Ballad Health hospitals achieve national recognition for quality, safety, best place to work

Forbes survey highlights Ballad Health as a Best-In-State Employer in Virginia while Holston Valley Medical Center is named a “Best Regional Hospital” and ranked top 10 among all hospitals in Tennessee

Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tennessee has once again earned national acclaim for its leading cardiovascular care, with multiple 2025 distinctions from Healthgrades that solidify its position among the best in the country for vascular surgery and cardiac excellence.

Healthgrades named Holston Valley one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Vascular Surgery for the sixth year in a row, and ranked it No. 1 in Tennessee for vascular surgery. The hospital also earned the Vascular Surgery Excellence Award™ from Healthgrades for the sixth consecutive year, a testament to its consistency and high-quality outcomes in this critical specialty. Additionally, Holston Valley received five-star recognitions for:

• Repair of abdominal aorta
• Carotid surgery, for the 16th year in a row
• Peripheral vascular bypass, for the sixth consecutive year

“These recognitions reflect the passion of our entire team for exceptional patient care,” said Rebecca Beck, chief executive officer of Holston Valley Medical Center. “The best cardiac and vascular care in America is available right here in our region.”

“As a practicing surgeon, my observation is that the commitment to provide the best possible care is embedded in everything I see being done at these hospitals,” said Dr. Elizabeth Jackson, general surgeon and chief medical officer at Indian Path Community Hospital and Holston Valley.

Holston Valley’s leadership in heart care was further recognized by the American College of Cardiology, which awarded Platinum Performance Achievement Awards to both Holston Valley and Bristol Regional Medical Center through its Chest Pain – MI Registry. Johnston Memorial Hospital earned the Silver Performance Achievement Award. These awards signify sustained excellence in following evidence-based guidelines and delivering timely, high-quality care to patients experiencing heart attacks – helping improve survival rates and long-term outcomes.

“Recognition by the American College of Cardiology for compliance with the highest standards reinforces that Bristol Regional Medical Center is following the best practices, and therefore providing the best care for my patients,” said Dr. Saad Ghumman, a cardiologist practicing at Bristol Regional. “That’s what I care most about, and that’s what Bristol Regional is doing for the people I care for.”

“Johnston Memorial Hospital is relentless about putting patients first,” said Dr. Gregory Miller, a practicing cardiologist at Johnston Memorial.  “Every second matters when treating a heart attack, and the recognition by the American College of Cardiology underscores how seriously we all take these best practices.”  

Repeat Recognition for Quality and Being Among Best Employers Spans Ballad Health Hospitals

Across Ballad Health, hospitals are recognized by the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report for high performance in programs such as orthopedics, surgery, cardiovascular, cancer and pulmonary care. Other organizations, like Blue Cross and Blue Shield have repeatedly recommended Ballad Health hospitals to their members, citing high quality and low cost in major programs, like cardiology, maternity care and orthopedics.  

Being recognized for high quality, high value care begins with the team members and physicians affiliated with Ballad Health. Recently, Forbes named Ballad Health a Best-In-State Employer in Virginia, following its survey of more than 160,000 employees which measures employee perspectives on culture, career pathways and wages.  

“Our goal is to get it right for every patient, every time,” said Alan Levine, Ballad Health’s chairman and chief executive officer.  “We can only be successful if we partner with excellent physicians and team members throughout the region who share our passion for the people we serve.  It is this passion that has helped us navigate the worst nursing and health manpower shortage in the history of our country.”  

Award highlights from U.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026 include Holston Valley Medical Center being ranked a “Best Regional Hospital” and No. 9 ranked hospital in the state of Tennessee. Holston Valley was also recognized as “high performing” in 10 different areas, while Bristol Regional Medical Center, Indian Path Community Hospital and Johnson City Medical Center earned distinctions in cardiac, pulmonary and surgical care.

“Our focus on quality and safety is aligned with the physicians throughout the region who care deeply about their patients,” said Dr. Clay Runnels, chief physician executive of Ballad Health. “We’re proud to work alongside each of them and our team members toward our goal of being a highly reliable health system.  We will continue to work hard to get better and better.”

“Being recognized as high performing in multiple areas is a testament to the exceptional care teams across our facility,” said Dr. Sean Ochsenbein, a practicing Emergency Room physician and interim chief medical officer, Johnson City Medical Center. “Patients in our region can be confident that Johnson City Medical Center is providing high-quality, evidence-based treatment close to home.”

The U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026 awards for Ballad Health hospitals include:

Orthopedic care

For hip fracture care:

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley as “high performing” in care for hip fracture patients.

For hip replacement procedures: 

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley as “high performing” in care for hip replacement patients.

Cancer care

For gynecological cancer care and treatment:

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley with “high performing” distinctions for gynecological cancer treatment and care.

Cardiovascular care

For abdominal aortic aneurysm repair care and treatment:

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley and Johnson City Medical Center with “high performing” distinctions for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair care and treatment.

For aortic valve surgery care and treatment:

•  U.S. News recognized Holston Valley with “high performing” distinctions for aortic valve surgery care and treatment.

For heart arrhythmia care and treatment:

• U.S. News recognized Bristol Regional with “high performing” distinctions for heart arrhythmia care and treatment.

For pacemaker implantation care and treatment:

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley and Johnson City Medical Center with “high performing” distinctions for pacemaker implantation care and treatment.

For transcatheter aortic valve replacement:

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley as “high performing” in transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

The hospitals are all part of Ballad Health CVA Heart Institute, a network of care where patients across the Appalachian Highlands can take advantage of the latest treatments and procedures founded in science and innovative research.

Surgical care

For colon cancer surgery care and treatment:

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley with “high performing” distinctions for colon cancer surgery care and treatment.

For spinal fusion care and treatment:

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley with “high performing” distinctions for spinal fusion surgery care and treatment.

Pulmonary care

For pneumonia care:

• U.S. News recognized Indian Path as “high performing” in pneumonia care and treatment.

Additional awards in other care areas

For diabetes care:

• U.S. News recognized Holston Valley as “high performing” in care for diabetes care.  

“When you look at the consistency, the breadth of specialties and the national stature of these recognitions, particularly what Holston Valley has achieved in vascular and cardiac care, it speaks volumes about the caliber of care being delivered across Ballad Health,” Levine said. “This is more than just recognition. It’s a reaffirmation of our mission and our promise to the communities we serve every day.”