Jason Pilant: There’s no place like Roane

Jason Pilant serves as president and chief administrative officer for Roane Medical Center, a member of Covenant Health. He joined the health system in 2006 and has worked in various project management and operations roles at sister facilities. An East Knoxville native, Pilant earned his bachelor’s degree in nutrition and food science from the University of Tennessee and his master’s degree in business with a concentration in IT project management from Lincoln Memorial University. He has just completed his doctorate in healthcare administration, a goal he set for himself and describes as his “personal Mount Everest.”

Pilant is a lifelong learner, loving husband and father, and motivated leader in healthcare administration. He was recently named as one of Becker’s “107 Community Hospital CEOs to Know” in 2023.

He chalks up two things that made it possible:

“The first is to work for a company like Covenant Health who pledges to “’Put our patients first, be the first and best choice in our area for care, and give excellence in all that we do’ as our focus,” Pilant says. “The second reason is to have the opportunity to work in a community hospital that has history and an expectation of delivering wonderful health care.”

Celebrating 10 years

“The 10-year anniversary of this location for Roane Medical Center has set the course and expectations going forward,” he says. “We are lucky to have a facility like this in our community and during a time when seeing other small hospitals reducing services or closing their doors, this facility is growing. Having a facility that in the last 10 years has established this new location in a central geographical area of the county and grow and add services is quite remarkable.

“Being able to diagnosis and treat patients locally is the life blood for maintaining a small hospital. It’s because of people choosing to receive care at Roane Medical Center that has allowed the hospital to have opportunity to bring primary stroke designation to the county, add interventional radiology procedures, inpatient dialysis, and multiple telehealth services like neurology, nephrology, critical care and behavioral health services.

“Moving down the road we do not just look to maintain these services, but to grow even more and find increased ways to keep treating our residents and surrounding populations better. This 10-year anniversary was just to lay the foundation for Roane Medical Center to keep building upon way into the future.”

Becoming a patient

Pilant recently had personal experience as a patient when he visited the Covenant Therapy Center – Harriman location on Roane Medical Center’s campus. “I was able to have a self-referral after experiencing wrist and hand pain for several weeks predominantly from carpel tunnel symptoms,” Pilant explains. “I worked with Linda Preston, occupational therapist and hand specialist.” He says after working with Preston for just a few weeks, Pilant saw results in increased range of motion and reduced pain and discomfort.

“I will add to this testimonial and say our community hospital is the place I feel comfortable for myself and family members when health care is needed. This hospital has the “care “and the “caring” needed to make it a health care resource in this area. I am very proud of the people and services Roane Medical Center provides and personally recommend it.”

Pride starts at Roane

Pilant says, “We have several sayings here at Roane Medical, and one is ‘We are small, but we are mighty.’ The other is ‘Pride starts at Roane.’ There is true meaning behind both of these as the staff at this hospital feel like they are here for a reason and that is to serve. Even if we happen to be a smaller hospital, our care and services can be the biggest and best.”

Pilant acknowledges the ownership and pride adopted by the doctors, staff and leaders who provide the health care and relationships needed to keep people coming back. He says, “That is really the standard of administering the care they would want to receive for themselves, family or friends.”

“Working to keep the hospital performing at a top level of healthcare delivery then provides the great quality outcomes and patient experience stories that motivates everyone to keep striving higher. This then leads to our last favorite saying at the hospital and that is “There’s no place like Roane!’”