Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program - Applicant: Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA of TN) Address: 21 N White Oak St, Decaturville, TN 38329 Type: State Rural Health Association Website: www.tnruralhealth.org Project Director: Jacy Warrell, Executive Director, 615-907-9707, jacy@tnruralhealth.org Project: Tennessee Rural Health Clinic Coalition (TN-RHC) Legislative Aims: 2-3 Focus Area: expand access and coordinate improvement of basic health care services through a statewide RHC Coalition; strengthen the health system as a whole Service Region: all of Tennessee’s 156 eligible Rural Health Clinics, in 54 fully-rural counties (Lake, Obion, Dyer, Weakley, Henry, Gibson, Carroll, Benton, Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood, Hardeman, Henderson, Chester, McNairy, Hardin, Decatur, Crockett; Stewart, Houston, Cheatham, Dickson, Humphreys, Perry, Hickman, Lewis, Wayne, Lawrence, Maury, Giles, Marshall, Bedford, Lincoln, Franklin, Coffee, Grundy, Cannon, Warren, Van Buren, White, DeKalb, Smith, Putnam; Polk, Bledsoe, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn, Monroe, Cumberland, Scott, Campbell, Claiborne, Union, Grainger, Hancock, Johnson, Greene, Cocke) Introduction: Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA of TN) requests a one-year Network Planning Grant award of $100,000 to develop a Tennessee Rural Health Clinic (TN-RHC) Coalition for Tennessee’s 163 Rural Health Clinics. Tennessee’s RHCs do not have a history of working together. The focus of this Rural Health Network Development Planning Program grant is to expand access and coordinate the improvement of basic health care services through developing a state RHC Coalition and strengthening the health care system in Tennessee. Developing a TN-RHC Coalition will lead to a sharing of resources and knowledge that will support goals of improving quality, strengthening the healthcare system, and improving health among rural populations. Through peer learning and increased access to state, federal, and community-based resources, RHCs will have opportunities to improve (and bill for) new services, receive coding and billing training, and explore new ways to integrate care. RHCs will also gain access to a network of other organizations within RHA of TN’s membership that offer services such as food, childcare, and employment to better address social drivers of health. Target Population: Of the 6.8 million people who call rural Tennessee home, more than 1.5 million live in the communities served by Tennessee’s RHCs, all of which are in primary care, dental, and mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA). Tennessee classifies 16 of these counties as economically distressed; 39 are ranked in the bottom 50% of the state on health outcomes by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings, and 21 are in the bottom 75%. Network Partnerships: Founding Coalition members include the applicant RHA of TN (state rural health association), plus one Rural Health Clinic from each of TN’s three Grand Regions: Three Rivers Hospital (Middle), Servolution Health Services, Inc. (East), and Hometown Health Clinic (West), 100% of whom are located in HRSA-designated rural counties. Experience: RHA of TN has a 27-year history of bringing together rural health stakeholders in Tennessee to provide educational and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, encouraging integration of care, and facilitating cross-sector collaborations. Our 600+ members include primary providers, school health professionals, mental and behavioral health providers, and others working to address health disparities in rural and other minority populations. Funding Preference: RHA of TN requests funding preference based on qualifications 1 & 2; Decatur County is in a designated HPSA and MUC/MUP.
