Did you know there are more than 1,400 known species of human pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa? Each month, our Ballad Health infection prevention team is highlighting one of those pathogens that you might encounter in your work. See what you know, or can learn, about these “bugs” through our “Bug of the Month” series! If you have questions or want more information, please reach out to your infection preventionist. Click here to see the flier below in PDF format.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. –  In following with Ballad Health’s significant commitment and investment in promoting community health, the organization has selected Dr. Paula Masters to serve as its first chief health disparities officer. Years of clinical evidence demonstrate that different populations and communities, locally and nationally, experience health and healthcare differently, and there are wide variations of life expectancy between counties within Virginia and Tennessee tied to income, access, health behaviors and demographic characteristics.   In her new position, Masters will provide leadership and support in the development and implementation of a wide array of evidence-based health improvement programs and services aimed at reducing health disparities and inequities – both internally and externally to Ballad Health. This requires close collaboration with clinicians and other healthcare professionals, both employed by Ballad Health and operating independently in the community, as well as with community organizations throughout the Appalachian Highlands working to improve health and well-being. Programs under her…

WISE COUNTY, Va. – Ballad Health, working in tandem with the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and Mountain Empire Community College, will inspire, educate and empower the next generation of healthcare professionals with a careers event on Tuesday, April 9, for local middle and high school students. Called “Exploring Healthcare Careers,” the event will take place in the main lobby of Norton Community Hospital, with middle school sessions beginning at 4 p.m. and high school sessions beginning at 6 p.m. Exploring Healthcare Careers will provide parents and students with valuable information about pathways into health science careers and build awareness and understanding of the opportunities available at UVA Wise and Mountain Empire Community College. “Exploring Healthcare Careers is an excellent event to provide a gateway for students and their families to explore exciting opportunities in healthcare careers,” said Shannon Showalter, chief executive officer for Ballad Health operations in Wise, Lee and Dickenson counties. “Understanding…

Study shows “significantly decreased” death rates and decreased transfers to other facilities from the most serious traumatic injuries since consolidation of Level 1 trauma centers in the Appalachian Highlands JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – A peer-reviewed study released on Friday, March 29, by the national publication The American Surgeon reported that after consolidation of two Level 1 trauma centers in the Appalachian Highlands, the rate of deaths among patients who were the highest level of trauma activation (requiring surgery in the first 24 hours and admission to the surgical intensive care unit) decreased by almost 24%. The study concluded the decrease in the rate of deaths was “significant,” and it also concluded that, irrespective of the level of injury, “patients in the post consolidation group, regardless of level of trauma activation, required decreased incidence of discharge to other care facilities,” such as rehabilitation or skilled nursing. For the highest acuity patients, or those requiring an ICU…

Ballad Health is committed to supporting new members of the nursing profession, and we offer two excellent programs to help develop nurses just joining Ballad Health out of nursing school – our Nurse Fellowship Program (formerly known as the Nurse Intern II Program) and our newly relaunched Nurse Residency Program. Applicants must have accepted an RN position with Ballad Health in order to participate. Both programs are now open for applications. Visit here to learn more about the two programs or to apply! Nurse Fellowship Program Formerly known as our Nurse Intern II Program, this program takes place during the student’s last semester of nursing school and helps prepare them to enter the workforce as new graduate registered nurses. Who’s eligible to apply – ADN/BSN students who are entering the last semester of an accredited nursing program with a GPA of 2.75 or above, and have accepted a post-graduate RN position with Ballad Health. Program…

Since creation of Ballad Health Trauma Network and realignment of trauma care, there’s been a lower mortality rate for high-risk trauma patients NOTE: This article was released on March 14, 2024, by East Tennessee State University. After the regional alignment of trauma care, ETSU Health’s trauma surgeons are saving more lives while caring for more patients with severe injuries. That’s affirmed by an article soon to be published in the American Surgeon, a peer-reviewed journal from the Southeastern Surgical Congress. The article examined a matter of community interest – patient outcomes after the alignment of the region’s most serious trauma care at Johnson City Medical Center’s Level 1 Trauma Center, a part of the Ballad Health Trauma Network. ETSU Health’s Dr. J. Bracken Burns is the senior author on the project. After the regional alignment of services, he said the trauma team treated more patients, older patients, and more critically injured patients than in the…

Ballad Health’s mission is to honor those we serve by delivering the best possible care. Sometimes, that care moves beyond the walls of our hospitals. A critical component to health is having access to nutritious food – which many people in our region simply do not. Roughly 15% of residents in the Ballad Health footprint experience food insecurity.  As part of our effort to fight against regional food instability, Ballad Health has partnered with Feeding Southwest Virginia to pilot a food distribution program of 1,100 healthy food boxes to patients at Johnston Memorial Hospital and Bristol Regional Medical Center. The first phase of the pilot will run through June 30.  This work is part of Ballad Health’s Community Health Improvement Program (CHI), which works closely with regional organizations to support specific goals and strategies to improve population health outcomes for all citizens of the Appalachian Highlands.  The Healthy Food Box program is integrated into the…

BIG STONE GAP, Va. – Ballad Health has made significant progress on a multi-year plan to enhance services for patients in Southwest Virginia by completing a renovation project for the emergency department at Lonesome Pine Hospital. The $1.5 million investment included renovating 11 emergency department rooms and adding four new inpatient beds for medical-surgical use. Three of the rooms now have negative pressure capabilities, which are used for clinical isolation and designed to keep patients with infectious illnesses secure. “We are extremely pleased with the results of this project,” said Shannon Showalter, chief executive officer for Ballad Health operations in Wise, Lee and Dickenson counties. “These enhancements elevate the physical space and signify Ballad Health’s dedication to providing state-of-the-art facilities for Southwest Virginia. This investment reflects our ongoing mission to deliver compassionate and efficient high-quality care, ensuring every patient who walks through our doors receives that care in a healing environment.” The project included redesigning…

ABINGDON, Va. — More patients in the region will have access to advanced minimally-invasive procedures, as Ballad Health expands robotic-assisted surgery options at Johnston Memorial Hospital.   Hospital leaders unveiled new da Vinci and Ion robotic surgery units on Thursday, March 7, with an event that allowed community members a first glance at the technology. Johnston Memorial Hospital is the seventh Ballad Health facility to offer robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci system, and it is one of the first hospitals in the health system to offer Ion robot-assisted bronchoscopy. “Providing the best possible care means giving our patients more options when they need surgery, and we’re pleased to be able to bring these robotic-assisted options to Abingdon and our surrounding counties,” said John Jeter, chief executive officer of Johnston Memorial Hospital. “Johnston Memorial is proud to invest in the best technology the field has to offer, alongside specially trained surgeons and team members, to…

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Cindy Elkins, a longtime pharmacist and leader in Wise County, has been selected to serve as the next administrator and assistant vice president for Lee County Community Hospital and Lonesome Pine Hospital. Elkins, who transitioned into her new role in January, will lead the day-to-day administrative operations for Lee County Community and Lonesome Pine. She will also coordinate service line functions for those facilities and serve as a key member of Ballad Health’s market leadership team in Lee, Wise and Dickenson counties. “We are excited to have Cindy join our leadership team in Southwest Virginia,” said Shannon Showalter, chief executive officer for Ballad Health operations in Dickenson, Lee and Wise counties. “Cindy’s clinical experience as a pharmacist, coupled with her unwavering commitment to patient care and community well-being, make her an ideal leader for Lee County Community Hospital and Lonesome Pine Hospital. Her proven dedication to excellence and compassionate service align…

Individual and intensive group therapy services provide needed outpatient alternative to inpatient hospitalization in the region JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Ballad Health is expanding access to behavioral health in the Appalachian Highlands with new and expanded outpatient services that will serve children, adolescents and adults with complex behavioral health needs. Ballad Health physicians, team members and community leaders gathered on Thursday, Feb. 22, to cut the ribbon for the new Behavioral Health Child and Adolescent Outpatient Services clinic at 701 Med Tech Parkway in Johnson City. This new clinic will provide care for the specific needs of children and teens with complex behavioral health needs. The clinic is part of the Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network and provide outpatient mental healthcare for kids 6 to 18 years of age and will provide intensive outpatient programs for children 9 years and older. Ballad Health has also relocated its Behavioral Health Adult Outpatient Services clinic to a…

Network expands partnerships to include hospital services, regional clinics and childcare centers JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network will take community members across the Appalachian Highlands for its annual Radiothon, to be held Thursday, Feb. 29, and Friday, March 1. Now in its 12th year, the Niswonger Children’s Network Radiothon brings the community together to support the children’s network, its programs and its patients. The radiothon is the network’s largest annual fundraiser, and to date, it has raised more than $4 million for local babies, children, teenagers and their families. The 2024 Niswonger Children’s Hospital Radiothon will support the continued enhancement of network offerings and services, including the expansion of Niswonger Children’s Hospital’s main campus, new subspecialty care and children’s network partners across the region. “Since the creation of Ballad Health, Niswonger Children’s Hospital has become more than a building – it’s the epicenter of healthcare for local children, and to…