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Full Circle

Full Circle is a blog by Jim VanderSteeg, President and CEO of Covenant Health.  Read our CEO's thoughts about health care, leadership and other topics, as well as his updates about Covenant Health and our member organizations. Blog messages will be posted regularly, or you may subscribe to Full Circle by email - simply use the online subscription form on this web page. Thank you for visiting Full Circle!


The Call to Serve Others

During the past several weeks, our country has mourned the loss of George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States. Many prominent leaders have expressed their respect for former President Bush as they reflected on his more than 70 years of public service as a Naval aviator, ambassador to the United Nations, head of […]

A Season of Gratitude

As I think about last week’s Thanksgiving feast and celebration, I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed a fun and meaningful holiday with family and friends. I would like to share with you a few of the things that are at the top of my “gratitude list” this year: I am thankful for family […]

Count on Covenant Health

You may have seen recent announcements about the closing of Physicians Regional Medical Center in Knoxville and Lakeway Regional Hospital in Morristown, effective December 28, 2018. This is a significant transition that affects not only the patients of these facilities, but also their physicians and the hospitals’ employees.   Healthcare is indeed in transition in our […]

Making Mental Health a Priority in Our Region

In this edition of Full Circle, I’d like to focus on a service that is a very important part of Covenant Health and our communities: Peninsula, the behavioral health division of Parkwest Medical Center. Peninsula has long been an important provider of behavioral services in our area. Our inpatient and outpatient mental health resources have […]

Celebrating Our President’s Excellence Awards

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated a very special event at Covenant Health: our annual presentation of the President’s Excellence Awards. These awards recognize outstanding individual employees and team projects that have improved patient care and lowered operational costs. We focus on performance that demonstrates Covenant Health’s Pledge of Excellence: putting patients first, excellence […]

Covenant Health Celebrates Four Milestone Anniversaries

Anniversaries are a time of celebration and reflection, and in 2018 Covenant Health is celebrating four anniversaries, with another on the horizon. I’m pleased to tell you about these milestones: Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center is observing its 40th anniversary in 2018. The Center is named for the beloved Oscar-winning actress who grew up in Knoxville […]

A Glimpse into the Future – Preparing Tomorrow’s Healthcare Professionals

With the recent start of the school year, students are beginning new educational experiences – and for many in our region who are preparing for health-related careers, their education includes clinical training at Covenant Health.   In July, Covenant Health and Lincoln Memorial University welcomed 33 medical students to clinical rotations at Covenant Health hospitals. […]

Covenant Health Nationally Recognized by Forbes and US News & World Report

Just a few weeks ago I shared with you that Forbes magazine named Covenant Health to its 2018 list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity. Now, just a few weeks later, I am pleased to announce that our health system has received another Forbes designation for this year: we are ranked #44 in the magazine’s […]

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