The 30th Annual Conference of the Rural Health Association of Tennessee is set to bring a dynamic range of educational opportunities to its members. This year, the Association introduces new tracks designed to address the evolving needs of rural healthcare. Attendees from rural hospitals, rural health clinics, school health programs, substance use disorder treatment, maternal health, and public health sectors will find dedicated sessions tailored to their fields. These sessions, taking place on the first morning of the conference from 8 AM to 11 AM, will provide an engaging platform for professionals to learn, collaborate, and advance strategies to improve healthcare in rural communities.

Have you submitted your nominations for the 2024 Annual Rural Health Awards? Each year the Rural Health Association of Tennessee recognizes individuals and groups of individuals from across the state of Tennessee who have dedicated themselves to the service of others within the field of rural healthcare. 

2024 Nominations are now open! Deadline to submit nominations is August 1, 2024.

In July of 2021, Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA) received a “Notice of Award” from Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) about a funding opportunity to build strategies and best practices to reduce COVID-19 risk across the state of Tennessee in underserved and rural communities. The contract (GR-21-73441) totaling $2,468,000 was made possible by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Under this grant which concluded May 31st, 2024, RHA provided services to individuals from all 95 counties in Tennessee, sponsored education for thousands of learners, and established better supports for our School Health, Rural Hospital, Rural Health Clinic, FQHC, and Mental and Behavioral Health Members.

Click to view the Final Report

World Doula Week holds significant importance in raising awareness about the invaluable role of doulas in maternal and infant healthcare. Doulas, often referred to as birth companions or birth coaches, provide physical, emotional, and informational support to mothers before, during, and after childbirth. This week-long observance serves as a platform to highlight the vital contributions doulas make in promoting positive birth experiences, reducing medical interventions, and supporting the overall well-being of mothers and babies worldwide.

In rural areas, the need for doulas becomes even more pronounced due to various challenges faced by expectant mothers and their families. Limited access to healthcare facilities, including hospitals and obstetric care, is a prevalent issue in many rural communities. Doulas play a crucial role in bridging this gap by offering continuous support during labor and delivery, especially when medical resources are scarce or distant. Their presence can help alleviate anxieties, provide comfort measures, and advocate for the mother's preferences, ensuring a safer and more empowering birth experience.

Maternal health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, and its significance is particularly pronounced in rural communities. In these areas, access to quality healthcare resources is often limited, posing unique challenges for pregnant women and new mothers. The lack of easily accessible healthcare facilities, skilled professionals, and educational programs can lead to delayed or inadequate prenatal care, increasing the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Addressing maternal health in rural communities is essential for ensuring the health and survival of both mothers and their newborns.

One of the primary reasons maternal health is crucial in rural areas is the vulnerability of pregnant women to complications. Limited access to prenatal care can result in undetected health issues, contributing to a higher incidence of maternal mortality and morbidity. Moreover, the physical distance to healthcare facilities may hinder timely emergency interventions, making it imperative to prioritize maternal health initiatives that bring services closer to rural communities. By improving access to prenatal care and skilled birth attendants, the likelihood of preventing and managing complications increases, positively impacting maternal and infant outcomes.

Maternity care deserts pose a significant challenge to rural Tennesseans, where access to comprehensive maternal healthcare services is often limited. In these areas, the shortage of obstetricians, gynecologists, and maternity care facilities creates what are essentially maternity care deserts. Pregnant individuals in rural Tennessee face increased difficulties in finding accessible and timely prenatal care, essential for monitoring the health of both mother and baby throughout pregnancy. The absence of nearby obstetric care providers in these deserts contributes to delayed or inadequate medical attention, leading to potential complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

The impact of maternity care deserts on rural Tennesseans is evident in the higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, as well as adverse birth outcomes. Limited access to proper maternal healthcare services exacerbates existing health disparities, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations in these regions. Women in rural areas may encounter difficulties in securing transportation to distant healthcare facilities, further hindering their ability to access timely and necessary prenatal care. As a result, the health outcomes for both mothers and infants in rural Tennessee can suffer, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions to address these disparities.

The Role of a Certified Labor Doula

Certified doulas provide non-biased emotional, physical, and informational support during pregnancy, labor and the birth process, and the immediate postpartum period. They also encourage informed decision making, model, teach, and encourage effective communication, and encourage cooperative, respectful, and positive atmosphere with the family and birth team.

Scholarship Information

Paid Training - RHA will be providing scholarships for the following certifications, a $1,250 value:

• Certified Labor Doula (CLD) | CAPPA
• Infant and Child First Aid Certification
• Mental Health First Aid Certification
• Students will be paid for their time in training at $25/hour
TOTAL VALUE PER TRAINING: $5,000 

National Recovery Month aims to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life.

To start off National Recovery Month, we're sharing a few resources and will add to these as the month progresses. 

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).

Rural Health Association of Tennessee’s (RHA) Board Secretary, Dr. Brenda Jones, testified February 28^th 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.

Tennessee has among the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the nation. RHA advocates for programs and

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.

Would you like to learn more about maternal health in Tennessee? Family planning, pre- and postnatal care, maternal health disparities, roles of maternal healthcare professionals, maternal and fetal mortality rates are just a few of the topics that will be discussed in this webinar. 

• Attendees will understand the overall landscape of Maternal Health Care in Tennessee
• Attendees will understand barriers that lead to disparities in rural versus non-rural populations
• Attendees will understand the role of Maternal Health Professionals, Labor Support & Birth Workers
• Attendees will be able to describe “Group Prenatal Care” as a model of care for rural communities

Click Here to Register