National Community Health Worker (CHW) Awareness Week is August 28 - September 1 and is the first ever national campaign with CHWs at the center!
The National Association of Community Health Workers has developed this event to increase awareness of CHW identity, roles, impact on communities, and leadership – and to promote policies that respect, protect and authentically partner with the CHW profession.
Time to Remember. Time to Act. Overdose touches people and communities in many ways. On August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day, let's support the people in our communities who go unrecognized by raising awareness of the hidden impacts of overdose, promoting education of overdose response, and reaching out to politicians to make lasting, lifesaving policy changes.
The 2023 theme, “Recognizing those people who go unseen,” is about acknowledging people in our communities who are affected by overdose but might go unseen in the crisis.
Conference OverviewJoin us this fall as we welcome a variety of professionals in their field from across Tennessee to present on topics effecting rural Tennessee. Find the agenda for this event here.
Registration for RHA of TN's 29th Annual Conference is now open!
National Breastfeeding Month is celebrated annually in August and is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance and benefits of breastfeeding for both infants and parents. The observance also aims to raise awareness of racial disparities in breastfeeding numbers and work towards reducing them by providing culturally sensitive support, education, and resources to communities facing more significant breastfeeding challenges.
Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure a child's health and survival. Although more than 80 percent of mothers in the U.S. start off breastfeeding, less than a quarter exclusively breastfeed their baby at 6 months. According to the CDC, fewer non-Hispanic Black infants (74.1 percent) are ever breastfed compared with Asian infants (90.8 percent), non-Hispanic white infants (85.3 percent), and Hispanic infants (83.0 percent).
In order to achieve health equity, access barriers need to be removed and high quality, need-based resources allocated. Health equity promotion is the aspirational guarantee of optimal health for all.
In this article, five actionable strategies for promoting health equity are summarized by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Often, meaningful equity work requires major shifts in approaches, dedicated resources, and targeted efforts toward social justice.
Tennessee's Rural Health Care Task Force, formed in June 2022 by Governor Bill Lee, has released a number of recommendations aimed at improving access to care and health outcomes for rural Tennesseans. In the report are recommendations to increase access to care, train healthcare professionals, and address social drivers of health.
Rural Health Association of Tennessee's CEO, Jacy Warrell, served as the Social Drivers of Health Subcommittee Chair, making recommendations to support grant programs that will allow rural communities to develop and implement their own innovative solutions to addressing social drivers locally. RHA's workforce program also received a nod and is included as a recommendation to address building healthcare career pathways for entry-level healthcare professionals.
We're excited to launch the Rural Health Clinic Network, a member group for independent and provider-based clinics in Tennessee.
We held a Kick-Off Event in June to learn more about the clinics' strengths, challenges, and needs. We look forward to supporting the clinics through the Network, offering resources to help them succeed. We hope to foster a community of collaboration and support within the Network.
We invite you to be a part of the conversation around rural health care by registering for our 29th Annual Conference, "Shining a Light on Rural Health, Advocating for a Brighter Future!" Enjoy networking with like-minded professionals, learning from industry experts, attending engaging sessions, and being part of shaping the future of rural health care in Tennessee.
To register, and for more information about hotel accommodations and sponsorship opportunities, click here.
Join us for a virtual training webinar on Naloxone on June 27th from 11 am - 12 pm CDT! Topics to be covered include the causes and impacts of the overdose epidemic, the impact of substance misuse on the brain, harm reduction principles, recognizing and responding to an overdose, and how to administer Naloxone.
Presenter:
Marissa Valentine
Sevier County Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist (ROPS)
Sevier County Office of Alcohol and Drug Programs
Sevier County C.A.R.E.S.
Rural Health Association is ready to assist patients in keeping their TennCare Coverage! Trained assisters will be at Saint Louise Clinic in Murfreesboro each Friday in May and June from 9am - 1pm CT to help individuals determine if they are still eligible for TennCare and provide other helpful information. Can’t attend the event? Call 866-675-7092 or click here to schedule an appointment with a trained assister.
The address for Saint Louise Clinic is 1020 N Highland Ave A, Murfreesboro, TN 37130.
Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA) has released an RCORP Drug Take-Back Event Flyer. Attached below is a flyer template with space for event details and a logo, as well as a PDF of instructions for using the flyer template. If you have a drug take-back event coming up, get the word out by using the resources below!
View the instructions and editable flyer here.
Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA) released a Rural Health Workforce Ready report featuring successes 
from their pilot workforce development program aimed at addressing the state’s workforce shortages.
The program launched in West Tennessee with funding from Delta Regional Authority and Amerigroup before expanding to other parts of the state. Over the past two years, RHA has assisted more than 300 aspiring healthcare professionals seeking certification and employment. To support career pathway development, RHA partnered with K-12 schools and community colleges to train more than 700 students in goal setting, healthcare careers, and communication skills.
RHA members and staff traveled to Nashville for the Rural Health Association's Day on the Hill March 7th, 2023. While there, RHA met with several members of Tennessee's legislative branch to talk Rural Health Workforce, Rural Health Clinic Modernization, and Maternal Health.
A special thanks to the following offices for meeting with us:
Rural Health Association of Tennessee’s (RHA) Board Secretary, Dr. Brenda Jones, testified February 28th in from of 
the Tennessee Senate’s Commerce and Labor Committee in support of Senate Bill 394/HB 738 that would establish a recognized Doula certification.
Dr. Jones is an assistant professor at Lee University, a CNM, FNP, Public Health Professional, residing in Bradley County, TN. Throughout her career as a Certified Nurse Midwife, she has attended over 2,500 deliveries. Dr. Jones’ full testimony can be viewed below along with a handout highlighting maternal health in Tennessee.
policies that prevent teenage pregnancy, provides case management services to pregnant women, and advances professional knowledge of providers.
RHA has published a Maternal Health in Tennessee policy brief modeled after the National Rural Health Association's 2021 Rural Obstetric Unit Closures and Maternal and Infant Health.
RHA members and staff traveled to Washington D.C. for the National Rural Health Association's Policy Institute February 7th - 9th 2023. While there, RHA met with several members of Tennessee's congressional delegation to talk Rural Hospitals, Rural Health Clinic Modernization, and Maternal Health.
A special thanks to the following offices for meeting with us:
RHA is delighted to share a summary of our member events and programs for 2022. Thank you to our members, staff, funders, and many community partners for your support the past year!
Click here to view the online report
Click here to download a PDF of the report
If you missed hearing from the Tennessee Division of TennCare you can view the recording of the webinar by clicking the link below.
Our guest speakers included: Drew Staniewski, Deputy Director of TennCare; Zane Seals, Chief Financial Officer TennCare; Jacy Warrell, Executive Director of RHA of TN; and Nathan Baugh, Executive Director of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics.
TennCare is beginning a Tri Star Campaign to test the member addresses they have on file. THIS WILL NOT AFFECT ANYONE’S COVERAGE. As they continue to prepare for the public health emergency unwinding (HHS Secretary Beccera renewed the PHE on 10/13/22), they want to make sure the addresses that TennCare has are accurate. Over the next two months, TennCare will send out a letter to each household. They will be asking people to be on the lookout for the letter and to notify us if they don’t receive a letter in the next two months. Additionally, TennCare will be conducting research on mail that is returned without a forwarding address.
FAQS
We are hosting a RHC Meet & Greet to provide a space to connect with Rural Health Clinics. As a member led organization, we want to hear from you!
This FREE event will be held 11/16/2022 at 10am EST during our annual conference at the Music Road Resort Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, TN.
