A tan building with a blue canopy that reads Claiborne Medical Center Covenant Health, surrounded by neatly trimmed bushes and flowers under a clear blue sky.

Celebrating a Year of Excellence

Thank you to our incredible team members and physicians for helping Claiborne Medical Center earn numerous honors in 2025—and for delivering exceptional care to our patients every single day! As we celebrate these achievements and the services highlighted here, we’re looking forward with excitement. In 2026, we’re expanding even further, bringing new services to Claiborne Medical Center to keep our community healthier than ever.

At Claiborne Medical Center, we proudly live out Covenant Health’s Pledge of Excellence by putting our patients first in everything we do. In 2025, our commitment shined—several national organizations recognized our outstanding performance. Thanks to the dedication and expertise of our Claiborne team, we celebrated multiple awards and introduced new services that elevate the care we provide.

Recognition for Patient Safety

Leapfrog ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade

Claiborne Medical Center earned ‘A’ grades from The Leapfrog Group in both spring and fall 2025, marking our ninth consecutive ‘A’. This prestigious “Straight A” designation is achieved by only about 12% of eligible hospitals nationwide.

Tennessee Hospital Association Zero Harm Award

We were honored to be one of only 16 hospitals in Tennessee recognized for reporting zero hospital-wide infections by the Tennessee Hospital Association. This was our second year receiving this award.

Becker’s ‘Cleanest Hospital’ Recognition

For the second year in a row, Becker’s Hospital Review named Claiborne one of Tennessee’s “Cleanest Hospitals,” based on our 5-star cleanliness rating. We were 1 of 10 hospitals in Tennessee that received this recognition.

American Heart Association Stroke Care Recognition

Our stroke services earned the Get With The Guidelines – Rural Stroke Bronze Achievement Award for advancing stroke care and reducing disparities in rural communities. Claiborne Medical Center is designated as an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital by The Joint Commission and is a member of Covenant Health’s stroke network.

Nursing Home Updates

Three adults stand smiling in a hallway. A woman in a black patterned top is on the left, a man in a plaid shirt and khaki pants is in the center, and a woman in a blue top is on the right. Decorative art and a scarecrow hang on the wall.

In September, Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center (CHRC) partnered with UHealth to significantly increase on-site provider coverage, including Dr. Paul Swafford and Nurse Practitioner Malinda Munsey. The UHealth team provides on-site coverage Monday – Friday, and on-call coverage 7 days a week. This is a much higher level of provider presence than is typical for most nursing homes.

We also welcomed new Administrator Rita Griffin in December, bringing extensive long-term care experience to CHRC. Rita wants to become part of the Claiborne community, and would love to visit your churches and civic groups to talk about Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center.

For the second consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named CHRC a “Best Nursing Home,” placing it among the top 19% nationwide.

Celebrating New Services

Our Covenant Health Therapy Center expanded their services in 2025. They introduced LSVT Big and Loud therapies for Parkinson’s patients. These therapies improve movement, range of motion, and vocal loudness and face expression. They also began offering dry needling, a therapy that can improve many types of injuries. Some of the issues it helps include sports injuries, recovery for joint surgeries to chronic pain.

We expanded our cardiac rehabilitation area with pulmonary rehabilitation, an education classroom, and the Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehab (ICR) model.

Philanthropy & Community Support

The 25th annual Golf for Great Healthcare Tournament raised over $17,000 to support local healthcare initiatives. The next event is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, at Woodlake Golf Course.

Looking Ahead to 2026

We look forward to sharing facility updates, new physicians, and expanded services in 2026. For tours or speaking requests, contact Betsy Maples at 423-526-2192.