By A.J. Kaufman, Managing Editor
In late July, Ballad Health officially acquired property that will become the future home of the new Unicoi County Hospital, marking a major milestone for the community. The property acquisition cleared the way for construction to begin on a hospital to replace the previous facility that was rendered unsafe following catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
Ballad held a groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 19 on land near Interstate 26 in the Town of Unicoi. More than 300 people, including Tri-Cities business leaders and a who’s who of local and regional public officials, attended the monumental gathering and catered lunch that followed on a warm summer day.
Remarks during the 45-minute event came from Ballad Health Chairman and CEO Alan Levine, Ballad Health Southern Region President Lisa Carter, Town of Unicoi Mayor Kevin McInturff, Unicoi County Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Harrah and Dr. Michael Sutherland, an emergency medicine physician who helped evacuate patients during Hurricane Helene. U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger also traveled to Unicoi to address attendees.
“One of the things I’ve learned throughout my career and life is that, out of tragedy, good things can come if you remember that God has his hand on everything,” Levine said.
He particularly thanked the state delegations for “going to bat for us big time” in the state legislature to acquire resources to plan the new hospital. The president and CEO said Ballad hired a top architectural firm, using Earl Swensson Associates out of Nashville.
Harshbarger stressed working closely with FEMA, people in Washington, D.C. and local leaders to cut red tape and get the region what it needed.
“It takes a community that refuses to give up, and it takes partners willing to invest for the long haul,” the congresswoman explained. “So, I am grateful to everybody here today and those who worked to make this moment possible.”
The new hospital, which will be 40,000 square feet and take at least 18 months to build, is expected to feature all the latest diagnostic imaging equipment, an emergency department, 10 inpatient beds and outpatient services designed to meet the area’s healthcare needs.
“It is a promise made, a promise kept, delivering on what we said, as an organization, that we’re gonna do,” Carter said. “Two years have passed, but I can promise you, for that entire time, we have been planning and developing strategies around what this facility is going to be and absolutely where this facility is going to be. We have an amazing opportunity with a new construction to really plan for what healthcare is going to look like in the future.”
Carter added that the $44 million facility will be elevated at the level of nearby I-26 and approximately five feet above the 500-year floodplain. Ballad also considered egress, ensuring two access points to get in and out of the facility.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, recently named an “Honorary Citizen of Unicoi County,” added in part that, “We invested in rebuilding Unicoi County Hospital because access to quality healthcare is essential to the strength, well-being and recovery of every community.”
