Wellmont Health System
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
Honor those we serve by delivering the best possible care.Ballad Health is dedicated to improving the health of the 29-county Appalachian Highlands region.
- Income
- $933.2 million
- Spending
- $920.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 1.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 98%
- Employees
- 3,971
- Volunteers
- 292
- Highest pay
- $4.1 million, director/chair
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.2 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 38% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 7% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Independent board
5 of 250 of 4 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 June 30, 2025, 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)
- $784.5 million spent. Ballad Health (Ballad) is an integrated healthcare delivery system consisting of 20 hospitals in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, including a Level 1 Trauma Center, dedicated children's hospital, several community hospitals, four critical access hospitals, a behavioral health hospital, an addiction treatment facility, long-term care facilities, home care and hospice services, retail pharmacies, outpatient services and a comprehensive medical management corporation. Ballad works closely with an active independent medical community and community stakeholders to improve the health and well-being of over one million people in 29 counties of the Appalachian Highlands in Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Northwest North Carolina, and Southeast Kentucky. Ballad is a Tennessee non-profit corporation and is the main provider of healthcare services in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Ballad Health is a tax-exempt entity and the parent corporation of both Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA) and Wellmont Health System (WHS). On February 1, 2018, Ballad was formed through a merger of two legacy systems, Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System. Ballad was formed under state-action immunity in compliance with federal antitrust law, to create a healthier region and keep healthcare local. The action approving the merger was officially taken through the agreements made between Ballad and the State of Tennessee in the Certificate of Public Advantage (the "COPA") and the Letter Authorizing the Cooperative Agreement (the "CA") in Virginia. Pursuant to the COPA and CA, Ballad must fulfill certain obligations, commitments, and covenants. Tennessee and Virginia, through their respective health departments, supervise specific aspects of Ballad's operations under certain conditions of the COPA and the CA. The COPA and amendments are publicly available on the website of the Tennessee Department of Health, at https://www.tn.gov/health/copa.html. The Cooperative Agreement is available on the website of the Virginia Department of Health, at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/licensure-and- certification/cooperative-agreement/. Form 990 for Wellmont Health System (WHS) includes five wholly owned hospitals, including two tertiary hospitals, while three wholly owned hospitals file separate returns. In addition to the acute care hospitals, WHS wholly owns or has ownership interest in a nursing home, an assisted living facility, physician practice organizations, ambulatory surgery centers and other health care businesses. Specific to the hospitals included in this Form 990, services were provided to: 33,192 inpatients 502,767 outpatient visits 125,753 emergency visits 1,877 deliveries 22,281 surgeries SULLIVAN COUNTY, TN: BRISTOL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER (BRMC) - 348-bed tertiary hospital located in Bristol, Tennessee has served the community since 1925. - Provides cardiac and neurological care, diabetes treatment, emergency and trauma (Level III) care, inpatient and outpatient hospice care, oncology, occupational health, outpatient, psychiatric, rehabilitation, surgical and women's health services. - Centers of Excellence include the Ballad CVA Heart Institute, J.D. and Lorraine Nicewonder Cancer Center, Deborah H. Quillen Birthing Center, Primary Stroke Center, and the Leonard Family Comprehensive Breast Center. - The J.D. Nicewonder Family Pediatric Emergency Department is part of a regional system of care for children, including pediatric surgery, trauma and Level III NICU services at Niswonger Children's Hospital in Johnson City. - U.S. News recognized BRMC in 2025 for excellence in cardiac, pulmonary and surgical care. - Earned the Platinum Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology for excellence in heart attack care. SULLIVAN COUNTY, TN: HOLSTON VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER (HVMC) - 505-bed tertiary hospital located in Kingsport, Tennessee has served the community since 1935. - Provides diagnostic imaging, surgical, neuroscience, rehabilitation, women's health, outpatient services, emergency and trauma (Level III) care. - Centers of Excellence include the Ballad CVA Heart Institute, the Christine LaGuardia Phillips Cancer Center, Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center, Advanced Primary Stroke Center, and Every Step joint replacement center. - Named by U.S. News' annual "Best Hospital" study as the ninth-ranked hospital in the State of Tennessee and "high-performing distinction for knee replacement procedures, heart attack care and treatment, heart failure and treatment, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, care of stroke patients, pulmonary disease care and inpatient care for kidney failure patients. - Healthgrades named Holston Valley Medical Center one of America's 50 Best Hospitals for Vascular Surgery for the sixth consecutive year and ranked it first in Tennessee for vascular surgery. - Earned the Platinum Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology for excellence in heart attack care. HANCOCK COUNTY, TN: HANCOCK COUNTY HOSPITAL (HCH) - 10-bed federally designated critical access hospital located in Sneedville, Tennessee opened in 2005 through a partnership with the Hancock County Commission. - Provides inpatient and outpatient acute care, emergency care, radiology, laboratory, respiratory therapy and physical therapy services. WISE COUNTY, VA: LONESOME PINE HOSPITAL (LPH) - 60-bed community hospital located in Big Stone Gap, Virginia has served the community since 1973. - Provides emergency care, medical, and oncology services. - Southwest Virginia Cancer Center in Norton, Virginia and Ballad Cancer Institute in Bristol, Virginia serve medical and radiation oncology patients as part of LPH operations.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
Not 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1996.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.