Growing array of outside voices weighs in By Jeff Keeling “We’re talking about things in this region that we never thought possible. We’re having these conversations because there was the disruption of Wellmont saying, ‘we really need to ask difficult questions.’ I applaud Wellmont’s board for the conversation that has begun because they had the wherewithal to say ‘we have to do something differently.’”     ...

By Scott Robertson Kick-off is less than a year away for ETSU football, a program rebooting after an 11-year hiatus. The Buccaneers are schedule to play Kennesaw State Sept. 3, 2015 on Steve Spurrier Field at Kermit Tipton Stadium on the campus of Science Hill High School. Tipton Stadium will serve as the temporary home of the Bucs until a new on-campus stadium can be built. Current plans call for the Bucs ...

Health Information Exchange Growth Continues By Scott Robertson What we’re being asked to do by the government and everybody else, quite frankly, is prove that we’re providing quality. If they’re going to pay us a dollar they want to know if they got a dollar’s worth of quality out of this.                                                                                                                        ...

Five years in, Internet marketer well past startup status By Jeff Keeling “Bargain hunters. The people who like to grab stuff off the impulsive section in the checkout line. Those are the customers that shop with us.” Vantha Chhoun, Jammin Butter co-owner  “We still maintain a little bit of goofiness. Every website you go to is, ‘here’s this, buy this, ok.’ We would go insane if we had to act like that all ...

The Virginia question -- Could a Wellmont-MSHA merger happen with no COPA law? By Jeff Keeling “The two large systems in Southwest Virginia that are providing most of our care are Bristol and Johnson City-based. So it’s a big deal for us what happens here.”       Dr. Bill Hazel – Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel had some familiarity with the greater Tri-Cities before accepting ...