MARYVILLE, Tenn. — More changes are coming to Blount Memorial Hospital after it announced it was joining South Carolina-based Prisma Health a few weeks back.
Although the merger won't be complete until later this year both patients and employees are benefiting from the partnership, said Jonathan Smith, Blount Memorial Hospital's interim CEO.
"I think a partnership allows Blount Memorial to have depth for the first time, and I think what we're going to be able to do with Prisma, is they're going to be able to help us grow," Smith said. "And I think it's very important for the patients and the citizens of Blount County to know that the services we offer today are only going to expand as we move forward with this partnership with Prisma."
There's a chance Blount Memorial Hospital's name will be tweaked once the partnership is complete. The hospital system said it is looking for new doctors and facilities to add on to what it has now.
"We're actually actively recruiting new physicians right now and are in talks, and looking at different locations," Smith said. "As we've talked before, we have grown, and our emergency room is growing. And our physician visits are growing, and we're looking for space, and they're helping us do that right now."
Prisma Health operates with a state-of-the-art computer system, and Smith said Blount Memorial Hospital is going to benefit from having access to that technology. He also said patients should not expect any interruptions to care.
"We've got a great team here and we don't make the progress that we've made without a great team," he said. "And I think the addition of Prisma Health takes us the next step forward. Yesterday, we got to announce that we're now a four-star hospital, and we're very excited and very pleased with that. And I believe Prisma will actually help give us the expertise and the depth to be able to take all those things to the next level."
Previously Blount Memorial Hospital was rated as a three-star hospital. The ratings are given to healthcare facilities by Medicare.
The news comes after Blount Memorial and Blount County leaders resolved a nearly two-year dispute over control of the hospital’s future. The two were at odds with each other over who had control under the longstanding charter agreement to make certain large decisions, including a push to put the hospital under the new leadership and disagreements over the sale of a property in Alcoa.
The county and the hospital eventually agreed to settle those disputes earlier this year.
Operating figures from the past six months show growth across the board for the hospital. Some figures are available below.
- December 2023 - $208,000
- January 2024 - $405,000
- February 2024 - $945,000
- March 2024 - $110,000
- April 2024 - $1,041,000
- May 2024 - $680,000
Blount Memorial Hospital will be Prisma Health's first venture outside South Carolina.
“Being invited to transform health care in East Tennessee just like we are doing in South Carolina is an exciting new chapter for Prisma Health,” said Mark O’Halla in a release, the Prisma Health CEO. “Health care is shifting to a multi-region model and the number of systems operating in multiple states is rapidly increasing. Expanding to desirable nearby markets with respected regional hospitals like Blount Memorial strengthens our scale, capabilities, relevance, resources, and attractiveness to top talent and industry partners – all attributes of leading health care organizations.”