College of Nursing earns historic Silver Recognition for trauma-informed workplace practices as ETSU/Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute celebrates five years
East Tennessee State University celebrated the fifth anniversary of the ETSU/Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute and a landmark achievement by the ETSU College of Nursing, which has earned Silver Recognition status from the Better Workplaces Tennessee program for its commitment to trauma-informed workplace practices.
The ETSU College of Nursing is the first and only college in the state to receive this Silver-level recognition, an acknowledgment of its intentional work to foster a safe, supportive and resilient environment for faculty, staff and students.
“This recognition reflects ETSU’s continued leadership in trauma-informed care, not just in how we serve the community but in how we treat one another,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “The ETSU/Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute is a powerful symbol of our university’s values, and over the past five years, its impact has expanded across the state.”
Founded in 2020, the ETSU/Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute (Building Resilience through ACEs-Informed Networking) has become a hub for research, policy and training around the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma. Over the past five years, the institute has worked with educators, health professionals and organizations across the region to promote a culture of resilience.
“Our vision for the ETSU/Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute has always been to lead through education and collaboration,” said Dr. Wally Dixon, director of the ETSU/Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute. “This celebration marks not only our progress but the growing movement across Tennessee to bring trauma-informed values into all areas of life.”
Ballad Health, the founding partner of the Strong BRAIN Institute, reaffirmed its commitment to advancing trauma-informed care.
“Ballad Health and ETSU were among the first to create an academic institute for researching, teaching and implementing trauma-informed care,” said Ballad Health Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Levine. “This milestone recognition is one example of the opportunity that lies ahead for ETSU to lead this nationally.”
The Silver Recognition awarded to the College of Nursing represents the Pre-Implementation phase of the Better Workplaces Tennessee program, guided by the ETSU/Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute in collaboration with the Office of Injury Prevention in the Tennessee Department of Health. The Silver level focuses on four key areas: leading and communicating, hiring and orientation practices, establishing a safe work environment, and reviewing policies and procedures.
“The College of Nursing’s achievement exemplifies what it means to live out our mission of supporting student and employee well-being,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, ETSU’s provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.
The College of Nursing’s efforts included developing a Strategic Synergy Plan, forming cross-functional leadership teams and implementing best practices that emphasize empathy, transparency and safety. These steps create the foundation for advancing to the Gold level, the implementation phase.
“Being trauma-informed means we don’t just teach care, we model it,” said Dr. Dena Evans, dean of the ETSU College of Nursing. “This recognition affirms our deep commitment to cultivating a workplace where people feel safe, heard and valued.”
As ETSU looks to the future, the ETSU/Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute will continue guiding institutions, businesses and communities in creating cultures of resilience and wellness across Tennessee and beyond.
The achievements announced today underscore ETSU's commitment to addressing the effects of trauma, not only through research and education, but by modeling best practices in organizational culture and employee wellness.
Organizations can learn more about becoming certified through Better Workplaces and the certification process at https://www.betterworkplacestn.org.
