The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine and The University of Kentucky Healthcare CE Central are hosting a conference titled "Healthcare in Appalachia: Practical Approaches to Addressing the Unique Needs of our Region" in Pigeon Forge on April 28-30, 2022.

Approximately 25.7 million people live in the Appalachian region of the United States (U.S.) Forty-two percent of the region’s population lives in rural areas, compared with only 20% of the nation. This region has historically been plagued with unique healthcare needs and poor health outcomes.

Rural Health Association of Tennessee and it's partners at The Tennessee Justice Center hosts a webinar with the Tennessee Department of Health on COVID-19 Surveillance and Variants; Exploring how to prevent COVID-19, January 13, 2022 at 10:00am-11:00am CST.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation considers radon to be a very serious problem in our state. No matter where you live in Tennessee, there is the potential for radon to enter your home. Radon gas has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking. 

If you would like to learn more about Radon and receive resources to have or share. Please register to attend our webinar by clicking here.

Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA) celebrated National Rural Health Day in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, November 18^th, 2021 to honor those who work every day to help keep Tennessee healthy. This year's conference was dedicated to local and state health department officials, providers, and advocates who have served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Missed the event? Copies of presentations are in our Rural Resource Center (login required).

We hope to see you in November!

Early Bird registration has been extended! Register by October 8, 2021 to receive a discounted rate.

To view the conference agenda and register, visit https://www.tnruralhealth.org/annual-conference. Continue reading for our planned safety measures.

Tennessee’s Department of Health’s mission is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. This session will provide updates on Tennessee’s COVID response as well as other efforts to improve population health.

Learning Objectives
• Understand the most recent data on COVID spread and the success of various mitigation strategies, particularly in rural areas
• How to support public health efforts through consistent messaging and education
• Discover resources available to providers and public to improve health of Tennesseans

August 31, 2021

Join Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and our many members who are  raising awareness on how to prevent and respond to overdose.

Inspired by annual community events hosted in Melbourne, Australia, International Overdose Awareness Day was brought to the global stage in 2012 as nations like the United States and Australia were beginning to understand the magnitude of the opioid crisis. Since 2012, IOAD has maintained it’s original purpose to raise awareness, reduce stigma of drug-related death and commemorate those who have been lost to drug overdose.

CareQuest and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) are sponsoring a pair of Nov. 18th sessions at 
the Rural Health Association of Tennessee's 27th Annual Conference.

The NRHA will lead off that morning with a session from 8:30 - 9:30am EST titled "Rural Health in the United States – Updates from the National Rural Health Association," which will feature NRHA Vice President for Member Services Brock Slabach Sr.

Thanks to a project funded by Health and Human Services Administration (HRSA), we are able to scholarship 11  individuals who meet the below criteria:

• Live in a rural Appalachia community as defined by HRSA.
• Serve on a local prevention coalition.
• Agree to attend a peer meeting at RHA of TN's Annual Conference

 Click here to apply

Or email [email protected] for details.

Click here to view conference details.

The Rural Health Association of Tennessee is hosting a webinar with the Tennessee Department of Health to  provide an update on the Covid-19 pandemic on Sept. 23 from 11 a.m. until noon CDT.

Participants will hear from Dr. Mary-Margaret A. Fill and Jane Yackley, who both serve as epidemiologists with the Tennessee Department of health. Our discussion will aim to summarize recent data trends of Covid-19 transmission in Tennessee. We will also review prevention and mitigation measures for the spread of the virus, and we will discuss the implications of the Delta variant.

Submit an original photo for a chance to be featured at our next Annual conference!

Contest Rules:

1. Rural People – focus of the photo should be on people, not their background surroundings

6th Annual Student, Resident and Faculty Virtual Poster Competition Information 

This virtual research poster competition is a low-cost way for students, residents and faculty to share their research without the costs of producing a “hard-copy” poster.  

Division winners and the overall winner will receive a gift certificate or modest cash award (check).

The US-HAMP (United States Hepatitis Academic Mentorship Program), a program of the Kentucky Rural Health Association would like to invite you to the US-HAMP Summit on July 27, 2021. This will be a virtual event for Key State Leaders.  Please refer to HAMP attachment for agenda/program about US-HAMP.

US-HAMP is a multi-state collaborative learning network to train key state leaders on the implementation of a successful HAMP model in an effort to empower primary care providers in their state to screen, diagnose, evaluate, treat, cure and report hepatitis C outcomes.  Current HAMP best practice will be discussed by state leaders in Kentucky and West Virginia.

Click Here

RHA of TN hosted a 4 part series on addressing vaccine hesitancy in rural Tennessee. Visit our Rural Resource Center to view the recordings and access the resources that went with the webinar.

View Recordings

Click here to read presenter bios.

Elizabeth Ball is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in integrated health care models in Tennessee. Join her and Mike Coleman, CEO of McKenzie Medical Center, a rural health clinic in West Tennessee to talk about their integrated health model on May 4th, 2021 from 11am - 12pm Central.

Learning Objectives:

Rural Health Association of Tennessee is proud to announce the inaugural class of the Rural Health Leadership Academy! The below individuals were selected for their commitment to rural health and their desire to grow as leaders.

The academy will be led by Dr. Bill Auxier, Executive Coach, CEO and President of Dynamic Leadership Academy, and Executive Director of Rural Health Leadership Radio. Over the course of 10-weeks participants will complete a variety of in-person, on-demand, and group learning modules, earning a certificate in Rural Health Leadership.