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Partnerships - Education - Advocacy - Resources
East TN Event: "Rural Restoration: Strengthening Restoration through Partnerships and Collaborations"
Join us on May 17th from 9:00am-2:00pm ET at Bishop Hall at East Tennessee State University as we partner with ETSU Rural and Community Programs to bring you RHA of TN's East Tennessee Regional Event: "Rural Resilience: Strengthening Restoration through Partnerships and Collaboration."

We are excited to welcome our speakers: 
Tom Kincer, MD, ETSU- Rural and Community Programs; Joyce Troxler, MD, ETSU- Graduate Medical Education; Andrea Clements, PhD, ETSU- Department of Psychology and the Strong Brain Institute; and Jodi Polaha, PhD, ETSU- Department of Family Medicine. A draft agenda will be posted in the upcoming weeks.

Find out and register for this free event on the blog. We look forward to seeing you there!
Are You Awake? Conference Opportunity

RHA of TN would like to offer some of our members the opportunity to attend this learning event.

Join educators to learn about the crimes of Human Trafficking and Drug Endangered Children and how you can impact change on May 5-6 in Cookeville. Find more about the event here, and if you would like to attend free of cost, please email allie@tnruralhealth.org
TDH Suicide Prevention Task Force

RHA of TN is looking for a member that is interested in representing the association on the Tennessee Department of Health's Suicide Prevention Task Force. Meetings are virtual and held quarterly. The next meeting is on May 26th.

If you are interested in representing RHA of TN, please email info@tnruralhealth.org
Sustaining Partner Spotlight
Engooden Health, a company redefining chronic disease management, today announced a partnership with the Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA of TN), granting members access to technology-enhanced chronic care management (CCM) services between provider visits. Engooden will provide association members with the ability to scale personalized interventions for patients living with chronic diseases to help improve their quality of life and health outcomes. Find out more on the blog.
Events

  • ArchPro Coding Workshop The primary course focus will emphasis documentation guidelines set forth by CMS for reporting Evaluation and Management services (E&M), as defined by CPT. The curriculum will provide attendees with a strong grasp of Evaluation and Management auditing, coding and documentation techniques. CEUS will be available. Find out more on our blog. Register for this April 20th online training event here.

  • Are You Awake? Join educators to learn about the crimes of Human Trafficking and Drug Endangered Children and how you can impact change on May 5-6. Find more about the event and register here.

  • Learn to Develop a Competitive Grant Application from SAMHSA's Office of Financial Resources on how to develop competitive gran applications on April 14 and May 3. Find out more here.

  • CMS webinar on rural health quality The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) will be holding a webincar entitled, “Rural Health Quality: How CMS Initiatives Improve How We Measure and Address Gaps in Care”. This presentation will highlight the unique challenges surrounding quality measurement in rural settings, and how CMS is working to address these issues to ensure equitable care is provided to rural communities. There are two sessions available to accommodate schedules: Register here for Wednesday, April 20, 2022, from 3-4:00 pm (ET) Register here for Thursday, April 21, 2022, from 12-1:00 pm (ET) 

  • Developing a Shared Language for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion The Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug and Addiction Services (TAADAS) offers trainings related to substance use. Register for this April 22 event here.

  • Office of Autism Research Coordination for its 9th annual Autism Awareness Month special event, Animating the Future for Exceptional Minds, on April 27, 2022. The event will feature Exceptional Minds, a non-profit organization that prepares young adults on the autism spectrum for careers in the digital arts and entertainment industry. Learn more about this event.

  • Using Innovative Data Science Approaches to Identify Individuals, Populations, and Communities at High Risk for Suicide The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders will host a 3-part public webinar series beginning April 28th. Register here.


  • Healthcare in Appalachia This conference is designed to address the unique needs and circumstances in Appalachia. The conference is April 28-30,2022. Find out more information here.

  • National Prescription Drug Takeback is on Saturday, April 30. Find a community event to safely dispose of unused/unwanted prescription medications to make your home safer. Locations will be posted soon on TnTogether.org. 

Resources

  • Call for Proposals We are accepting conference presentation proposals. Proposals should highlight replicable programs, research, and/or collaborative efforts aimed at improving health and access to care in rural TN. Deadline is June 30th. Find out more here.

  • Award Nominations Each year, RHA of TN presents awards to influential programs and people who are improving rural health in Tennessee. Find the award categories here. If there is someone you would like to nominate, please find the nomination form here. Send completed form to info@tnruralhealth.org. Deadline for submissions are August 15th.

  • TDH The Office of Informatics and Analytics (OIA) has released Q1 issue 5 of the On Par with DOR Newsletter. In this issue DOR Newsletter Survey, New OIA Staff Member, Reporting Tips, ICD-10 Coded Opioid Overdoses, and Reminders. Take the On Par with DOR Survey so DOR Trading Partners can provide feedback regarding their satisfaction with our On Par with DOR Newsletter and to provide them with an opportunity to share their ideas for future content.

  • COVID-19, Mental Health, and Children Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, children and youth exhibited growing rates of mental health problems. In October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association declared a joint national state of emergency in children’s mental health. The declaration stated that the worsening crisis in child and adolescent mental health is “inextricably tied to the stress brought on by COVID-19.” Learn more. 

  • LGBTQIA+ Health in Rural America This week, the Rural Health Congress finalized and published NRHA’s policy paper “LGBTQIA+ Health in Rural America”. This policy brief will help expand understanding on how rural communities can be better prepared to support LGBTQIA+ individuals and their families. Read the full report here. 

  • Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists (ROPS) are available for every county in Tennessee. They can provide free training to individuals, organizations and agencies on overdose prevention, including naloxone administration. They can also provide information about how to get naloxone and can provide kits to individuals at high risk who cannot access it otherwise. Find your ROPS here.

 
  • In the News: The South's Health Care System is Crumbling Under COVID-19. Enter Tennessee.  Politico reported on the disproportionate effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on rural communities, particularly those in the Southeast region of the United States. The article uses Tennessee as a snapshot of what is happening throughout the South. Find the article here.

  • Breast Cancer License Plates The Black Women Breast Cancer Alliance (BWBCA) gained approval to commission a state Breast Cancer license plate highlighting the awareness needed to address the 60% in-state mortality rate of Black women. The plate is designed to bring awareness to Tennessee's mortality rates and make testing readily available for Black women. Find more information here. 

  • TN Day on the Hill Rural Health Association of Tennessee members met with several of Tennessee’s legislators and staffs on Wednesday, March 9th. Read about it on the blog.


  • Transportation to Support Rural Healthcare A topic guide detailing the importance of transportation as a social determinant of health for rural residents. Highlights models, toolkits, resources, organizations, and funding to help communities and health systems implement and support transportation services in rural areas. 

  • COVID.gov The Biden Administration is launching COVID.gov, a new one-stop shop website to help all people gain access to vaccines, tests, treatments, and masks, as well as get the latest updates on COVID-19 in their area.

  • Anti drug/Substance Use Prevention Coalitions work to educate and inform communities about substance use prevention. Find out if there is one in your community here. 

  • Job Board New jobs have been added to the RHA of TN job board. Those can be found here.
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Funding Opportunities
The below grants have been hand picked to offer new funding opportunities to our members.
Welcome to our New and Returning Members!
The below organizations have recently joined or renewed their memberships. Members can search our member directory to connect with other members when logging into the RHA of TN's website. While you're searching, update your profile!

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors
for making this communication and our annual conference possible.
Mailing Address:
PO Box 656,
Decaturville, TN 38329