Inclement Weather Alerts
Hurricane Helene updates
Ballad Health has activated its Corporate Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) due to issues caused by severe weather. Flooding, high winds and power outages continue to create problems throughout the Appalachian Highlands.
View the Flood Safety Tips and Recovery Guidelines
24/7 Advanced urgent care clinic opening in Unicoi County
Ballad Health Medical Associates will open a 24/7 advanced urgent care clinic in Unicoi County on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 1 p.m. to continue providing uninterrupted, critical healthcare services to the community.
Staffed by Unicoi County Hospital team members and board-certified physicians, the Advanced Urgent Care – Erwin will provide services at 800 South Mohawk Drive, Suite C, across from Unicoi County High School.
Advanced Urgent Care – Erwin is accepting both uninsured and commercially insured patients, and will treat conditions such as:
- Animal or insect bites
- Cold, flu and COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, headache and sore throat
- Ear and eye infections
- Sinus infections and strep throat
- Small cuts, minor burns and skin rashes
- Sprains and minor bone fractures
- Upper respiratory infections
- Urinary tract, pelvic and other minor infections
The Medical Response Unit, which was established in the days following the Hurricane Helene floods, will transition to the advanced urgent care clinic on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Ballad Health continues to assess the healthcare needs of Unicoi County to develop long-term solutions for the future as Unicoi County Hospital remains closed until further notice.
For questions, please contact the Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center at BalladHealthCorporateEOC@BalladHealth.org.
Contact Advanced Urgent Care – Erwin
Advanced Urgent Care – Erwin expands access to urgent care services with 24/7 board-certified physician coverage. No appointment is needed, and walk-ins are welcome. The clinic can be reached at (423) 735‑4750.
Hospitals in Greeneville, Elizabethton and Kingsport are all fully operational
- Greeneville Community Hospital, Sycamore Shoals Hospital, Indian Path Community Hospital and Holston Valley Medical Center – each of which had services impacted by the disaster – are all now fully operational
- Elective surgical services at Greeneville Community Hospital resumed on Tuesday, Oct. 8
Laughlin Healthcare Center services remain suspended, plans to reopen this week
- Residents from Laughlin Healthcare Center in Greeneville, who were evacuated to Wexford House in Kingsport due to unstable utilities in Greeneville, will return to Laughlin on Thursday, Oct. 10. Laughlin Healthcare Center will be fully operational at that point.
Canceled/resumed classes
- Mandatory licensed nursing skills fairs scheduled in October have been canceled
Greeneville Community Hospital resuming services, elective surgeries to begin Oct. 8
- Greeneville Community Hospital has resumed all services except for elective surgeries
- Elective surgical services will resume on Tuesday, Oct. 8
- Emergency surgery is available
- Inpatient services resumed on Saturday, Oct. 5, and outpatient services, including lab, sleep and radiology, resumed on Monday, Oct. 7
- The main entrance and the ED entrance are both open
Ballad Health evacuated the facility on Saturday, Sept. 28, due to water supply issues related to the effects of Hurricane Helene. The hospital remained open for emergency medical and emergent obstetric services, but all other inpatient, outpatient and surgical services had been suspended.
Surgeries resuming at Kingsport hospitals on Oct. 4
The boil water notice in Kingsport has been lifted, so Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital will resume elective surgeries beginning Friday, Oct. 4.
Canceled classes resuming Oct. 7
All classes (AHA, Clinical Education, CPR, Epic Education, Organizational Development) for the week of Sept. 29 were canceled, but beginning Monday, Oct. 7, classes will resume on regular schedule. Mandatory licensed nursing skills fairs scheduled in October have been canceled.
Medical Response Unit operations continue in Erwin, TN
Located in the auditorium parking lot of Unicoi County High School in Erwin, the site provides 24/7 first aid, triage for minor illnesses and injuries, and stabilization including:
- Basic treatment of infections
- Stabilization and transfer for trauma and serious conditions
- Respiratory infections
- Skin infections
Located at 700 S. Mohawk Drive in Erwin, TN. Unicoi County Hospital team members will be staffing the unit around the clock until further notice.
Unicoi County Hospital closed until further notice
Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin has suspended operations and has evacuated patients. All patients and team members were successfully rescued from Unicoi County Hospital on Friday, Sept. 27. Affected patients have been transferred to Johnson City Medical Center, and their families have been updated. The hospital remains closed until further notice. Ballad Health will assess the damage once flood water recedes and provide updates on the status of the facility. We will ensure all current and future patients can access care at neighboring facilities.
Flood recovery safety guidelines
Fatalities can occur in the aftermath of major floods due to preventable safety risks. Please take every precaution to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Learn how to keep yourself safe if you’re involved in recovery efforts with our flood recovery safety guidelines.
For health and safety questions or concerns related to flooding or power outages due to the hurricane, call the Northeast Regional Health Office’s Citizen Information Line at (423) 979‑4689, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Additional Hurricane Helene updates
Inpatient services at Sycamore Shoals Hospital in Elizabethton have resumed as of Wednesday, Oct. 2. Surgeries will resume on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Due to rising flood waters, on Friday, Sept. 27, Sycamore Shoals Hospital in Elizabethton took the proactive measure to safely evacuate 39 inpatients and suspend operations except the Emergency Room.
Elective procedures resumed as of Monday, Sept. 30 at facilities that are able to perform them. Patients will be contacted in the event their procedure needs to be rescheduled.
- Except for Unicoi County, all Ballad Health Medical Associates offices will be open beginning Monday, Sept. 30.
- Patients should contact their physician’s office if they are unable to come to their appointments.
- 24/7 Virtual Urgent Care and Telehealth options are available online.
- All inbound and external phone service is now fully operational, except for Johnson County Community Hospital.
- Please report any issues to (423) 431‑6290. The behavioral health crisis Respond Hotline is operational at (800) 366‑1132.
- Network connectivity has been restored and should be consistent throughout the Ballad Health system, except in Unicoi County.
Canceled classes
All classes scheduled for the week of Sept. 29 will be canceled, including:
- Mandatory licensed nursing skills fairs scheduled in October have been canceled
- AHA
- Clinical Education
- CPR
- Epic Education
- Organizational Development
- New team member onboarding classes will continue as scheduled.
Questions should be directed to management.
Canceled events
- Niswonger Children’s Hospital steel-topping ceremony and pediatric subspecialty open house, originally scheduled for Oct. 4.
- Ribbon-cutting event for the Abingdon Center for Early Learning scheduled for Oct. 8.
- Greeneville Community Hospital Friend Raiser scheduled for Oct. 17.
Reschedule dates will be identified at a later time.
Thirty-three patients were successfully evacuated from Laughlin Healthcare Center in Greeneville, TN to Wexford House in Kingsport, TN.
Patients’ families have been notified. Laughlin Healthcare Center will remain closed until utilities and the Greeneville water supply stabilize.
- Patients who need access to medications displaced in the weather emergency should first try to contact their practitioner’s office.
- If their practitioner is unavailable, the Johnson City Medical Center retail pharmacy location is open today and can be reached at (423) 431‑2140.
The Center for Early Learning in Lebanon will resume operations beginning Wednesday, Oct. 2.
The Center for Early Learning in Greeneville’s operations will remain suspended until water supply stabilizes in the town.
Ballad Health Foundation, the charitable arm of Ballad Health, is collecting disaster relief donations to support people in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia impacted by Hurricane Helene. All financial donations will stay local, and 100% of funds raised will be used to support people in our community, Ballad Health patients and team members. Click the button below to learn more and make your donation today.
We also have a text option: text “disasterrelief” to 44834 to make a gift.
View all Ballad Health location closures
If you’re having trouble viewing closures, use this link to see our updates.
24/7 Virtual urgent care options near you
Hurricane Helene has made travel difficult. If you have internet or mobile service, you can safely connect with a Ballad Health care provider in minutes. Try our Virtual Urgent Care to get the care you need without leaving the house.
Want to start a visit now? Click one of the buttons below.