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Partnerships - Education - Advocacy - Resources
Maternal Health Resources
Join the Rural Health Association of Tennessee as we educate, advocate, and share Maternal Health Resources. Visit our Maternal Health Resource Page in the Rural Resource Center here. The page includes Maternal Health Webinars, News & Reports, TennCare & Legislative Updates, Clinicians’ Corner, Family Planning, Infant formula, & COVID-19 Resources.
 
If you would like to share insight on the state of maternal healthcare in rural communities of Tennessee, please email dorshonda@tnruralhealth.org.
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.

The Rural Health Association of Tennessee's 28th Annual Conference, "Collective Impact: A Call to Action," will be held November 16-18, 2022 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where awardees will be announced.
Webinar: Health Care Access in a Post-Pandemic World

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government increased funding to hospitals and clinics and incentivized states to pause terminating enrollees from the Medicaid program to help increase access to health care and ease the financial burden caused by the global public health emergency. With the end of the pandemic in sight, we all need to prepare for the unwinding of the public health emergency (PHE). TennCare (our state’s Medicaid agency) has estimated that 300,000 people will lose their Medicaid health insurance after the PHE ends. Hospitals and clinics are bracing for a significant reduction in funding, particularly in rural areas where providers were struggling even before the pandemic to provide health care to many uninsured people.

Join the Rural Health Association of Tennessee and the Tennessee Justice Center to learn how the PHE unwinding will impact access to health care in your community. Register for the August 10th free webinar here.
Member Spotlight
The Certified Men's Health Educator training course is aimed at professionals who are passionate about helping boys, men, and their families achieve true health and wellness.

The Certified Men’s Health Educator program is currently being offered free of charge to a limited number of healthcare professionals and non-healthcare professionals interested in improving the health of those living in their community, and who live or work in designated rural counties in Tennessee. Training for these professionals is provided by Men’s Health Network, in association with the Rural Health Association of Tennessee, and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those who successfully complete the course will earn the “Certified Men’s Health Educator” designation.

The CMHE program is also available, on a fee basis, to interested individuals and organizations. For information on how to enroll, please email cmhe@healthymen.org.

Find out more and register for the training here
Events

  • Lunch and Learn on Behavioral Health and RHCs Join our RHC Network Director on July 22 from 11am to 12PM CT for the second presentation in the series which will be with special guest, Charles James, North American HMS. See our calendar for registration information and specific dates.

  • Health Care Access in a Post-Pandemic World Join Tennessee Justice Center & RHA of TN for a webinar on August 10th to learn how the PHE unwinding will impact access to health care in your community. Register for the event here.

  • HIV Management in Rural and Underserved Communities of the Southeast: Tailoring Care and Treatment to Improve Health Equity - Part 1 Learn from Southeast AIDS Education and Training Center, Tennessee AIDS Education and Training Center about differentiate antiretroviral agents for HIV based on efficacy, safety, adherence potential, and drug-drug interactions, how to apply best practices and evidence-based interventions to improve rapid HIV treatment initiation in rural and underserved settings, select appropriate HIV treatment regimens based on current guideline recommendations, clinical evidence, and individual patient factors, and other information. Find the July 15th webinar here.

  • Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Healthcare Provider Conference The Tennessee Department of Health is hosting a Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Healthcare Provider Conference on Friday, July 22, 2022 and will offer free Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits for participating providers. Online sessions will be available one week after the conference concludes for providers that cannot attend the live event. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, and social workers are welcome to attend. Due to limited space, priority will be given to physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Visit the website here.

  • White House Disability Stakeholder Group During the month of July, the White House Disability Stakeholder group will meet weekly to hear from leaders from across the administration about the work that they're doing to ensure access, inclusion, and equity for people with disabilities. These calls are closed to the press but otherwise open to the public. ASL and CART will be provided. The dates are as follows: Thursday, July 14th at 1:00 p.m. CT, Thursday, July 21st at 1:00 p.m. CT, Thursday, July 28th at 1:00 p.m. CT. Register here.

  • Virtual Training about Stimulants in Tennessee The TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is now offering a free, virtual training about stimulants in Tennessee. Training is open to anyone. The 90-minute virtual training includes: Stimulant trends and data in Tennessee; Over the counter, prescription and illicit stimulants; and Illicit stimulant use, overdose and recovery. The following dates are available: Tuesday, July 19th 12pm CT, Tuesday, August 23rd 9:30am CT and Thursday, September 22nd 12pm CT. Registration is available here

  • Rural Health Clinic Conference Join clinic and CAH stakeholders from across the country for NRHA’s Rural Health Clinic on Sep. 20-21, 2022 in Kansas City, MO, and Critical Access Hospital Conferences Sept. 20-23rd. Take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities designed for clinic and hospital professionals and board members serving rural America. Find out more and register here.

  • A Step Ahead West Tennessee Join their five week mother-daughter event starting July 14th in Jackson, TN to discuss topics including self-esteem, female reproductive goals, and a variety of other tops. For more information and to RVSP, reach out to 731-695-9966 or 731-695-4941.

Resources
  • Call for Board Nominations RHA of TN is putting a call out for board nominees. Nominees must be current members as of June 1, 2022. For more details and application instructions, visit RHA of TN's Blog here. The Rural Health Association of Tennessee's 28th Annual Conference, "Collective Impact: A Call to Action," will be held November 16-18, 2022 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where new board members will be announced.

  • Brain Links Survey Brain Links has a contract with the Tennessee Department of Health to survey healthcare professionals to learn more about how their practice is using the CDC Pediatric mTBI Guideline that was released in 2018, consisting of 19 sets of clinical recommendations designed for all healthcare providers who care for pediatric patients with this injury. Those recommendations cover: diagnosis, prognosis, management and treatment. Contribute to this quick survey.

  • 988 Suicide and Crisis Prevention Lifeline Beginning July 16, 988 will become the new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Lifeline will provide compassionate, accessible care and support via phone, text, or online chat to anyone experiencing mental health-related distress. Anyone can use 988 if they have thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. Find out more about the new lifeline here.

 
  • HRSA Announces One-Year Hold on HPSAs Proposed for Withdrawal The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced a one-year hold on Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) that had been proposed for withdrawal. Given COVID-19’s impact on the health workforce and health care service delivery, HRSA is providing a longer transition period for jurisdictions and facilities to prepare for potential changes of HPSA designations. Find the notice here.

  • Racial Inequities in the Availability of Evidence-Based Supports for Maternal and Infant Health in 93 Rural U.S. Counties with Hospital-Based Obstetric Care Being pregnant in rural America means facing interconnected challenges: a greater risk of pregnancy related complications or death and declining access to maternity care during pregnancy and childbirth. Rural residents who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) experience even poorer pregnancy-related health outcomes. Racial disparities in rural maternal and infant health outcomes may be related to limited accessibility of clinical care and pregnancy/postnatal support programs and services in rural communities. This policy brief describes these differences between majority-BIPOC versus majority-white rural counties' available maternal and infant health evidence-based supports. Find the policy brief here.

  • Request for Information: Forced Labor in Healthcare Supply Chains Do you have ideas about preventing and responding to forced labor in health care supply chains? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) requests your comments to help inform federal efforts to address forced labor in healthcare systems. This request for information is part of OTIP's ongoing efforts to seek public comments to inform the implementation of Executive Order 14001, the National Strategy for a Resilient Public Health Supply Chain, and other related efforts on forced labor. Comments due by July 23, 2022. Learn more and submit comments here.

  • Tennessee Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholars Program The TN AHEC Scholars Program seeks to develop, prepare, and sustain a culturally competent healthcare workforce that is prepared to deliver high quality care in a transforming heath care delivery system, with emphasis on training rural and urban underrepresented minority, and educationally disadvantaged students for practice in rural and/or underserved areas. Find out more on the blog here.


  • COVID-19 Tests by Mail Every household in the U.S. can now order an additional set of eight COVID-19 tests from www.covidtests.gov. The tests are free with free shipping. If you need assistance placing an order, call 1-800-232-0233.

  • 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.
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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
This service was supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, under GR-21-73441.The contents of this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.