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Lincoln Health outlines nurse apprenticeship, screening program and nursing‑home upgrades; EMS leadership honored
Summary
Lincoln Health reported plans for a nurse apprenticeship pilot with TCAT, continued mobile clinics and screenings, renovations at Donaldson long‑term care and EMS updates, and the commission honored longtime EMS director Richard Wright.
Lincoln Health presented a semiannual report to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on July 15 outlining workforce initiatives, community screening events, renovations at the county long‑term care facility and emergency medical services updates.
Marybeth Seals, president of Lincoln Health, told the commission the health system will pilot a nurse apprenticeship program in partnership with TCAT that will start with two students and provide one‑on‑one mentorship with an RN or LPN. "This also will help secure RNs and LPNs in the future for us at the hospital," Seals said.
Seals reviewed community outreach and preventive services: Lincoln Health will return to the county's annual Day of Hope with a mobile medical unit offering free care and prescriptions, and it operates a monthly low‑cost screening program. She said the cardiac scoring test was the program's most popular screening to date and listed upcoming screenings: an A1C screening (free), mammograms for $100 and a low‑dose lung scan for $75; Seals said the cardiac screening had cost $75.
Seals also described work at Donaldson, the county long‑term care facility Lincoln Health manages. She said Donaldson had 168 beds pre‑COVID but currently houses about 92 residents; the hospital's goal is to maintain about 100 residents. Seals said the facility is undergoing targeted remodeling — new sheetrock, HVAC work and other maintenance on multiple halls — rather than a full renovation.
On emergency medical services, Seals said Lincoln Health has put new vehicles into service with a green Huntsville Hospital color scheme and added the capability to carry blood on ambulances. The commission read a proclamation recognizing Richard Wright for roughly 50 years of service; Wright thanked colleagues and said he was leaving the service in the hands of his assistant, Kevin Stripe.
Mayor Bill Newman highlighted the county's EMS funding model in remarks after the health report, saying Lincoln County does not supplement its ambulance service from property taxes, unlike other counties in Tennessee. "There is not another county in Tennessee that doesn't have to supplement their ambulance service. None. This is the only one in Tennessee," Newman said. The statement was made during the commission meeting; the mayor credited long‑standing local leadership and the ambulance team's management for the outcome.
Seals closed by noting Lincoln Health's continuing work to recruit physicians and prepare for retirements; she said the system has secured one physician expected to return and be able to practice in the county in 2027 and is engaging others who would be ready by 2029.
Why it matters: the nurse apprenticeship pilot aims to expand the local health workforce pipeline, the Donaldson renovations and EMS upgrades affect care capacity and quality for older residents and emergency patients, and recruitment plans speak to the county's longer‑term access to primary and acute care.
What’s next: Lincoln Health said it will market the nurse apprenticeship program as the school year resumes, continue monthly screening offerings and proceed with phased Donaldson repairs and EMS fleet deployment.
