Updated Public Notice – Temporary service modifications at Franklin Woods Community Hospital

Franklin Woods Community Hospital is currently experiencing a failure of its boiler system, which has impacted several critical areas of the hospital.

Despite having redundant system safeguards, the system has experienced a highly unusual failure. This situation is contained to Franklin Woods Community Hospital. No other facilities within Ballad Health are impacted. System engineers and staff are actively working with third-party engineering teams and vendors to provide an alternative system until permanent system replacements can be done.

What this means for patients:

• Labor and delivery: If you are in labor or have an upcoming delivery planned, please contact your OB/GYN before coming to the hospital. All deliveries will be redirected to Indian Path Community Hospital in Kingsport, Tennessee. Obstetric physicians are credentialed at both locations, and emergency deliveries will be handled using the same protocols to ensure safe transfer to Johnson City Medical Center and Niswonger Children’s Hospital, if needed.
• Inpatient care: Due to the expected cold temperatures tonight, all remaining inpatients are being transferred to sister facilities within Ballad Health for their safety and comfort. All inpatients are expected to be transferred before midnight tonight, April 15. No new inpatient admissions will be accepted until the issue is resolved.
• Emergency department: The ER remains open, with auxiliary heating units now in place. Patients requiring inpatient care will be stabilized and transferred to the appropriate facility.
• Surgical services: Elective surgeries at Franklin Woods Community Hospital remain postponed. Impacted patients will be contacted directly by our team.

Families of affected patients will be contacted directly, and we will provide another public update within 24 hours.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to restore full operations as quickly as possible. Additional information will be shared as the situation develops.