ballad health

This episode features Sexual Assault Advocate, Amani Brice, and Program Manager for the Office of Professional Development at ETSU, Ruth Taylor Read. Amani and Ruth tell us more about Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault as October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This conversation took place on October 12 and was moderated by a friend of the McKinney Center, Brittany Butler and Community Program Specialist, Skye McFarland. 

As a December 2019 graduate of East Tennessee State University, Amani Brice is proud to have earned two degrees in early childhood development and child psychology. Shortly after graduation, she began working at Frontier Health-Safe House as a sexual assault advocate. Amani’s passion for victim services runs deep, and she finds it incredibly rewarding to be able to support and assist victims during one of the most vulnerable points in their lives. Working as a sexual assault advocate has allowed her to utilize her knowledge and skills to help individuals in need. It has also taught her the importance of empathy, compassion, and active listening when working with victims. Overall, her journey from graduation to becoming a sexual assault advocate has been one of growth and fulfillment. Amani is grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others and look forward to continuing to do so in the future.

As Program Manager for the Office of Professional Development at East Tennessee State University, Ruth Taylor Read works with community members to implement training programs utilizing the gifts and talents of those community members. As a small business owner, she enjoys creating a safe space for everyone at Cranberries Café. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies, an M.S. in Human Services, and an M.Div. She is currently writing her dissertation to complete her D.Min with a focus on family and Congregational Care. Ruth has experience in social services, nonprofit leadership, program design, and grassroots activism. She has been a dedicated community volunteer serving as a member of the Johnson City Sexual Assault Task Force, and as Co-Founder of Women Matter Northeast Tennessee a 501©4 organization that focused on issues that affected the daily lives of women in East Tennessee. She currently serves on the board of directors for Frontier Health SAFE House. Ruth currently coordinates the Upper East Tennessee Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Summit at ETSU with the mission statement of that conference is “…to train and educate our campus and community in the prevention, response, advocacy, and treatment for domestic violence and sexual assault victims.” She is the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of the world’s most amazing granddaughters.

Supported by a grant from the East Tennessee Foundation, “Conversations that Matter” is a monthly series produced by the McKinney Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. In each “Conversation” two local guests from different backgrounds (age, race, religion, culture, etc.) explore their own culture and perspective, and talk to each other about what makes them unique, discover their similarities, and explore their differences. They will look at where their lives might intersect personally and in the community. The goal of each “Conversation that Matters” is for guests and participants to hear real stories, from real neighbors. 

This monthly series is inspired by the Diversity & Equity Subcommittee at the McKinney Center, and their desire to highlight the experiences of all voices in Washington County, Tennessee, with an intention to include marginalized groups. By showcasing these conversations, the Diversity & Equity subcommittee hopes to open doors to new ideas and perspectives amongst our very own neighbors. Questions such as, “What was your experience in grade-school and how did that make you feel?” or, “Have you experienced exclusion or racism?” For many of us the answers are different and unique. The McKinney Center believes it is time to talk about our experiences and share them.

There is value in uplifting these stories so that we may learn from one another. Then, after hearing from one another our moderators and guest conversationalists will give insight on how to move forward.

More information on Isaac Mitchell's Lean Coffee and Lean Book Clubs: www.isaacbmitchell.com

This podcast is sponsored by Missouri S&T. Accelerate your career with Missouri S&T's 100% online programs! Learn more at online.mst.edu.

Because of high demand and limited supply, there is a nursing shortage in the United States. COVID-19 has reminded us of the importance of nurses in our lives and why we must invest in them. Learn from prominent healthcare experts how to limit the impact of nursing shortages by leveraging intelligent infrastructure, automation, and data intelligence.

Participants

• Lisa Smithgall, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive, Ballad Health
• Trish Tanner, Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer, Ballad Health

Guest Host

• Sabrina Cole, Director, Autonomous Pharmacy Advisory Board, Omnicell

In the United States, more than 90% of the landmass is rural. And in rural communities from coast to coast, the challenges in delivering healthcare can be very different than the urban and suburban centers that get most of the attention.

There’s untapped opportunity in reimagining healthcare business models and the technology that will enable them in rural areas, according to Ballad Health CEO, Alan Levine. And he should know – in the three years since Ballad was formed by merging Wellmont Health System and Mountain States Health Alliance, it has had exceptional success rewriting the rules of rural healthcare.

Among some of its visible and measurable improvements, Ballad Health has decreased pricing by an average of 17% for urgent care and other physician-based services, cut its mortality rate for trauma in half, reduced low acuity admissions by 16,000 per year, and saved the region in which it operates more than $200 million per year in healthcare costs. And it’s doing this with only a 20% commercial payer mix.

In this episode of Healthcare is Hard, Alan talks to Keith Figlioli about how Ballad Health is achieving these milestones by better understanding the dynamics of rural healthcare and making big structural changes to address them. He shares specifics about many of the changes Ballad has already implemented and his plans to continue down this revolutionary path. Their conversation covers topics including:

• Trading competition for regulation. In the areas of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky where Wellmont and Mountain States operated, only 50% of hospital beds were occupied and rates were declining. To survive and give it stability, Wellmont looked to be acquired by an outside system, until Mountain States stepped in with a unique solution to merge. But the FTC opposed the merger every step, forcing legislation in Virginia and Tennessee followed by approval from both states’ governors, attorneys general and health commissioners. Against significant odds, the merger was approved with Ballad agreeing to cap pricing and price increases at a rate well below the hospital consumer price index (CPI).
• Eliminating duplication. Many of the structural changes at Ballad Health revolved around reducing duplicate services. Intense competition between Mountain States and Wellmont forced one system to always keep up with the other. As a result, a small town like Greenville, TN had two hospitals a little over a mile apart which had both lost $70 million at 30% capacity in the years leading up to the merger. One of Ballad’s key goals is to implement a more rational approach and business model that makes sense for rural areas.
• Transforming from hospitals to health improvement. While reducing duplication, Ballad is thoughtfully applying the resources it saves to improve the health of its communities upstream. For example, in one region where it consolidated hospitals, it converted one building into a residential facility for women who are pregnant, homeless, drug addicted or have other needs. It gives these women housing security, food security and resources to help ensure their babies are born into a healthy situation.
• The new competitive landscape. Alan says his biggest competition is no longer the health system or physician group down the street. It’s the tech-enabled company across the country or a retail chain that could provide primary care. And unlike health systems in urban areas that can offset the loss of a patient with populated growth, there’s nothing to replace that loss in a rural area. This is why technology will play a significant role in the transformation of rural healthcare.

To hear Alan and Keith talk about these topics and more, listen to this episode of Healthcare is Hard.