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Wlaf1450Economically the hospital makes a huge impact as one of the largest employers in the community
By Charlotte Underwood
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- The Joint Economic Community Development Board (JECDB) heard a brief presentation from Sara Lloyd with Tennova LaFollette Medical Center at Thursday’s meeting. Lloyd is Chief Operating Officer for Tennova Healthcare- La Follette.
She spoke on the economic impact of the hospital on the community and the “overall quality the hospital makes its number one priority.”
“We found if we have great quality care everything else is going to fall in line,” Lloyd said.
She “went back 4 years” and went over some of the awards the hospital has received over the past several years.
These included THA Zero Harm Award for zero surgical or device related infections for greater than 12 months. The hospital was noted in Beckers (a national publication) for “No Hospital Acquired Central Line infections, catheter related infections, or MRSA blood stream infections” and also received the “Top Performer Award for Employee and Physician Engagement in CHS.”
Economically the hospital makes a huge impact as one of the largest employers in the community.
“Our payroll in 2025 was $29 million, that’s a 34 percent increase since 2022. Over the last four years, that’s an overall sum of $100 million in payroll,” Lloyd said.
In the past four years, the hospital has paid over $19.5 million in taxes, “which is then used to support local infrastructure and civic resources.”
“We have invested $70 million in charity and uncompensated care since 2022,” Lloyd said.
She pointed out that people will relocate here because the community has a hospital.
“Other counties around us don’t have hospitals and the community we serve actually include Claiborne and Anderson County. Most people are unaware that we have four rural health clinics, LaFollette, South, Caryville and Clinton, a wound healing center that offers Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Clinton and Radiation Oncology offered at the Irene & Howard Baker Cancer Treatment Center in Harrogate, we have people that use that clinic from not just Tennessee, but Kentucky and Virgina as well,” Lloyd said.
She also went over patient encounters, saying that over the past four years, patient encounters had increased by almost 20,000 additional encounters since 2022. In 2025, the hospital completed 92,000 encounters.
“We always talk to our staff about our commitment to our community,” Lloyd said.
Since 2022 Tennova has invested $12.7 million into the facility in capital equipment and infrastructure.
She spoke on the services the hospital has added including orthopedics, which was added in 2024 when the medical clinic recruited Dr. Michael O’ Brien and established an orthopedic program. The hospital provides full-time cardiology services performed by Dr. James Gubitosa, and wound care services by Michaela Smith Clawson.
She also shared that there are big plans for 2026 including a 3D mammography Unit and that several other physicians will be joining the staff as well as general and GI services, outpatient psych services, and inpatient and outpatient medicine.
“We love being a part of our community and provide quality safe care; we want to be here for the long haul,” Lloyd said.
The hospital also heads up two local drives, Socktober in October, which is a sock drive, and Jars of Love, which is a peanut butter drive. Last year, the hospital donated 3,472 pairs of socks to the Campbell County School District and 2,667 jars of peanut butter were donated to the food pantry.
“We care about our community, and we want to show it.” Lloyd concluded. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-05/15/2026-6AM)