By Jeff Keeling Ballad Health’s operating income nearly quadrupled in its first full fiscal year after the Wellmont Health System-Mountain States Health Alliance merger following a strong fourth quarter (April-June). A report to bondholders showed $36.46 million in operating income for fiscal 2019, compared to $9.9 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018. Net patient service revenue was $26.5 m ...

Left to right: Eric Deaton, Marvin Eichorn, Taylor Hamilton, Dr. Matthew Loos, Dr. Clay Runnels and Dr. Amit Vashist Three Ballad Health executives are taking on new titles and responsibilities in the C-suite. Eric Deaton has been named Ballad Health’s chief operating officer, with oversight of Ballad Health’s systemwide operations, including the newly created Behavioral Services Division. Previously, Deato ...

The Richard and Leslie Gilliam Foundation, which drew national headlines by donating more than $1 million directly to miners laid off by Blackjewel last month, presented the Southwest Virginia Workforce Development Board (SWVA WDB) with a $250,000 donation in a ceremony August 5 at the Virginia Career Works Center in Norton. The donation will be used to provide additional resources for miners that have been ...

Above: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announces the state will fund $8.25 million for the Center over the next 10 years. PHOTO COURTESY ETSU By Scott Robertson Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced July 16 the funding of a new Center for Rural Health Research to be housed at the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health and directed by Dr. Randy Wykoff, public health dean. The governor pledged t ...

By Laken DillowPhoto by Keri Stegall According to the Virginia Department of Education, fewer than half of high school graduates in Southwest Virginia either go on to technical training, higher education, or join the military. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Center for Education and Workforce, youth who are uninformed of potential local career pathways are more vulnerable to dropping o ...

Tony Lettich, pictured above The Angel Roundtable, (ART) the angel investment network of the Appalachian Highlands, is pleased to announce an investment in ConverSight.ai, a leading national voice solutions-based AI platform with focuses in sales, manufacturing, transportation / supply chain, diagnostics and education. The company, which is based in Indianapolis, IN, offers enterprises and academia voice en ...

Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, pictured above Tusculum University has reached another significant milestone in the accreditation process for the innovative and comprehensive Niswonger College of Optometry. The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education has designated the Niswonger College of Optometry as a “Stage-Two Applicant.” This stage is not a pre-accreditation or accreditation status, but rather a step towar ...

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Dr. Brian Noland, Randy Wykoff and Alan Levine Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced July 16 the funding of a new Center for Rural Health Research to be housed at the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health and directed by Dr. Randy Wykoff, public health dean. The governor pledged the state budget would include $1.5 million for the first year and $750,000 for the ...

A Delta aircraft experienced mechanical issues on Thursday morning that temporarily shut down a runway at Tri-Cities Airport. No injuries were reported. PHOTO BY SCOTT ROBERTSON A mechanical issue on a Delta flight preparing to leave Tri-Cities Airport Thursday morning temporarily shut down one of the runways at the facility and left passengers on the aircraft stranded. No injuries were reported. The Delta ...

More than 1,200 college and high school students from around the world gathered at the Kingsport Aquatic Center last week for the 18th MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) International ROV Competition. Seventy teams took part in a multi-tasked competition in which they designed, built and operated robots to perform a series of tasks simulating actions that would be taken by underwater dam repair rob ...