Submitted by Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority has contracted with TeamHealth to provide medical oversight and expanded clinical support at Tsali Care Center beginning Aug. 1. The partnership will provide residents and staff with access to a network of post-acute care providers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as an onsite provider four days each week.
Board-certified family medicine physician Tammy Jernigan Johnston, M.D., will serve as Tsali Care Center’s primary medical director. A familiar and trusted physician in Western North Carolina, Dr. Johnston has practiced at Swain Family Care in Bryson City since 2014.
“Tsali Care Center has a long-standing commitment to providing residents with compassionate, coordinated and high-quality care,” said Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Chief Executive Officer Casey Cooper. “This partnership with TeamHealth builds upon that foundation and supports a seamless continuation of medical leadership as Dr. Johnston assumes this role. Her familiarity with the community, collaborative approach and commitment to relationship-centered care will help ensure residents, families and staff continue to receive the dependable clinical support they know and trust.”
The medical director of a long-term care facility provides clinical leadership for the facility as a whole and helps ensure that medical care throughout the facility is coordinated, consistent and aligned with current standards of practice.
Through the new partnership, TeamHealth will support these responsibilities with a broader network of clinicians available around the clock. In addition to Dr. Johnston’s leadership and regularly scheduled onsite coverage, the model will give Tsali Care Center’s clinical team access to after-hours support when questions or changes in a resident’s condition arise.
TeamHealth specializes in post-acute care across skilled nursing, rehabilitation, long-term care and assisted living environments. Its post-acute model emphasizes collaboration among facilities and care teams, safer transitions between care settings and the reduction of avoidable hospital readmissions. TeamHealth’s broader network includes expertise in primary care, behavioral health, cardiac care, wound care and palliative care, as well as dedicated after-hours clinical support.
“This partnership is about placing another layer of clinical support around our residents and the employees who care for them,” said Tsali Administrator Michelle Tenhengel-deVille . “Having a provider onsite, combined with access to a network of providers 24 hours a day, will support more timely clinical decisions, stronger continuity of care and greater confidence for residents, families and staff.”
Dr. Johnston’s approach to medicine centers on developing long-term, trusting relationships with patients and their families. She emphasizes empathetic, collaborative care and works to ensure that patients understand their treatment options and feel heard throughout the decision-making process.
Dr. Johnston completed her undergraduate education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her medical degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She completed her specialty training through the Self Regional Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program and is an active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Outside of her medical practice, Dr. Johnston enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, photography and mission work.
As Dr. Johnston assumes the medical director role, CIHA also recognizes Blythe Winchester, M.D., for more than 10 years of dedicated service, leadership and advocacy on behalf of Tsali Care Center residents.
Dr. Winchester played an instrumental role in transforming Tsali Care Center and advancing a model of care grounded in dignity, culture and respect for elders. Her influence is reflected not only in the care residents receive, but also throughout the new Tsali Care Center facility she helped bring to the community.
“We cannot discuss this transition without recognizing the legacy of care and progress Dr. Winchester has helped establish at Tsali Care Center,” Cooper said. “For more than a decade, she built the foundation for the future of elder care in this community by advocating for residents, supporting families and helping shape Tsali Care Center into what it is today. The new facility and the care provided within it will continue to carry the influence of her leadership for many years.”
Dr. Winchester has transitioned to a full-time role at Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority’s Primary Care Clinic. In that position, her clinical expertise and commitment to elder care will help CIHA expand access to primary and preventive services for elders living throughout the community.
“This transition creates an exciting opportunity to strengthen care for our elders across the entire continuum,” Cooper said. “Dr. Winchester will continue caring for elders in the community, while Dr. Johnston and the TeamHealth network provide dedicated support for residents at Tsali Care Center. Together, these changes allow us to build upon a strong foundation and continue improving how elders access care at every stage of their lives.”
