Above: Rich Panek Since 2012, Qualuable and AnewCare, two Accountable Care Organizations in the region,  have generated more than $100 million in Medicare savings between them. Recently, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released performance year 2017 results for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). 472 MSSP Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) across the country participated and 159 (or 34 p ...

By Scott Robertson The Ballad Health board unanimously approved plans to create a trauma and emergency care system designed to improve the overall access to services system-wide through realignment of resources. Concurrently, Ballad will offer a new range of pediatric services at Johnson City Medical Center, Holston Valley Medical Center and Bristol Regional Medical Center.                   Alan Levine, Ba ...

by Jeff Keeling A large physician practice group has won state permission to build a $10 million ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Kingsport. Meadowview Surgery Center will compete directly with Ballad Health, which is sharply limited in its ability to oppose such endeavors. A new company representing Holston Medical Group received a certificate of need (CON) Oct. 24 for the center, in which it expects to ...

The Bristol Chamber of Commerce and the Bristol2040 Steering Committee, together with partners in government, education, healthcare and business have embarked upon a long-term strategic community and economic development planning process in order to create a shared vision for Bristol’s future growth and an action and implementation plan to achieve it. Bristol2040 has hired Market Street Services, Inc., a co ...

Above: Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy and Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable (Contributed) Noting the successful joint local government management of Tri-Cities Airport and freshly broken ground on Aerospace Park, Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable and Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy are establishing a working committee to explore new areas for regional cooperation. As a fresh step in fostering ...

(Photo contributed) Constellis, a leading provider of operational support and risk management services, announced on Tuesday that Centerra (a Constellis company) has been selected to provide physical security for Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. (NFS) in Erwin, Tennessee. This contract has a five-year base followed by three-year and two-year options. “Centerra is proud to be awarded this important contract to sa ...

Northeast State Community College President James D. King, center left, and Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum University’s president, center right, sign a dual enrollment agreement during a press conference on Monday. (Contributed) Students attending Northeast State Community College will have a seamless transition to Tusculum University after receipt of an associate’s degree through a new agreement reached betwee ...

A view from behind the stage shows the crowd gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting that preceded the opening of Unicoi County Memorial Hospital last Monday in Erwin. (Photo contributed) At a time when rural hospitals around the country are struggling to keep their doors open, Ballad Health officially opened Unicoi County Memorial Hospital in Erwin on Tuesday. UCMH replaces a hospital built in the 1950s w ...

Above: Former Virginia Delegate Joe Johnson was among several dozen Southwest Virginians at the VDOT hearing Monday afternoon. Virginia transportation officials have identified more than $4.1 billion in improvements needed to solve the myriad traffic problems along Interstate 81's 325 miles in the Commonwealth. It can only identify $2 billion in possible funding, and part of that comes from proposed tolls a ...

Dr. Gene Couch Jr., the president of Virginia Highlands Community College, announced Monday that he will retire, effective June 30, 2019. Couch will remain at the college through the end of the fall semester but transition to a special assignment at the beginning of 2019. Couch, whose community college career has spanned more than 35 years, has presided over the college since the summer of 2014. “Serving as ...