KNOXVILLE, TN (December 8, 2020) -Construction plans are set to begin in December, weather permitting, on the Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine. The 64-bed center is a result of a partnership among National HealthCare Corporation (NHC), Tennova Healthcare, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, and Reliant Healthcare Corporation.
“We are proud to partner with the region’s leading healthcare providers to serve a critical need for the community,” said Steve Flatt, chief executive officer of NHC. “This partnership exemplifies the power of healthcare organizations working together to improve the quality of life for our patients.”
The center will provide a comprehensive continuum of care for adults and geriatric patients with psychiatric, emotional, and addictive disorders. Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs will be offered with individualized treatment plans based on clinical need.
The 55,000-square-foot facility will be located at the Tennova Health Park near the corner of Middlebrook Pike and Old Weisgarber Road on a 9-acre site. The center will provide more than 100 jobs for Knox County. It is projected to open in the second quarter of 2022.
“The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine will provide compassionate, quality patient care through this collaborative partnership,” said Tony Benton, president and chief executive officer of Tennova Healthcare’s East Tennessee Market. “We are pleased to provide the same quality standards as found in each organization’s existing operations.”
“There is a critical need to provide high quality care to adults and seniors who may be experiencing psychological or emotional difficulties in our 16-county region,” said Joe Landsman, president and chief executive officer of The University of Tennessee Medical Center. “The collaborative effort between these reputable healthcare organizations will bring experienced care to the community and address the need and access issues we see on a regular basis.”
“Now more than ever, we need to provide accessible, high quality care for behavioral health patients,” said Jim Harper, president of Reliant Healthcare Corporation. “The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine will offer help and hope to patients in a safe and supportive environment.”
To view a message from the center partners, click here.
For more information, visit knoxvillebehavioralmedicine.com.
About National Healthcare Corporation
NHC affiliates operate for themselves and third parties 76 skilled nursing facilities with 9,633 beds. NHC affiliates also operate 24 assisted living communities, five independent living communities, one behavioral health hospital, and 35 homecare programs. NHC’s other services include Alzheimer’s and memory care units, hospice services, pharmacy services, a rehabilitation services company, and providing management and accounting services to third party post-acute operators. For more information, visit www.nhccare.com.
About Tennova Healthcare
The Tennova Healthcare network of hospitals in East Tennessee includes Jefferson Memorial Hospital, LaFollette Medical Center, Newport Medical Center, North Knoxville Medical Center and Turkey Creek Medical Center with nearly 16,000 admissions, 410,000 outpatient visits and 125,000 emergency department visits each year. Learn more at www.Tennova.com.
About The University of Tennessee Medical Center
The mission of The University of Tennessee Medical Center, a Magnet® recognized hospital also certified by The Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and Comprehensive Cardiac Center, is to serve through healing, education and discovery. UT Medical Center is a 685-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, with a regional network of primary care and specialty care physicians and practices as well as outpatient regional health centers and urgent care locations throughout its 21-county primary service area. The medical center, the region’s ACS-verified Level I Trauma Center and state designated regional perinatal referral center with a Level III private room NICU, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. UT Medical Center features seven Centers of Excellence, including the Brain & Spine Institute, Cancer Institute, Emergency & Trauma Center, Heart Lung Vascular Institute, Advanced Orthopaedic Center, Primary Care Collaborative and Center for Women & Infants. Visit UTMedicalCenter.org for more information about The University of Tennessee Medical Center.
About Reliant Healthcare Corporation
Reliant Healthcare (“RHC”) is a behavioral healthcare management firm. RHC has been in operation for 17 years partnering with strategically located hospitals and nursing home providers across the country to help design, build, and operate behavioral health hospitals. The mission of RHC is to develop and operate “state of the science” behavioral treatment facilities. RHC has developed inpatient facilities as small as 14 beds and as large as 114 beds. For more information, visit www.relianthc.com.
Tax Information 2020
2020 Tax Information
Dr. Bert Smith: What You Need to Know About the Vaccine
State Approves Certificate of Need for Geriatric Psychiatric Hospital in Dickson
State Approves Certificate of Need for Geriatric Psychiatric Hospital in Dickson
Dickson, Tenn. (December 17, 2020)-The Tennessee Health Service and Development Agency has approved a Certificate of Need for a 16-bed geriatric psychiatric hospital in Dickson. The hospital, Natchez Center for Behavioral Medicine, LLC, is a result of a partnership among National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC) and Reliant Healthcare Corporation.
“We are thrilled with the agency’s recognition of the need to provide high quality care to seniors who may be experiencing psychological or emotional difficulties in Dickson and the surrounding six counties,” said Steve Flatt, chief executive officer of NHC. “We appreciate the overwhelming support from the community and healthcare leaders who submitted letters of support to help bring these important services to seniors in our community.”
This project will be a part of a senior continuum of care complex built on the campus of the TriStar Natchez freestanding emergency room on Turkey Creek Road. The hospital will be located adjacent to a proposed 74,000-square-foot 84-unit assisted living and memory care facility.
The 14,200-square-foot hospital will provide more than 25 jobs for Dickson County. The $5.7 million project is set to begin construction in 2022.
“Treating cognitive disorders is a critical part of the continuum of care we are providing for the senior community,” said Jim Harper, president of Reliant Healthcare Corporation. “The senior continuum of care complex will provide multidisciplinary geriatric care, and the hospital will add to much-needed services on the future campus.”
About National Healthcare Corporation
NHC affiliates operate for themselves and third parties 75 skilled nursing facilities with 9,433 beds. NHC affiliates also operate 24 assisted living communities, five independent living communities, one behavioral health hospital, and 35 homecare programs. NHC’s other services include Alzheimer’s and memory care units, hospice services, pharmacy services, a rehabilitation services company, and providing management and accounting services to third party post-acute operators. For more information, visit www.nhccare.com.
About Reliant Healthcare Corporation
Reliant Healthcare (“RHC”) is a behavioral healthcare management firm. RHC has been in operation for 17 years partnering with strategically located hospitals and nursing home providers across the country to help design, build, and operate behavioral health hospitals. The mission of RHC is to develop and operate “state of the science” behavioral treatment facilities. RHC has developed inpatient facilities as small as 14 beds and as large as 114 beds. For more information, visit www.relianthc.com.
Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine Set to Break Ground
KNOXVILLE, TN (December 8, 2020) -Construction plans are set to begin in December, weather permitting, on the Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine. The 64-bed center is a result of a partnership among National HealthCare Corporation (NHC), Tennova Healthcare, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, and Reliant Healthcare Corporation.
“We are proud to partner with the region’s leading healthcare providers to serve a critical need for the community,” said Steve Flatt, chief executive officer of NHC. “This partnership exemplifies the power of healthcare organizations working together to improve the quality of life for our patients.”
The center will provide a comprehensive continuum of care for adults and geriatric patients with psychiatric, emotional, and addictive disorders. Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs will be offered with individualized treatment plans based on clinical need.
The 55,000-square-foot facility will be located at the Tennova Health Park near the corner of Middlebrook Pike and Old Weisgarber Road on a 9-acre site. The center will provide more than 100 jobs for Knox County. It is projected to open in the second quarter of 2022.
“The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine will provide compassionate, quality patient care through this collaborative partnership,” said Tony Benton, president and chief executive officer of Tennova Healthcare’s East Tennessee Market. “We are pleased to provide the same quality standards as found in each organization’s existing operations.”
“There is a critical need to provide high quality care to adults and seniors who may be experiencing psychological or emotional difficulties in our 16-county region,” said Joe Landsman, president and chief executive officer of The University of Tennessee Medical Center. “The collaborative effort between these reputable healthcare organizations will bring experienced care to the community and address the need and access issues we see on a regular basis.”
“Now more than ever, we need to provide accessible, high quality care for behavioral health patients,” said Jim Harper, president of Reliant Healthcare Corporation. “The Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine will offer help and hope to patients in a safe and supportive environment.”
To view a message from the center partners, click here.
For more information, visit knoxvillebehavioralmedicine.com.
About National Healthcare Corporation
NHC affiliates operate for themselves and third parties 76 skilled nursing facilities with 9,633 beds. NHC affiliates also operate 24 assisted living communities, five independent living communities, one behavioral health hospital, and 35 homecare programs. NHC’s other services include Alzheimer’s and memory care units, hospice services, pharmacy services, a rehabilitation services company, and providing management and accounting services to third party post-acute operators. For more information, visit www.nhccare.com.
About Tennova Healthcare
The Tennova Healthcare network of hospitals in East Tennessee includes Jefferson Memorial Hospital, LaFollette Medical Center, Newport Medical Center, North Knoxville Medical Center and Turkey Creek Medical Center with nearly 16,000 admissions, 410,000 outpatient visits and 125,000 emergency department visits each year. Learn more at www.Tennova.com.
About The University of Tennessee Medical Center
The mission of The University of Tennessee Medical Center, a Magnet® recognized hospital also certified by The Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and Comprehensive Cardiac Center, is to serve through healing, education and discovery. UT Medical Center is a 685-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, with a regional network of primary care and specialty care physicians and practices as well as outpatient regional health centers and urgent care locations throughout its 21-county primary service area. The medical center, the region’s ACS-verified Level I Trauma Center and state designated regional perinatal referral center with a Level III private room NICU, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. UT Medical Center features seven Centers of Excellence, including the Brain & Spine Institute, Cancer Institute, Emergency & Trauma Center, Heart Lung Vascular Institute, Advanced Orthopaedic Center, Primary Care Collaborative and Center for Women & Infants. Visit UTMedicalCenter.org for more information about The University of Tennessee Medical Center.
About Reliant Healthcare Corporation
Reliant Healthcare (“RHC”) is a behavioral healthcare management firm. RHC has been in operation for 17 years partnering with strategically located hospitals and nursing home providers across the country to help design, build, and operate behavioral health hospitals. The mission of RHC is to develop and operate “state of the science” behavioral treatment facilities. RHC has developed inpatient facilities as small as 14 beds and as large as 114 beds. For more information, visit www.relianthc.com.
COVID-19 Vaccine Update
We are very thankful to offer our patients, residents, and NHC Partners the COVID-19 vaccine at all our locations with some clinics starting this week.
NHC has selected Walgreens as our partner to administer the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines during the scheduled onsite clinics at our locations. The Walgreens team members will be tested and complete the required health screening prior to entering our centers and communities. They will follow proper infection prevention protocols and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
Every patient, resident, and NHC partner will have the choice to receive the vaccine. If your loved one would like to receive the vaccine, please make sure the primary contact or the patient has completed the Walgreens consent form.
Thank you to all the families and NHC team members who have prepared for these onsite clinics over the past few weeks. We embrace the opportunity to help protect our seniors with this vaccine and take one step closer to bringing our families and their loved ones together.
Dr. Bert Smith, NHC Medical Consultant, provides some great information on the COVID- 19 vaccine on our Day by Day podcast. To learn more, click here.
Is the vaccine safe and effective?
The vaccine has gone through 3 phases regarding safety and effectiveness. These involved thousands of patients in the trials. To date, the vaccine has proven very effective up to 95% with only mild side effects and no serious adverse reactions.
What are the side effects?
The most common side effects are soreness with possible redness and swelling at the site of injection. Other potential side effects include headache, muscle aches and general “flu like” symptoms which may persist for 24 hours or a few days. Persons may also experience fever, but any high fever should be reported for evaluation.
Should everyone take the vaccine?
Yes, everyone should take the vaccine. Currently, there are no restrictions or contraindications from any other healthcare condition regarding use of the vaccine.
Is a one-time vaccine effective?
Should the vaccine be administered even if the person has contracted COVID-19 as an infection?
Yes, it is unknown whether long-term immunity will be present with COVID-19 infection and the vaccine should be administered even with history of infection.
Is personal protective equipment [PPE] still necessary after receiving the vaccine?
Yes, until further notification from the Center of Disease Control or state health officials, PPE including mask, gloves and gowns will be utilized.
In summary, the COVID-19 vaccine is the best opportunity to stop the pandemic of the serious life-threatening infection. Not only should we do it for our own health and safety, but to prevent infection in the most vulnerable population which we care for daily.
The CDC has created the below resources regarding the COVID-19 vaccine:
·COVID-19 Vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
·Benefits of getting a COVID-19 Vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html
·Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html
Published December 23, 2020
COVID-19 Vaccine Update
By now you have probably learned that COVID-19 vaccines will soon be approved and ready for distribution to the healthcare workers and residents in long term care. We have long awaited this exciting news.
We understand that some of you may be concerned about the safety of these new vaccines, as they have been developed and tested far more quickly than those in the past. We want to assure you that the speed with which these vaccines were developed is not due to skipping important safety steps, but rather the result of focused, collaborative work performed by experts across the globe. Vaccines approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have undergone the same level of rigorous testing for safety and efficacy as other vaccines, and have been tested in tens of thousands of people, including older adults. Two independent advisory committees of experts from academic institutions also monitor vaccines to ensure their safety.
Most of the COVID-19 vaccines require two separate doses given about three or four weeks apart, depending on the vaccine. Participants of clinical trials have reported experiencing short-term side effects after being vaccinated, with more pronounced discomfort after the second dose. These possible side effects include headache, muscle pains, fatigue, chills, fever and pain at the injection site. Sometimes there is misunderstanding about the cause of these reactions, as you may have heard someone say a vaccine has “made them sick” or given them the disease that the vaccine was intended to prevent. We want to be clear that this is not the case. The COVID-19 vaccine cannot give you a COVID-19 infection. The vaccine works by helping the body create antibodies to fight off the virus. Feeling discomfort after getting the vaccine means that the vaccine is doing its job and your body is making antibodies.
We, along with thousands of other long term care facilities, are participating in a program with the Centers for Disease Control to help us most efficiently distribute these vaccines to our residents free of charge once they are available. We will keep you informed of this process as we move forward. Our staff will also have the opportunity to get vaccinated through this program, if they have not been vaccinated previously.
Please know that the safety and wellbeing of our staff and residents have been and remain our top priority. We are confident that the worldwide, unprecedented scientific achievement of these COVID-19 vaccines will eventually enable to us enjoy life with our loved ones again. We look forward to doing our part in this effort by getting the COVID-19 vaccine, and hope you will join us.
Is the vaccine safe and effective?
The vaccine has gone through 3 phases regarding safety and effectiveness. These involved thousands of patients in the trials. To date, the vaccine has proven very effective up to 95% with only mild side effects and no serious adverse reactions.
What are the side effects?
The most common side effects are soreness with possible redness and swelling at the site of injection. Other potential side effects include headache, muscle aches and general “flu like” symptoms which may persist for 24 hours or a few days. Persons may also experience fever, but any high fever should be reported for evaluation.
Should everyone take the vaccine?
Yes, everyone should take the vaccine. Currently, there are no restrictions or contraindications from any other healthcare condition regarding use of the vaccine.
Is a one-time vaccine effective?
Should the vaccine be administered even if the person has contracted COVID-19 as an infection?
Yes, it is unknown whether long-term immunity will be present with COVID-19 infection and the vaccine should be administered even with history of infection.
Is personal protective equipment [PPE] still necessary after receiving the vaccine?
Yes, until further notification from the Center of Disease Control or state health officials, PPE including mask, gloves and gowns will be utilized.
In summary, the COVID-19 vaccine is the best opportunity to stop the pandemic of the serious life-threatening infection. Not only should we do it for our own health and safety, but to prevent infection in the most vulnerable population which we care for daily.
The CDC has created the below resources regarding the COVID-19 vaccine:
·COVID-19 Vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
·Benefits of getting a COVID-19 Vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html
·Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html
Older adults living in long-term care centers remain high on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 vaccination priority list, along with healthcare workers, essential workers, and adults with certain high-risk medical conditions.
Early phases of vaccine distribution will focus on healthcare workers including our staff, with our patients to follow. To facilitate efficient distribution, the CDC is partnering with CVS and Walgreens to deliver and administer the first phase of vaccines to long-term care patients free of charge. These partner pharmacies can ensure cold storage of the vaccine and meet all the documentation and reporting requirements. This program focuses on skilled nursing centers, assisted living facilities, and similar congregate living settings where most individuals are over 65 years of age.
At NHC, we have taken proactive measures to help ensure our patients and partners are protected by choosing to partner with Walgreens to deliver and administer our vaccines. The Walgreens healthcare providers will complete our required health screening prior to entering the center and use our infection prevention protocols including appropriate personal protective equipment. As we receive additional information regarding the COVID-19 vaccination, we will be sharing this information with our families and our patients. We expect distribution of the vaccine to move quickly once resources are mobilized. Then, we will provide information to gather each patient’s consent if the vaccine is selected by the patient.
Published December 7, 2020
Updated December 14, 2020
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