Ballad Health

{{Infobox company

| name = Ballad Health

| logo = File:BalladHealthLogo.png

| former_name = Wellmont Health Systems/Mountain States Health Alliance

| industry = Health care

| foundation = 2018

| location = 408 N State of Franklin Rd., Johnson City, Tennessee

| area_served = Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky

| num_employees = 13,800 {{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Nic |title=Ballad Health announces many initiatives to keep employees after vaccine mandate |url=https://www.elizabethton.com/2022/02/18/ballad-health-announces-many-initiatives-to-keep-employees-after-vaccine-mandate/ |website=www.elizabethton.com |language=en |date=18 February 2022}}

| location_country = United States

| website = {{URL|https://www.balladhealth.org/}}

}}

Ballad Health is a chain of hospitals headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee.{{cite web|last=Floyd|first=David|url=https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/news/ballad-health-keeps-eyes-on-mission-during-pandemic/article_f17aedca-9e1d-11eb-99ab-a3890a6a722e.html|title=Ballad Health keeps eyes on mission during pandemic|newspaper=Johnson City Press|date=2021-04-25|accessdate=2021-12-20|quote=303 Med Tech Parkway}} - The address is in Johnson City. It includes facilities in Tennessee and Virginia. Some of its locations are also urgent care centers and primary care locations.{{cite web |last1=Porter-Nichols |first1=Stephanie |title=Urgent care clinic at Marion hospital reopens |url=https://swvatoday.com/community/wytheville/article_1ae138c2-a335-11ed-9ff0-ab79e2fb092a.html |website=SWVA Today |access-date=31 July 2023 |language=en |date=6 February 2023}} They operate a blood bank, named Marsh Regional Blood Center.{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Josh |title=Ballad chooses Marsh Regional Blood Center as exclusive blood supplier |url=https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/ballad-chooses-marsh-regional-blood-center-as-exclusive-blood-supplier/ |website=WJHL |access-date=31 July 2023 |date=17 August 2018}}

The healthcare system's website states that its service area includes 29 counties, some of which are in Kentucky and North Carolina.{{cite web|url=https://www.balladhealth.org/about-us|title=About Us|publisher=Ballad Health|accessdate=2021-12-20}}

The current Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ballad Health is Alan Levine.{{Cite web |url=https://www.balladhealth.org/about/leadership/alan-levine|title=Leadership|last=Ballad Health |date=2024-12-08|website=Ballad Health|access-date=2024-12-08}} Levine's compensation for 2023 was $3,557,360 plus $247,091 in other payments.{{cite web|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/611771290|title=Ballad Health Executive Compensation|last=ProPublica|date=2024-12-08|website=ProPublica|access-date=2024-12-08}} Under Levine's leadership, Ballad's strategy has included closing many healthcare centers in rural areas, which has led to a healthcare monopoly across the region.{{cite web|url=https://tennesseelookout.com/2024/12/06/six-years-into-an-appalachia-hospital-monopoly-patients-are-fearful-and-furious/|title=Six years into an Appalachia hospital monopoly, patients are fearful and furious|last=Kelman|first=Brett|newspaper=Tennessee Lookout|date=2024-12-06|access-date=2024-12-08}} Levine also previously co-chaired the healthcare transition for Governor Rick Scott, whose company was fined a record $1.7 Billion for Medicare and Medicaid fraud.{{cite web|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2014/mar/03/florida-democratic-party/rick-scott-rick-scott-oversaw-largest-medicare-fra/|title=Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud' in U.S. history, Florida Democratic Party says|last=Florida Democratic Party|date=2014-02-25|website=PolitiFact|access-date=2024-12-08}}

History

Ballad Health was created in 2018 when Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health Systems agreed to merge together through the issuance of a [https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/features/certificates-public-advantage-copas certificate of public advantage] (COPA) in Tennessee and a similar document known as a cooperative agreement in Virginia.

Ballad Health is a new health system, created specifically to address the most critical healthcare needs of communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. This new kind of healthcare organization is made possible through state oversight and was created with the support of local business community, physicians, educators and countless other people who have a stake in improving the health of the Southern Appalachia region.

Lee County Community Hospital, which had closed in 2013, was reopened by Ballad Health in July 2021.{{cite web |last=Keeling |first=Jeff |date=2021-03-12 |title=Consultant to Va. oversight board: Without merger savings, Lee Co. Community Hospital may not have reopened |url=https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/consultant-to-va-oversight-board-without-merger-savings-lee-co-community-hospital-may-not-have-reopened/ |accessdate=2021-12-20 |publisher=WJHL}}

Dennis Barry, who consulted for the Southwest Virginia Health Authority as a monitor, stated that the Ballad merger meant that healthcare access in portions of Virginia did not collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web|last=Rife|first=Luanne|url=https://roanoke.com/business/local/without-ballad-merger-monitor-says-virginians-could-have-lost-health-care-when-they-needed-it/article_0d5ed96e-8278-11eb-bd42-cfa3a94b5e6f.html|title=Without Ballad merger, monitor says Virginians could have lost health care when they needed it most|newspaper=The Roanoke Times|date=2021-03-11|accessdate=2021-12-20}}

In 2022, they started a virtual urgent care option.{{cite web |last1=Keeling |first1=Jeff |title=Get 'seen' from home: Ballad rolls out virtual urgent care option |url=https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/get-seen-from-home-ballad-rolls-out-virtual-urgent-care-option/ |website=WJHL |access-date=31 July 2023 |date=16 November 2022}}

In August, 2023, they posted their first net operating loss for the fiscal year 2023 with a loss of 40 million dollars.{{cite web |title=Ballad operating loss $40 million for fiscal year '23 |url=https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/ballad-loses-40-million-in-fiscal-year-ended-june-30/ |website=WJHL |access-date=29 August 2023 |date=16 August 2023}}

Service area

The system's official service area includes the following counties in the Appalachian region:{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BalladHealth/status/1489675296257323013|title=After four years of #BalladHealth, we are proud to serve approximately 1.2 million people across the @AppHighlands region. Every year, our commitment to expanding access to rural healthcare grows stronger.|publisher=Ballad Health (official Twitter account)|date=2022-02-04|accessdate=2022-06-22}} - [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKxjybNWYAIw09L?format=jpg&name=medium Closeup of the image]