Ballad Health highest-ranked employer in Tennessee, Virginia for diversity, according to annual Forbes list

Ballad Health is listed among the top 30 employers in the nation for diversity and inclusion, making it the highest-ranked employer based out of Tennessee or Virginia on Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity 2020 list. 
 
Out of 500 employers with at least 1,000 employees nationwide, Ballad Health ranked 29th on the annual Forbes listing, and it was fifth in the nation among employers classified in the “Healthcare and Social” industry.

“We’re so proud to be recognized among the best in the country for diversity and inclusion. This is just another example showing Ballad Health is a great place to work, and the Appalachian Highlands is a great place to live,” Ballad Health President and CEO Alan Levine said.

“At Ballad Health, we prioritize fostering an environment where inclusion is valued, and people respect one another as individuals. We appreciate our differences and our similarities, as they enable us to provide the best possible care to those we serve. Among our team members and out in our communities, we always want to promote diversity and inclusion as positive, energizing attributes that contribute to the good of the whole.”

Ballad Health currently offers a diversity and inclusion program that provides support for patients and team members, including translation assistance and educational teams.

Some of Ballad Health’s diversity and inclusion initiatives also include:

• A Diversity Concern program, where team members can submit concerns
• A program that develops translated documents for official use in healthcare
• An Executive Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Team that guides and advocates for awareness, education and possible solutions to diversity and inclusion challenges 
• Investments in remote video interpretation carts and in-person interpreters

To determine the list, Forbes, in partnership with market research firm Statista, surveyed 60,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees. The anonymous surveys asked respondents to rate their organization on criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation equality, as well as that of general diversity.

According to Forbes, the final list ranks the 500 employers that not only received the most recommendations, but boast the most diverse boards and executive ranks, as well as the most proactive diversity and inclusion initiatives.

In June, Forbes ranked Ballad Health’s Johnson City Medical Center the ninth Best Employer in Tennessee, according to its annual listing of best employers by state.