Key Takeaways
John and Ann Tickle committed $25 million to Ballad Health Foundation on July 17, the largest single philanthropic gift in the health system's history.
Ballad Health runs 20 hospitals serving close to one million people across 29 counties of the Appalachian Highlands in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky.
The Tickles framed the gift as gratitude to Bristol and to employees of Strongwell, the composites manufacturer John Tickle has led since 1972.
Ballad Health announced on July 17 that Bristol philanthropists John and Ann Tickle have committed $25 million to the future of local healthcare, the largest single philanthropic gift the system has ever received. The money flows through Ballad Health Foundation and will fund priorities that strengthen care delivery and health outcomes in Bristol, a city that straddles the Tennessee and Virginia line.
"Bristol has given so much to our family," the Tickles said in a joint statement, calling access to local healthcare essential to any community's vitality. John Tickle is chairman of Strongwell Corporation, a Bristol-based manufacturer that became a global leader in fiberglass composites under his leadership since 1972. Ann Tickle is an educator and longtime advocate for education, children and women in the region. The couple designed the gift partly as a thank-you to Strongwell teammates past and present, and Ballad says the specific initiatives it funds will be worked out jointly with the donors.
The scale matters because of who Ballad serves. The system operates 20 hospitals across 29 Appalachian counties in northeast Tennessee, southwest Virginia, northwest North Carolina and southeast Kentucky, close to one million people in a region where rural hospitals have been closing for a decade. CEO Alan Levine said the gift will support care for Bristol patients and new approaches to community health. It also caps a remarkable week for American giving, landing a day after WyoGives set a $6.46 million record for Wyoming nonprofits and weeks after Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr erased $550 million in California medical debt. The pattern here is hard to ignore.
People Also Ask
Who are John and Ann Tickle?
John Tickle is chairman of Strongwell Corporation, a Bristol, Virginia manufacturer of fiberglass and composite materials he has led since 1972. Ann Tickle is an educator and community advocate focused on education, children and women in the Bristol region.
What will the $25 million gift to Ballad Health fund?
Ballad Health and the Tickles will jointly identify priorities that strengthen care delivery and improve health outcomes in Bristol. Specific initiatives will be announced as planning continues.
How big is Ballad Health?
Ballad Health operates 20 hospitals plus post-acute, behavioral health and physician services across 29 counties of the Appalachian Highlands, serving close to one million people in four states.
Why does the gift honor Strongwell employees?
The Tickles said the gift expresses gratitude to Strongwell teammates past and present, whose work built the company, and they want it to benefit those employees, their families and the wider Bristol community.