Ballad Health employing crisis staffing plan to manage COVID outbreaks

Ballad Health has switched to crisis staffing mode

“We have 834 team members who are out at home (who are COVID positive). …And that is just about 7 percent of our workforce,” said Ballad CEO Alan Levine at a Thursday news briefing.

Ballad has already switched patients to other facilities due to virus outbreaks in certain surgical and care units and has dealt with more than 1,500 workers out sick in the past two weeks.

Levine says the crisis declaration under CDC guidelines triggers new steps including letting asymptomatic and recovering workers with COVID return to work sooner, some in different roles and areas to keep other workers and patients safe.

Elective surgeries are not being postponed but Levine said the cascade effect of 436 current patients in area hospitals and staff shortages leaves more people in those centers longer because there is little support staff to treat them at step-down units.

(IMAGE: New photos hang in employee areas at a Greeneville Ballad Health facility. A report Thursday said the wall dressing was put in place to boost the spirits of their workforce / Courtesy of Ballad Health)