Ballad Health joins community, lawmakers to celebrate 20th anniversary of Hancock County Hospital

Hancock County Hospital marked 20 years of operations this month, bringing together hospital team members, Ballad Health leaders, state representatives and community members for a celebration.

“Hancock County Hospital opened its doors 20 years ago and changed the trajectory of healthcare in this community,” said Hunter Hamilton, RN, chief nursing officer and administrator of Hancock County Hospital and neighboring Hawkins County Memorial Hospital. “I am fortunate to see the effects of the decision to open this facility every day through the incredible service of our team members. They continue to provide excellent care to everyone who needs it, and that dedication will continue to serve our patients for years to come.”

Opened to the public on April 13, 2005, Hancock County Hospital immediately began serving a previously underserved population of Sneedville and Hancock County. The facility cost $6 million to build, and its 22,000 square feet include a four-bay emergency department and 10 inpatient beds. State lawmakers and community leaders attended the facility’s grand opening, marking a significant investment in the Hancock County community, which had been without emergency services since the former hospital closed due to financial constraints in 1992.

“For people in this community, it was normal to travel 40 minutes or more to get to a hospital. If you were to ask folks back then, they would tell you they’d never have a community hospital here again,” said Phyllis Dossett, clinical director of Hancock County Hospital. “That changed 20 years ago with a major investment that continues to benefit this community every day. This hospital is a testament to why supporting and investing in rural healthcare continues to be vital to the health and wellbeing of our communities, and we are proud to continue providing these essential services to the people of Hancock County.”

As one of Ballad Health’s four critical access hospitals, Hancock County Hospital plays a vital role for the rural community it serves. To achieve a critical access designation, a hospital must meet specific criteria, including fewer than 25 acute care inpatient beds, provide 24/7 emergency care services, be more than a 35-mile drive from another hospital or a 15-mile drive from another hospital in an area with mountain terrain or only secondary roads and maintain an annual average length of stay of 96 hours or fewer for acute care patients.

Hancock County Hospital currently offers emergency and inpatient care, with a lab, diagnostic imaging, occupational therapy and physical therapy services also available on-site. The hospital also recently added an onsite rural health clinic.

Since its opening, Hancock County Hospital has cemented itself as a bastion of rural healthcare, earning several national awards recognizing its excellence as a rural critical access hospital. Hancock County Hospital was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as being among 67 critical access hospitals to know in the nation for three years in a row, signifying the facility’s clinical quality and excellence in care delivery.

Most recently, the hospital was named by the National Rural Health Association as a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital, Best Practice in Patient Satisfaction. This award recognizes Hancock County Hospital as being in the top two percent in the nation for delivery of quality, compassionate care based on patient experience.

“This facility continues to be the heartbeat of our community, and if there’s one thing I know about Hancock County, it’s that our people are dedicated to taking care of each other,” said Hancock County Mayor Thomas Harrison. “This hospital embodies the community of the people who live here, and it’s our very own friends, family and neighbors who take such great care of us. It’s wonderful to celebrate such a remarkable facility.”

“It’s an incredible honor to celebrate this milestone and recognize how Hancock County Hospital continues improving the lives of patients in its community,” said Rep. Gary Hicks, who was recognized by the Tennessee Hospital Association in 2021 for his service to rural healthcare. “Hancock County Hospital is a beautiful facility, but it’s so much more than a building. The hospital is excellent because of the doctors, nurses, volunteers and all other healthcare professionals who chose to serve their communities. To me, this celebration is about them.”