Claiborne Medical Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Claiborne Medical Center provides quality healthcare, in alignment with Covenant Health's mission to serve the community by improving the quality of life through better health, regardless of a patient's ability to pay.
- Income
- $37.0 million
- Spending
- $38.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 0.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 98%
- Employees
- 464
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $3.2 million, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 52 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (health care, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.7 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 50% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (health care, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 20 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $35.9 million spent. 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 23.1 percent of the population is below the poverty line. Claiborne became part of Covenant Health in 2014. Claiborne is also one of the largest employers in Claiborne County, with over 300 employees. Located near the state lines of Kentucky and Virginia, Claiborne serves citizens in Bell County, KY; Lee County, VA; and Claiborne and surrounding counties in East Tennessee.SERVICEClaiborne maintains an ambulance service, which enhances area residents' ability to access health care. Claiborne EMS is the primary 911 service for Claiborne County, and a helicopter pad located next to the hospital makes air medical transport services available when needed. 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 independently without assistance. Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center is currently rated a 4-star facility by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In 2024 the Center was recognized by both Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report as a "Best Nursing Home."In 2024, the hospital provided care for 35,744 patients. Of these, 34,680 were outpatients and 1,064 were inpatients with an average length-of-stay of 3.49 days.PUTTING PATIENTS FIRSTCurrently licensed for 85 beds, the hospital is best known for its surgical services, cardiac rehabilitation, lymphedema program, nursing home, and emergency medical services. Claiborne is certified by The Joint Commission as an Acute Stroke-Ready hospital and is a member of Covenant Health's stroke hospital network, providing rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke. 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. Claiborne received both a new CT scanner and new MRI equipment in 2024.Claiborne was recognized in the spring and fall of 2024 with an "A" grade from The Leapfrog Group for patient safety and quality. The hospital was also recognized with the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines-Rural Stroke Bronze quality achievement award. The medical center also was recognized by Becker's Healthcare Review in 2024 for Top Hospitals in Nurse Communication, Doctor Communication, and Cleanliness. Recently Claiborne received three Zero Harm awards from the Tennessee Hospital Association for outstanding achievements in patient safety. The awards celebrate hospitals that reached zero healthcare-associated infections in certain areas over the calendar year.IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH BETTER HEALTH Claiborne completed a Community Health Needs Assessment in 2023 and identified four areas as health priorities 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 hospital staff are working on the obesity and diabetes teams. In 2024 these teams partnered with other members of the Claiborne County Health Council to provide community health education. One of the hospital's managers served 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 2024, including safety days at Midway and Forge Ridge Elementary Schools, training with the North Claiborne County Fire Department, and providing hands-only CPR education at several local events. Hospital staff also provided stroke education and emergency poison control education at the Claiborne County Fair in August 2024.Claiborne partnered with local high schools and colleges to provide expanded opportunities for students interested in pursuing healthcare careers. The hospital partnered with Cumberland Gap High School to encourage healthcare careers by offering hospital tours, job shadowing, and career day presentations. Claiborne also serves as a rotation site for nursing students from Walters State Community College and Lincoln Memorial University, as well as medical students from the LMU DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine who are doing rural hospital rotations.Claiborne also focuses on community education, with hospital staff visiting and presenting information to senior adults on a variety of topics, including breast cancer awareness. A senior health fair was held in May 2024, with Claiborne staff providing screenings and stroke education at the event. Hospital staff participated in community resource fairs and back-to-school events at Clairfield Elementary School and the Tazewell Municipal Park. In October 2024, the hospital partnered with the Claiborne County Health Department and hosted a breast cancer survivor's luncheon, providing education and support to local breast cancer survivors and those currently battling the disease. The hospital continues to work with the Claiborne Family Justice Center, and a hospital employee serves on the Justice Center's Coordinated Community Response (CCR) team. Claiborne also hosted Healthcare and Emergency Services Day for the Leadership Claiborne community leadership program.Hospital staff worked with the Claiborne County Healthcare Foundation to raise funds, including coordinating the 24th annual Golf for Great Healthcare tournament. Funds from the tournament were u
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.