Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health has shared plans to rebuild Erwin, Tenn.-based Unicoi County Hospital for $44 million after it closed in September 2024 due to flooding from Hurricane Helene.
The original hospital was deemed unsafe following months of emergency response, recovery work and structural assessments after the facility was overwhelmed by floodwaters, according to a Jan. 28 news release.
The new facility will be in Unicoi, Tenn., on land expected to be purchased in February. Construction is expected to kick off in spring 2026 and will take around two years to complete.
“Upon completion, Ballad Health will again have 19 acute care hospitals and one inpatient behavioral health hospital, which is the same total number of hospitals it operated before Hurricane Helene,” a spokesperson for the system told Becker’s.
Ballad Health plans to construct a similar hospital layout to its previous facility, which will comprise inpatient beds and comprehensive outpatient services from Ballad Health Medical Associates. It will also feature improved emergency services and patient access.
The existing Erwin-based urgent care facility will remain open during the new hospital’s construction.
“Rebuilding Unicoi County Hospital is about more than bricks and mortar; it’s about keeping care close to home for people who have been through so much,” Eric Deaton, COO of Ballad Health, said in the release. “We’re committed to transparency throughout this process and will share updates as design work continues and construction begins with an overall goal to bring back the essential services this community relied on for decades.”
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