Covenant Health LeConte

What it reported doing in 2024

LeConte Medical Center ("LeConte") provides care to nearly 15 million people who visit Sevier County each year and the nearly 100,000 residents who call Sevier County home. Previously a member of the former Fort Sanders Health Alliance, the hospital became a member of Covenant Health when the health system was formed in 1996. Located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, LeConte Medical Center is a full-service, state-of-the-art hospital with 79 beds.SERVICEThe hospital is best known for women's services (including labor and delivery), emergency care, outpatient diagnostic services, and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. The American College of Radiology recognizes LeConte as a Lung Cancer Screening Center. LeConte's Comprehensive Breast Center is an American College of Radiology Designated Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. In addition, the radiology department has accreditations in every advanced imaging procedure.The Dolly Parton Birthing Unit is a family-centered facility which welcomed more than 600 babies in 2024. It features state-of-the-art monitoring systems for the safety of moms and babies. LeConte is designated by Cribs for Kids as a Bronze "Safe Sleep" hospital and is listed as a 2024 Tennessee Department of Health Safe Sleep partner hospital. The center has also been recognized for optimal cord clamping (timing of clamping the umbilical cord after birth) from the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care. In 2024, the hospital saw 123,800 patients. Of these, 119,686 were outpatients and 4,114 were inpatients with an average length-of-stay of 3.85 days. PUTTING PATIENTS FIRSTAs part of a growing community and a popular vacation destination for visitors from around the country, the emergency department at LeConte is one of the busiest in the region and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is equipped with a helicopter pad and an observation area. LeConte is certified by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. As part of Covenant Health's stroke hospital network, LeConte provides rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke.LeConte was recognized with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes LeConte's commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized research and evidence-based guideline. In 2024, the hospital also earned the AHA's Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. In 2024, LeConte received four Zero Harm Awards for patient safety from the Tennessee Hospital Association. The awards recognize outstanding patient safety achievements at hospitals across Tennessee. LeConte Medical Center was one of 15 Tennessee hospitals to be named among "America's Best-in-State Hospitals" by Newsweek. Along with this designation, LeConte's recognition included a prestigious "Patient Experience Award," given to only five hospitals in the state. Located inside the Dolly Parton Center for Women's Services, the LeConte Comprehensive Breast Center offers 3D mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, bone density screenings, and has certified patient navigators available to help cancer patients manage their treatment journeys. The center's "Paint the Mountains Pink" program educates the community about the importance of regular mammograms and provides free mammograms to women in Sevier County who qualify for mammography screening but cannot afford it. The LeConte Wellness Center is a full-service fitness center located in the Pigeon Forge Community Center. It offers members a safe and family-friendly atmosphere for exercise and activities, in addition to hosting health and education programs throughout the year. LeConte's certified sports medicine athletic trainers work with coaches and students at high schools and sports tourism venues in Sevier and surrounding counties. The

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 82.1%; rating input score 82
• Program expense ratio: 98.8%; rating input score 99
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 95%; rating input score 95; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 16.9%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.66; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.4%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 4.2% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 8th percentile among comparable filings