This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members on Thursday, April 4, 2024, from Alan Levine, Ballad Health’s President and CEO. Dear Colleagues: One of the things I am most proud of is the quality of people who are part of the Ballad Health leadership. When you look at those who serve in leadership roles, many of them have been a part of the legacy Mountain States Health Alliance or Wellmont Systems for most of their careers, and have given tirelessly to contribute to our mission. One such person is our Chief Financial Officer, Lynn Krutak. I have had the privilege of working with Lynn for nearly 11 years of her nearly 30 years of work for hospitals in our region, spanning from her time as a staff accountant for Indian Path Medical Center, controller at North Side Hospital, a multitude of roles with increasing responsibility within Mountain States Health Alliance, to her current role…

This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members on Tuesday, Feb. 13, from Alan Levine, Ballad Health President and CEO. Dear Colleagues: As health systems throughout the nation continue to navigate the challenges of an historic shortage of nurses, Ballad Health has taken several important steps we believe will continue to help reduce the strain on our nursing staff. Make no mistake, we know that labor shortages are impacting several areas in addition to nursing, and steps have been taken, with some success, to mitigate the impact on our team. But nowhere is the national labor shortage more directly impacting patient care than in the nursing profession. The Council of State Boards of Nursing has predicted that from the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic through 2027, approximately 900,000 nurses will leave the profession.  Ignoring these predictions is not an option for us and we must continue to act. Steps we have already taken…

When our health system was formed, Ballad Health established a set of core values, using team member input, that help guide us in how we care for the community. Over the coming months, we want to highlight these values and think about what they mean and how we can incorporate them into everything we do. As our CEO and president, Alan Levine, says, “Our values are not just words on a wall; they’re the guiding principles of who we are.” Our six Ballad Health core values, as chosen by our team members, are: Caring Creativity Faith Honesty Quality Respect Here’s a brief video message from Mr. Levine, introducing a series of upcoming messages highlighting our values – focusing on things like kindness, compassion and empathy. As you hear stories from around the system, think about how you would feel if you were the person in that story; let them serve as reminders that we should…

Dear Colleague: As we settle in for Thanksgiving, I’d like to first give thanks to our fellow team members, physicians and volunteers who will be serving our patients during the holiday. Many of our colleagues choose to work during the holiday so others can be with their families, and of course, to be able to show special attention to our patients who must be hospitalized or need other services during the holiday. Whatever brings you to work on this holiday, you all have the gratitude of our patients, your colleagues and our communities. This time of year provides us with an opportunity to count our blessings, and to reflect on what we value most. I hope that we all agree that kindness, compassion and empathy are core virtues that, when put on display and lived, make the lives of those around us better. In each and every interaction we have; with each other, with our patients and their families,…

NOTE: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members by Alan Levine, Ballad Health President and CEO, on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. Good afternoon: Today is a day I believe causes each of us to pause. On this day 22 years ago, our country was attacked in an evil and unmerciful way, as innocent people were murdered before our eyes. I will never forget the morning it happened. I had just dropped my kids off to school, and heard the reporting on the first plane on my car radio. By the time I got to my office, the second plane had hit. I will never forget how I felt. I’m sure that’s the same for each of you. And, as is true of most things, we each processed it in our own way, and the trajectory of many American lives changed as a result.  In thinking about the message I wanted to share with you during…

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…