Tracy was chosen as the ORBIE winner for the category at the annual Tennessee ORBIE Awards in May. NOTE: Eastman’s Aldo Noseda, who serves on Ballad Health’s board of directors, was the overall winner in the Global category of the 2024 ORBIE Awards. During…

KINGSPORT – We want to shine a spotlight on the incredible work being done at the Transitional Care Clinic (TCC) at Indian Path Community Hospital! The TCC is a one-of-a-kind clinic that serves our community and helps bridge the gaps between hospital, primary care and infusion needs. This dedicated team goes above and beyond to provide crucial support and care to patients transitioning from hospital to home or transitioning from one care setting to another. Ballad Health is always looking for new ways to care for the community and is proud to offer much-needed services. The Transitional Care Clinic started as a project to help reduce readmissions due to no follow-up care after hospital discharge. It started operating out of two rooms and has since grown to 20 rooms. TCC provides hospital follow-ups, infusions, nurse visits and pre-op clearance for orthopedic patients, among other duties. It is TCC’s goal to prevent patients from having to…

“He truly has a heart of gold. He’ll sit out in the lobby and speak to everyone that’s going or coming… and give them a smile.” We’re talking about Charlie Castle, our beloved volunteer, for achieving an astounding milestone — surpassing 24,000 volunteer hours at Bristol Regional Medical Center! We are very proud of Charlie. His decades-long commitment and mission to serve the community has impacted the lives of countless patients, families and team members. At 92 years old, he remains as dedicated as ever to being a friend to everyone he meets. Charlie began volunteering after his own personal experience at the facility. 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 daily lives of others began shortly after his recovery. Over the years, Charlie has…

The latest cohort of the Aspiring Leader Program at Ballad Health celebrated completion of its five-month program with a graduation ceremony on Feb. 28. The Aspiring Leader Program is administered by the Organizational Development department and is designed to create and enhance introductory leadership skills for those who aspire to become leaders or show leadership potential at Ballad Health. Participants are nominated by their supervisors and other leaders to take part in the program, which consists of leadership development classes and learning about continuous improvement. The curriculum includes components like Effective Communication, Creating a Culture of Trust, Time Management, and Managing Conflicts and Differing Personalities. Congratulations to our 11-member graduating class of Aspiring Leaders! If you’re interested in learning more about this program, or you’d like to nominate an Aspiring Leader at Ballad Health, please visit the Organizational Development page on the Ballad Health intranet or contact Sophie Milner at Sophia.milner@balladhealth.org.

Five team members with Ballad Health were among 40 young professionals recognized as part of the 40 Under Forty class of 2023 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 Ballad Health recipients were: Geoff Kade, operations manager, Smyth County Community Hospital Britney Edmiston, chief nursing officer, Bristol Regional Medical Center Jordan Harrington, associate administrator, Holston Valley Medical Center Kristen Looney, director of patient care services, Holston Valley Medical Center William “Billy” Thompson, education instructor, Clinical Education We are very fortunate to have brilliant and dedicated individuals like these on our team, elevating our coordinated system of care across the Appalachian Highlands and setting the standard for rural healthcare quality and access. Visit The Business Journal online to see the full 40 Under Forty issue…

Over the holidays, we’ve featured our 2023 Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award winners in Ballad Health News, as well as on Ballad Health social media. The award honors team members, physicians and volunteers who display the heart of a servant by going above and beyond the normal call of duty in helping others at work and in the community, as nominated by their peers. Here’s Nancy Randall, our ninth and final 2023 recipient. Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized for their great service? Use the link at the bottom of this story to nominate someone for the 2024 Servant’s Heart Award. Nancy Randall, a volunteer in Ballad Health’s Northern Region, has been defined by years of love and dedication to others. She has been an active member of Ballad Health’s pet therapy founding committee, and she has spent the last 10 years serving as a hospital volunteer with her registered…

Over the holidays, we’re featuring our 2023 Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award winners in Ballad Health News, as well as on Ballad Health social media. The award honors team members, physicians and volunteers who display the heart of a servant by going above and beyond the normal call of duty in helping others at work and in the community, as nominated by their peers. Click on the video player below to see a brief profile of our next winner, Dr. Paul Arthur Phillips. And use the link at the bottom of this story to nominate someone for the 2024 Servant’s Heart Award. At Russell County Hospital in Lebanon, Virginia, Paul Arthur Phillips, DO, works tirelessly for the welfare of the community. Born and raised in the same community he now serves, Dr. Phillips started his healthcare journey as a teenager. He began as a junior emergency medical technician (EMT) for the Dante Rescue…

Over the holidays, we’re featuring our 2023 Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award winners in Ballad Health News, as well as on Ballad Health social media. The award honors team members, physicians and volunteers who display the heart of a servant by going above and beyond the normal call of duty in helping others at work and in the community, as nominated by their peers. Click on the video player below to see a brief profile of our next winner, Regina Barkley. And use the link at the bottom of this story to nominate someone for the 2024 Servant’s Heart Award. Among the wonderful team at Sycamore Shoals Hospital, Regina Barkley stands out – for all the right reasons. As emergency department manager, she is a leader who willingly steps into the trenches, a colleague who readily extends a helping hand and a friend whose care for her team is unmistakable. Regina is known…

Over the holiday season, we’re featuring our 2023 Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award winners in Ballad Health News, as well as on Ballad Health social media. The award honors team members, physicians and volunteers who display the heart of a servant by going above and beyond the normal call of duty in helping others at work and in the community, as nominated by their peers. Click on the video player below to see a brief profile of our next winner, Carolyn Medley. And use the link at the bottom of this story to nominate someone for the 2024 Servant’s Heart Award. As a volunteer at Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion, Virginia, Carolyn Medley has given more than 3,600 hours to the hospital gift shop and oncology center since 2018, making a difference in the lives of hundreds – if not thousands – of patients, visitors and hospital team members. Carolyn greets people,…

Over the next few weeks, we’re featuring our 2023 Scott and Nikki Niswonger Servant’s Heart Award winners in Ballad Health News, as well as on Ballad Health social media. The award honors team members, physicians and volunteers who display the heart of a servant by going above and beyond the normal call of duty in helping others at work and in the community, as nominated by their peers. Click on the video player below to see a brief profile of our next winner, Allison Cordell. And use the link at the bottom of this story to nominate someone for the 2024 Servant’s Heart Award. Allison Cordell, a nurse in the Holston Valley Medical Center emergency department, is known for her tenderheartedness with her patients, dedication to her work, drive to learn and teach, and willingness to go above and beyond for her team members, patients and community. It has been said of Allison that she…