Claiborne Health & Rehab weclomes new administrator, medical team

Claiborne Health & Rehab weclomes new administrator, medical team

Published 7:26 am Monday, December 8, 2025

Covenant Health Claiborne held an open house on Wednesday, December 3, to welcome Rita Griffin at the new administrator at Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center and introduce Dr. Paul Swafford and the UHealth medical team to the community.

“I look forward to working with the Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center team and learning about Claiborne County and the Cumberland Gap area,” said Ms. Griffin. “I have already learned a lot about our nursing home and its history in the community, and I have seen first-hand how dedicated our team members are in caring for our residents.”

Ms. Griffin succeeds Thelma Vinson, who is retiring after serving as the nursing home administrator at CHRC since 2020. She also held other leadership roles within the Covenant Health system.

“Rita has over 15 years of experience in long-term care management and is well respected among her peers. Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center recently was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a “Best Nursing Home”, and I look forward to supporting Rita in her leadership role in our nursing home,” said Gordon Lintz, chief administrative officer of Covenant Health Claiborne.

Before joining Covenant Health Claiborne team, Ms. Griffin was the administrator at various nursing homes in the Knoxville area. She oversaw the financial stability of the organizations she led, as well as building cultures of care and respect. Ms. Griffin is a licensed nursing home administrator and has a background in accounting.

The Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center team is also excited about partnering with UHealth to provide medical services to their residents. UHealth specializes in delivering high-quality medical care to nursing home residents in East Tennessee. Dr. Paul Swafford will serve as the CHRC medical director and will bring his expertise to the residents 1-2 days per week. Nurse practitioner and local resident Malinda Munsey will be on-site 5 days a week to provide consistent, hands-on care, with on-call coverage available 24/7. This level of provider presence is significantly higher than what is typically available in nursing homes and ensures the residents receive timely, accurate medical care.

“We are so happy to have Dr. Swafford and the UHealth team as partners in providing excellent care to our residents,” stated Administrator Griffin. “Providing this level of on-site medical care will reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and enhance the care our residents receive every day.”

For more information about Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center, call 423-526-2188 or visit covenanthealth.com/claiborne/services/health-and-rehabilitation-center/