Ballad Health, East Tennessee State University partnership creates Highlands Sports Medicine, enhancing sports medicine in region
The continued close collaboration between Ballad Health and East Tennessee State University (ETSU) will now bolster sports medicine services across the region, with the introduction of Highlands Sports Medicine.
A member of Ballad Health Medical Associates and powered by ETSU Health, Highlands Sports Medicine will bring ETSU Health’s current BucSports Medicine clinic into a growing network of sports medicine care that includes existing Ballad Health Medical Associates Sports Medicine practices in Johnson City and Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
“Ballad Health Medical Associates is proud to unveil Highlands Sports Medicine as part of our family of medical clinics and practices,” said Mark Patterson, MD, president of Ballad Health Medical Associates. “We’re working to ensure quality care is available throughout the region, and we’re excited to expand our scope and work alongside our incredible partners at ETSU to enhance the health and well-being of people in the Appalachian Highlands.”
As BucSports Medicine joins the newly formed network of care, the practice will retain its current clinicians, who will also remain as ETSU faculty. Highlands Sports Medicine will also allow Ballad Health and ETSU Health to work in close collaboration to expand and enhance sports medicine services in the region, including growing athletic training programs and services available in schools.
“Patients will continue receiving the high-quality care from the same dedicated team they’ve grown to know and trust – and now, through a network that will give them access to an even greater breadth and reach of services,” said Jay Johnston, MD, a sports medicine physician and ETSU Quillen College of Medicine faculty member who practices at BucSports Medicine. “We also strive to continue growing and improving our service, so the possibilities through this partnership are truly exciting.”
In addition to its in-clinic services for the public, Highlands Sports Medicine will enhance Ballad Health and BucSports Medicine’s current partnerships with athletic programs throughout the region, which include high schools, colleges, universities and professional teams in Johnson City, Jonesborough, Elizabethton and Wise, Virginia.
“As healthcare professionals, it’s our duty to provide high-quality healthcare to every patient who needs us,” said Hisham Amin, MD, a sports medicine physician practicing at Highlands Sports Medicine in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. “The care we provide, now augmented through this network, is tailored to meet every patient where they are – from members of the public to prime athletes.”
Highlands Sports Medicine is the latest step forward in Ballad Health and ETSU Health’s strong relationship, aligning a care model that will follow in the footsteps of similar successful partnerships such as the Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network, powered by ETSU Health, which relies on combined strengths in pediatric healthcare, research, growth and reach to affect health and well-being of children throughout the region.
“The success of the Niswonger Children’s Network has demonstrated that collaborative care results in exceptional care to patients who need it, especially in rural, vast regions like the Appalachian Highlands,” said William Block, MD, vice president for clinical affairs and dean of the Quillen College of Medicine. “That’s why it’s exciting to bring another service line into this model of care and deepen the relationship between Ballad Health and ETSU, to ensure our communities have the right people, in the right places, to provide the right care and enhance well-being for everyone.”
Highlands Sports Medicine serves patients of all ages, helping them achieve their optimal physical well-being through a commitment to comprehensive care and a range of services that includes fitness, strength and conditioning training; sport-specific training regimens; sports physicals; injury prevention and rehabilitation for sport or recreation-related injuries; and access to skilled orthopedic surgeons. Additionally, the collaboration between Ballad Health and ETSU Health will grow athletic training programs and services available in area schools, ensuring a clear path for future students who want to pursue a career in sports medicine.
“Highlands Sports Medicine is an exciting step forward for the future of sports medicine in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia,” said Todd Fowler, MD, sports medicine specialist for Highlands Sports Medicine. “We already have skilled clinicians providing patients with tailored, individualized care, and we’re all looking forward to how this partnership can improve health for our population.”
The BucSports Medicine clinic on ETSU’s campus will continue serving its existing patients at 1043 Jack Vest Drive; the Highlands Sports Medicine in Johnson City clinic accepts patients at its location on 161 Heart Drive and the Big Stone Gap clinic is accepting patients at 1980 Holton Ave., Suite 203. All Highlands Sports Medicine clinics serve patients Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
To learn more about Ballad Health’s sports medicine programs, please visit www.balladhealth.org/medical-services/sports-medicine.
