Team members are invited to attend the annual Niswonger Children’s Hospital Christmas tree lighting and festivities, set for Monday, Dec. 4, at 5:30 p.m. It will take place in the hospital lobby. Niswonger Children’s Hospital holiday shirts will also be on sale for adults and children.
In an effort to promote handwashing and infection prevention protocols across Ballad Health, we’ll be hosting our next game of “SPLAT!” on Tuesday, Nov. 21. It’s a fun way to reinforce the lessons learned at recent hand hygiene review sessions. We held our first of three SPLAT! days in October, with another one coming up in December. Who: The campaign is for all clinical team members at Ballad Health inpatient facilities and long-term care areas (but not outpatient clinics). When: SPLAT! days are Oct. 31, Nov. 21 and Dec. 20. Prizes: Participants can win prizes, including Dollywood tickets, Barter Theatre tickets and the grand prize of an Apple Watch Series 8. How does it work? This kind of campaign has been used successfully at various health systems around the country and has been featured by the American Nurses Association, the American Journal of Infection Control and other organizations. Each clinical team member will be given…
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Marsh Regional Blood Center is teaming up with the Tri-Cities Military Affairs Council for a blood drive event on Friday, Nov. 10, that will honor American heroes. National Wreaths Across America Day is a nationwide event that celebrates the lives of veterans with ceremonies held at more than 2,500 cemeteries across all 50 states, including Mountain Home National Cemetery in Johnson City. Sponsorships and volunteer work are the backbone of the annual ceremony, which manages the laying of wreaths at every headstone in the cemetery. For this year’s ceremony, Marsh Regional will sponsor one wreath for every unit of blood donated on Nov. 10, in honor of Veterans Day. “Our veterans are some of the most selfless individuals in our society, and Marsh Regional is honored to work with the Tri-Cities Military Council on an event that not only helps save the lives of people in our community, but at the…
KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Ballad Health is partnering with the American Cancer Society to host a special lung cancer screening event in honor of National Lung Cancer Screening Day, to increase the community’s access to care. The event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 8 a.m. until noon at the Holston Valley Medical Center Imaging Center, 103 W. Stone Drive in Kingsport, and will provide low-dose computed tomography scans (also called a low-dose CT scan, or LDCT) to individuals who might not have the opportunity to undergo tests during regular workdays. “Early detection is crucial in the fight against lung cancer, and we’re committed to making these screenings more accessible to a wider range of individuals,” said Tony Dotson, vice president of oncology for Ballad Health. “This event is an opportunity for community members to take a proactive approach to their health and potentially receive a lifesaving test by having lung cancer detected at…
Happy Halloween from our Ballad Health team! All throughout the region, spooky spirit filled our facilities. Pumpkin-decorating, trunk-or-treating and fun costumes delighted our team members and patients. Take a look at the photo gallery below for some of the unique ways we celebrated the holiday!
Ballad Health will transition patient bed management to a centralized location, facilitated by the Patient Flow Center team within the Clinical Command Center, effective Wednesday, Nov. 1. With this change, we will manage patient placement and bed availability in real time. NOTE: The go-live was initially scheduled for Oct. 17 but was rescheduled to Nov. 1. Our health system, like others nationwide, has been struggling with severe staffing shortages. To help ensure these challenges don’t affect the quality and safety of patient care, we have streamlined key processes to better manage them through a centralized, more efficient and uniform approach. This helps us manage bed supply to identify bottlenecks and act quickly to place patients in the most appropriate care setting based on their acuity and needs. It will ensure we make the best use of our resources, such as beds and staffing. This will give the health system a more direct line of sight…
Don’t forget: Ballad Health’s performance appraisal period is underway through Nov. 30 for all team members. We want to provide you with essential information to ensure a smooth and effective evaluation process. Your contributions are invaluable to our organization, and your dedication to excellence is greatly appreciated. General information on the performance appraisal period: Dates: Annual performance appraisals are scheduled to take place between Sept. 18 and Nov. 30 for all Ballad Health team members. Review period: The performance evaluation will cover the 12-month period from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. Annual wage increase: Team members hired into an annual increase-eligible position before August 2022 will receive the full 3% increase which takes effect in January 2024, as recently approved by the Ballad Health Board of Directors. Our policy with respect to team members who have a final written warning or are in a flat-rate compensation position will apply. Eligible team members hired…
In an effort to promote handwashing and following infection prevention protocols across Ballad Health, we’ll be hosting a game of “SPLAT” on three different days over the next three months. It’s a fun way to reinforce the lessons learned at recent hand hygiene review sessions. Who: The campaign is for all clinical team members at Ballad Health inpatient facilities and long-term care areas (but not outpatient clinics). When: SPLAT! days will be held on Oct. 31, Nov. 21 and Dec. 20. Prizes: Participants can win prizes, including Dollywood tickets, Barter Theatre tickets and the grand prize of an Apple Watch Series 8. How does it work? This kind of campaign has been used successfully at various health systems around the country and has been featured by the American Nurses Association, the American Journal of Infection Control and other organizations. Each clinical team member will be given three cards on the designated day. Throughout the work…
Update: The deadline for flu shots has passed. The deadline for team members to get the flu vaccination is Friday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m., unless a medical or religious exemption approval has been obtained. The flu shot is available at Team Member Health offices. Click here to see a list of Team Member Health offices and hours, as posted to the Ballad Health intranet. (NOTE: You must be on a Ballad Health network device to access the intranet.) Flu shot key information The flu vaccination is mandatory for all team members, employed physicians, students and volunteers, unless they have an approved exemption. Team members can also get their flu vaccinations from their primary care provider or at other places where it is offered, but would need to provide documentation to Team Member Health by Friday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. There is no cost for team members to get the vaccine. The vaccine is safe and can…
Attention, Ballad Health nurses — a fun day of education and inspiration is coming Nov. 2-3 at Bristol Regional Medical Center! All RNs and LPNs affiliated with Ballad Health are invited to a nursing symposium called “Reignite, Renew, and Recognize,” set for Thursday and Friday, Nov. 2-3, at Bristol Regional’s Monarch Auditorium. For nurses, this will be a fun day of education to reignite your passion for the nursing profession! Attendees will hear from nursing experts on national and international levels. NOTE: This is a one-day event, with the same program being given both days to give nurses two options to attend. Online registration is required; the registration deadline has been extended to Oct. 25. Registration fee is $10 and lunch is provided. Click here to register, or use the QR code in the flyer below. Check-in starts at 8 a.m. with the program opening at 8:30 a.m. and lasting until 3 p.m. The program…
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.— The Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network invites families to suit up and head to downtown Johnson City this weekend for the return of the annual Scarecrow Skedaddle and Shindig. The event welcomes racers of all ages and abilities to King Common’s Park on Sunday, Oct. 22, with opening ceremonies beginning at 1:30 p.m. The 200-meter modified race begins at 1:45 p.m., welcoming racers of all ability levels to participate. A 5K race and 1-mile family fun run/walk will follow, and participants are encouraged to don their best Halloween costumes to participate. Everyone is also invited to a Shindig in King Commons Park after the event for a costume contest, kid-friendly vendors and photo opportunities. “We look forward to this event every year and the joy it brings to families across all our region,” said Tara Chadwell, assistant vice president of child health programs for the Niswonger Children’s Network. “The modified race in…
UPDATE: The transition of patient bed management to a centralized location through the Patient Flow Center team, originally scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 17, has been postponed until Wednesday, Nov. 1. See our original message below, published on Friday, Oct. 13, for more details on the project. Ballad Health will be transitioning patient bed management to a centralized location, facilitated by the Patient Flow Center team within the Clinical Command Center, effective Tuesday, Oct. 17. With this change, we will manage patient placement and bed availability in real time. Our health system, like others nationwide, has been struggling with severe staffing shortages. To help ensure these challenges don’t affect the quality and safety of patient care, we have streamlined key processes to better manage them through a centralized, more efficient and uniform approach. This helps us manage bed supply to identify bottlenecks and act quickly to place patients in the most appropriate care setting based on…
