Ballad Health is a chain of hospitals headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee.[2] It includes 20 hospitals, including Niswonger Children's Hospital and Woodridge Psychiatric Hospital, and numerous outpatient facilities in Tennessee and Virginia including urgent care centers and primary care locations.[3] They operate a blood bank named Marsh Regional Blood Center.[4] The healthcare system's website states that its service area includes 29 counties, some of which are in Kentucky and North Carolina.[5]
 | |
| Formerly | Wellmont Health Systems/Mountain States Health Alliance |
|---|---|
| Industry | Health care |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Headquarters | 408 N State of Franklin Rd., Johnson City, Tennessee, |
Area served | Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky |
Number of employees | 13,800[1] |
| Website | www |
In 2018 Ballad was formed through a Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA) by the State of Tennessee (and a Cooperative Agreement in Virginia) which allowed for the merger of Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System.[6] The Federal Trade Commission opposed the merger.[7]
The current chairman, president, and CEO of Ballad Health is Alan Levine.[8] Levine's total compensation for 2024 was $2,247,795.[9] Prior to acting as CEO, Levine was secretary for Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration under governor Jeb Bush [10] and secretary of Louisiana's Department of Health and Hospitals for governor Bobby Jindal.[11] He also co-chaired the healthcare transition team for former Florida governor (and now senator) Rick Scott.[12]
Under the COPA, Ballad has closed or converted several rural facilities with approval from the Tennessee and Virginia departments of health.[13] Some community members and local officials have expressed concerns about the consolidation of facilities.[14] In December 2025, S&P Global revised Ballad Health's credit outlook to positive.[15]
History
editBallad Health was created in 2018 when Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health Systems agreed to merge together through the issuance of a certificate of public advantage (COPA) in Tennessee and a cooperative agreement in Virginia.[16]
Lee County Community Hospital, which had closed in 2013, was reopened by Ballad Health in July 2021.[17]
Dennis Barry, a monitor for the Southwest Virginia Health Authority, stated that the Ballad merger may have prevented many Virginians from losing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.[18]
In 2022, Ballad Health launched a virtual urgent care option.[19]
Ballad Health reported a $40 million net operating loss for discal year 2023, its first annual operating loss since the merger.[20]
References
edit- ↑ Miller, Nic (February 18, 2022). "Ballad Health announces many initiatives to keep employees after vaccine mandate". www.elizabethton.com.
- ↑ Floyd, David (April 25, 2021). "Ballad Health keeps eyes on mission during pandemic". Johnson City Press. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
303 Med Tech Parkway
- The address is in Johnson City. - ↑ Porter-Nichols, Stephanie (February 6, 2023). "Urgent care clinic at Marion hospital reopens". SWVA Today. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ↑ Smith, Josh (August 17, 2018). "Ballad chooses Marsh Regional Blood Center as exclusive blood supplier". WJHL. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ↑ "About Us". Ballad Health. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ "COPA & Cooperative Agreement | Ballad Health". www.balladhealth.org. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Public Advantage". www.tn.gov. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ Ballad Health (December 8, 2024). "Leadership". Ballad Health. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ ProPublica. "Ballad Health Executive Compensation". ProPublica Non Profit Explorer. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ↑ "2005-up-and-comers-alan-levine - Modern Healthcare". www.modernhealthcare.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ↑ Hospital News and Healthcare Report (May 10, 2013). "Profile in Leadership: Broward Health President/CEO Tapped by Louisiana Governor-Elect to Lead Health Care Team". www.southfloridahospitalnews.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ↑ Florida Democratic Party (February 25, 2014). "Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud' in U.S. history, Florida Democratic Party says". PolitiFact. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ Writer, Eugenia Estes Staff (March 20, 2021). "New Strong Futures Program To Be Housed On Greeneville West Campus". Greeneville Publishing Company. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ↑ Kelman, Brett (December 6, 2024). "Six years into an Appalachia hospital monopoly, patients are fearful and furious". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ jmazur@sixriversmedia.com, JOY MAZUR (December 9, 2025). "S&P rates Ballad Health credit outlook positively". Johnson City Press. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ↑ "COPA & Cooperative Agreement | Ballad Health". www.balladhealth.org. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ Keeling, Jeff (March 12, 2021). "Consultant to Va. oversight board: Without merger savings, Lee Co. Community Hospital may not have reopened". WJHL. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ Rife, Luanne (March 11, 2021). "Without Ballad merger, monitor says Virginians could have lost health care when they needed it most". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ Keeling, Jeff (November 16, 2022). "Get 'seen' from home: Ballad rolls out virtual urgent care option". WJHL. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Ballad operating loss $40 million for fiscal year '23". WJHL. August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.