Program areas at Claiborne Medical Center
Claiborne Medical Center ("Claiborne") opened in 1959 and serves the Tri-State area. It is located near the Cumberland Gap, in a rural area where health care is a much-needed service and more than 25 percent of the population is below the poverty line. Claiborne Medical Center became part of the Covenant Health system in 2014.SERVICEClaiborne Medical Center is the only Covenant Health hospital with an ambulance service, which enhances area residents' ability to access health care. The hospital also operates Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center, a long-term care facility offering both short-term rehabilitation and residential care for those who can no longer live without assistance. Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center is currently rated a 5-star facility by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and has received the Bronze Commitment to Quality award from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) for its commitment to improving the lives of residents through quality care.In 2022, the hospital provided care for 40,874 patients. Of these, 39,741 were outpatients and 1,254 were inpatients with an average length-of-stay of 3.78 days. PUTTING PATIENTS FIRSTCurrently licensed for 85 beds, the hospital is best known for its surgical services, cardiac rehabilitation, a lymphedema program, and its nursing home and emergency medical services. The hospital is a member of Covenant Health's stroke hospital network, which links Covenant Health's member hospitals in providing access to rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke, and is Acute Stroke Ready-certified by The Joint Commission. The wound care center has allowed Claiborne to better serve patients with non-healing wounds and has expanded its clinic days from every other week to weekly. Claiborne has two full-time general surgeons and one part-time orthopedic surgeon to provide excellent surgical care for patients.Claiborne offers imaging services that include a full-service clinical laboratory, digital mammography, high-definition MRI scans, CT services, echocardiography and nuclear medicine. The imaging department is accredited by the American College of Radiology in five areas: CT scan, mammography, MRI, nuclear medicine and ultrasound. IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH BETTER HEALTHClaiborne completed a Community Health Needs Assessment in 2020 and identified four areas that were a health priority in the community. As part of the Claiborne Health Council, Claiborne is working to develop projects to improve mental health, substance abuse disorders, diabetes and obesity in Claiborne County. Teams have been developed for each focus area, and Claiborne hospital staff are working on the Obesity and Diabetes teams. In 2022 these teams partnered with the UT Extension Office in the spring and fall for a Walk Across Tennessee walking program, with a Claiborne team participating in the spring event. One of the hospital's managers serves on a community drug coalition led by Live Free, a local nonprofit that provides alcohol and drug addiction and mental health counseling.Claiborne EMS participated in several community events in 2022, including the coordination of a prom safety event at Claiborne High School, a safety day at Midway Elementary School, and a community resource fair and back-to-school event at Clairfield Elementary School. The hospital also hosted the local Boys and Girls Club Healthcare Careers Camp for a tour and discussion about healthcare careers.The Claiborne senior centers were closed for part of 2022, limiting the hospital's participation in local senior activities until the centers reopened. A Change Claiborne community resources fair and a senior health fair were held, with the hospital and wound center staff participating in both events. Claiborne EMS staff also provided hands-only CPR training at the senior health fair and other community events. The hospital continues to work with the Claiborne Family Justice Center, with a hospital employee serving on the Justice Center's Coordinated Community Response (CCR) team. Hospital staff worked with the Claiborne County Healthcare Foundation to raise funds, including coordinating the 22nd annual Golf for Great Healthcare tournament. Funds from the tournament will be used to purchase new fencing to ensure a safe environment for the Claiborne nursing home residents to enjoy the outdoors. Claiborne staff also participated in child-related activities, including having a hospital manager participate on the Pre-K Advisory Council for the Claiborne school system. Both the Chief Administrative Officer and the manager were members of the Wilderness Road Kiwanis, with the manager participating in reading events at Springdale Elementary School. The CAO and manager also helped other Kiwanis Club members deliver books to area nursing homes.COVENANT HEALTH Claiborne is a member of Covenant Health. Covenant Health is a comprehensive, community-owned health system dedicated to improving the health of the people it serves. Established in 1996 by the consolidation of Fort Sanders Health System, Knoxville, Tennessee, and MMC HealthCare System in Oak Ridge, Covenant Health is governed by a voluntary board of directors comprised of community leaders and medical professionals. With more than 11,000 employees, affiliated physicians and volunteers, Covenant Health is the Knoxville area's largest employer and has been named a Best Employer by Forbes. Covenant Health includes nine acute care hospitals in East Tennessee: Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville, Fort Loudoun Medical Center in Lenoir City, LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville, Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System in Morristown, Roane Medical Center in Harriman, Claiborne Medical Center in Tazewell and Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville. It also includes Peninsula, a division of Parkwest Medical Center, a behavioral health hospital in Blount County, Tennessee. The health system also includes Covenant Medical Group, which includes more than 200 physicians and advanced practice clinicians in office locations throughout East Tennessee.Affiliated organizations include Thompson Cancer Survival Center, Thompson Oncology Group, Fortress Corporation and Subsidiaries, Covenant HomeCare, and Fort Sanders Perinatal Center. Philanthropic organizations include Fort Sanders Foundation and the Thompson Cancer Survival Center Foundation in Knoxville, Methodist Medical Center Foundation in Oak Ridge, Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation in Sevierville, and Morristown-Hamblen Hospital Foundation in Morristown. Funds raised by the foundations provide services, equipment and other resources for excellence in patient care.Claiborne, as a member of the Covenant Health System, benefits from the collaboration among all affiliated organizations to promote quality improvement, patient safety and efficient delivery of care for the communities served.