Mission Health, which operates six hospitals and health facilities in Western North Carolina and competes for medical professionals and patients with Northeast Tennessee-based Ballad Health, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to merge with Nashville-based HCA. In a letter to Asheville citizens on the newly created missionhealthforward.org website, the Mission Board wrote, “If regulatory requirements are me ...

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced today that 25 communities will receive more than $9.6 million in Site Development Grants. Three projects in Northeast Tennessee will receive a total of $2 million of that amount. Sullivan County Economic Development Partnership, Inc.: • Partnership Park II - $1,000,000 – Complete site grading improvements to c ...

Master Tool & Die, Inc. officials announced this week that the manufacturer will expand in Kingsport. Master Tool & Die plans to invest $557,500 for facility upgrades and create 25 jobs at its operation in Sullivan County. “I’d like to thank Master Tool & Die for its commitment to create 25 jobs in Sullivan County,” Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolf ...

Automobile insurance rates are at an all-time high nationwide. In the Tri-Cities (Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol) metro area, rates are up 34% since 2011. 
A recent study by the website The Zebra revealed current average annual auto insurance premiums for: • Tri cities metro: $1,150 • Virginia: $901 (2nd least expensive state in the U.S.) • Tennessee: $1,315 (29th most expensive state) • U.S.: $1,427 Even ...

Moody's Investors Service has assigned an initial Aa2 rating to Tri-Cities Airport Authority’s $8.5 million Aerospace Park Bonds, Series 2018 (Federally Taxable). The proceeds will be used to fund construction, site development, infrastructure, paving and utilities for the Aerospace Park project. Proceeds will also be used to pay capitalized interest on the Series 2018 Bonds during construction. The bonds a ...

Above: Members of the Mountain Home VA Medical Center leadership team and staff join with those who helped complete the new 13-room ICU project for a ceremonial ribbon cutting. PHOTO BY DAVE ONGIE By Dave Ongie It’s been a long time coming, but the new 15,000-square-foot Intensive Care Unit unveiled inside the Mountain Home VA Medical Center last week appears to be well worth the wait. Members of the staff ...

England Furniture, a New Tazewell, Tenn.-based manufacturer of upholstered furniture, will establish a manufacturing operation, at the 32,000-square-foot Lee County Industrial Building, in Lee County, Va. The project of the La-Z-Boy affiliated company is expected to create 79 new jobs.  “We are delighted to expand our operations into the great state of Virginia,” said Terry England, president, England, Inc. ...

NASHVILLE – Legislation which seeks to balance proprietary records with open record access and improved accountability as it addresses the Wellmont–Mountain States merger, was approved by the Senate Health and General Welfare Committee on Wednesday.  Senate Bill 2048, sponsored by Senate Health and General Welfare Committee Chairman Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City), enhances reporting requirements for the compa ...

Above: District 3 State Senator Rusty Crowe (File photo) By Scott Robertson Representatives of Ballad Health are in "constructive talks" with the Tennessee Attorney General's office and the Department of Health regarding an amendment or amendments to a bill that aims to remove many Ballad Health documents from the public record. District 3 State Senator Rusty Crowe sponsored Senate Bill 2048, which removes ...

Merger Approved after Deliberate and Thorough Public Process NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH today announced the state is officially allowing a merger of Wellmont Health System and Mountain States Health Alliance by issuing a Certificate of Public Advantage or COPA to their parent company, Ballad Health. An official announcement is expected from the tw ...