Scott Williams has been hard at work since January this year as Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic's first human resources manager. "I handle legal compliance and payroll" among other duties, he said. The Clinic has 20 paid employees. His part-time job also includes coordinating activities of the Clinic's 30 volunteers. He has a Master's degree in organizational management and also in human resources development, both from Tusculum College. He grew up in Gatlinburg and attended Gatlinbu...

Dr. George Kirkpatrick sees Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic as a good deal for patients – and for him, too. In contrast to his years of hectic emergency room work, the Clinic’s newest doctor loves having the luxury of time to talk to patients and to hear about all their ailments. That extra time benefits patients, too, he says. Unlike in an ER, at the Clinic “Patients see doctors and nurse practitioners who have time to see what’s bothering them,” Dr. Kirkpatrick said. “From the patient...

Now listen here, me hearties! It's time for you landlubbers to start thinking what you'll wear to the Pirates Ball on May 12. Whether you're a knavish pirate or a wench, you could come in your everyday clothes, of course. But this year the Pirates Ball will feature a costume contest with prizes. Start begging, borrowing or, in true pirate fashion, stealing your finery so you can be judged most splendid. Judges will be Cody Ratliff, costume designer for Country Tonite Theater in Pigeon Forg...

Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic bustled with activity Jan. 13 and 14 as 134 people, many of them new patients, underwent comprehensive health testing during the Clinic’s days of free physicals for patients with no health insurance. As a result, all of the 134 have a clearer idea of their health and are on their way to tackling associated issues. Many were new patients to the Clinic, who now have easy access to appointments with medical professionals whenever the need arises. Such intens...

December 1, 2015   Dear Friend of Mountain Hope, The blessings I have experienced at Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic are too numerous to count. Recently, I was working in the medical hallway among a number of patients, but one woman stood out.  She was in tears. I know that look—the panic of not being able to regain your composure and desperately wanting it back.  My stomach sank.  As tears rushed down her cheeks, our nurse weighed her and the woman apologized again for not kee...

A tragedy for a Pigeon Forge business has had a silver lining for many local non-profits, including Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic. Judy Stump has spent some time recently volunteering at the Clinic, helping with various paperwork and office tasks. She is an employee of Stages West, a Western-themed store in Pigeon Forge that suffered a devastating fire last August. While the store is being remodeled and restored, employees such as Judy are still earning pay, provided they spend their ...

A preacher's words at a church service prompted a local dentist to volunteer at Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic. Dr. Sean Toomey has been practicing dentistry for three years, when he took over Dr. Jon Shell's practice in Sevierville. He knew when he came home to Sevier County that he wanted to offer his skills as a volunteer, but at first he was busy settling in his new profession and kept putting off any volunteer work. It wasn't until a service at Pathways Church on the Parable of th...

Twenty-two people with diabetes received free retinopathy screening at Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic on Nov. 14. Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina in the eye caused by high blood sugar. Without treatment it can lead to blindness. “Many of our patients have diabetes but can’t afford the recommended annual screening for retinopathy,” said Mary Vance, the non-profit Clinic’s Executive Director. “This is the first time the Clinic has been able to offer this free screening.”  Vance...