Why Health Care Professionals Love Living in Maryville

Blount Memorial Hospital

Maryville‘s award-winning Blount Memorial Hospital has served the East Tennessee area for more than 75 years and is a part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, allowing doctors special access to the famous clinic’s knowledge and expertise.

Located near Blount Memorial, Maryville College features a rigorous pre-med program whose graduates attend esteemed medical schools. A respected physician and a recent pre-med graduate, both at different junctures in their respective health care journeys, share why they love working, living and studying in the shadow of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains.

Planting Roots in East Tennessee

When debating about moving to Blount County nearly 14 years ago, Dr. Ousama Dabbagh, who serves as the chief of the medical staff at Blount Memorial Hospital, remembers thinking the area was a little out of his comfort zone. But he chose to plant roots in East Tennessee because of its strong sense of community and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on local health care.

“I cherish the relationships I have built with my patients and my colleagues,” he says.

Part of the Blount Memorial Physicians Group, his areas of practice include pulmonary, intensive care and sleep medicine. Dabbagh is from Damascus, Syria, and completed medical training there and at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Along with his wife and “our three wonderful children, we enjoy the significantly milder winters compared to where we originally lived in Missouri,” he says. The family especially feels at home in the wonderful, inclusive community here.

Dabbagh is actively involved in local health awareness campaigns, especially in the areas of pulmonary and sleep medicine. During his free time, you can find him on the pickleball court and playing music.

The physician is quick to praise the outstanding and patient-focused health care services available in Blount County.

“I take great pride in contributing to the well-being of a community that values compassionate care,” he says. “Maryville offers the best in advanced health care facilities, and it’s incredible to work with such a professional and dedicated team. They have shown remarkable resilience and kindness, even during turbulent times, which makes practicing medicine here truly rewarding.”

A Dream Come True

A leading collegiate baseball program initially drew Christian Carlton to attend Maryville College, but a great science department and faculty helped him hit his dream of being a physician out of the park.

“My biggest dream at the time was to play college baseball, and the coaches at Maryville College gave me that chance,” says Carlton, 21. “Luckily, the school also has a great science department. I was able to learn what I loved in an exciting way. And Maryville is located next to the Smoky Mountains. It is incredibly gorgeous there.”

The 2024 graduate earned his degree in biology and has been accepted to the Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee. After graduation, he will begin his service with the U.S. Air Force.

Although the Crossville, Tennessee, native was an infielder on the Scots’ champion baseball team – which recently won the Collegiate Conference of the South regular season and tournament championships – he was equally present in the college’s labs, completing independent research for a Senior Study related to the effect of pharmaceuticals in waterways.

During his limited free time, Carlton volunteered with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Habitat for Humanity and The Gate, a community care center for adults with physical or intellectual disabilities. He credits his personal faith, family – mom, Stacey Carlton, is a family medicine physician and dad, Joey Carlton, was previously a paramedic – and biology professor Drew Crain for helping inspire him to pursue a future in medicine.

The Hearing & Speech Foundation

The mission of The Hearing & Speech Foundation is simple, but life changing – empowering financially challenged individuals with hearing and communication deficits to live their fullest lives. For more than 40 years, the Maryville nonprofit has helped thousands of children and adults obtain hearing aids and assistive devices.

Approximately 90% of the individuals served come from Blount County and the surrounding area, but the foundation has assisted people in 42 Tennessee counties.

Their mission is accomplished through three programs: hearing aid assistance, hearing aid recycling and research. The recycling efforts are a key part of their success and help hold down costs. Donated hearing aids can be cleaned and serviced for reuse and are accepted from all manufacturers and in any condition. The organization also partners with East Tennessee Lions Clubs.

“When you look at the general cost of hearing aids, with few insurance programs paying for them, not being able to hear well makes a person’s world smaller and limits them on all fronts of their lives,” says John A. Hinkle, executive director. “I feel blessed we are able to help people.”

Potential recipients must complete and return a form found on the foundation’s website. The applicant’s annual income primarily determines eligibility for the program. Once approved, there is a small fee charged that includes an exam by a licensed audiologist and follow-up visits.

The Ultimate Away Game Tailgate Party is the organization’s annual fundraiser, held each fall at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium East Club, including a full buffet and silent auction.