Members & Friends of RHA of TN,
The past several months has served as a reminder that intentional or not, racial disparities are found in every sector of society. The leadership and members of Rural Health Association of Tennessee mourn the death of George Floyd and others who needlessly lost their lives too soon. This includes African American and Hispanic populations who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Too often the needs of people of color in rural Tennessee are left out of conversations concerning barriers and opportunities for better health.
Rural Health Association of Tennessee is committed to providing equal opportunities for members and other affiliates regardless of race, gender, religion, or ability as written in RHA’s
by-laws
and as well as advocating for special populations as outlined in our
legislative policy agenda
.
Rural Health Association of Tennessee pledges to be a learning organization that will continue to challenge our leadership, members, the public, and policy makers to better understand and address the health disparities among minority populations. This includes promoting anti-racist and unconscious bias training, educating ourselves and others about systemic racism in health care, acknowledging the pain among communities of color, and being intentional about modernizing our own policies and processes so that we too can be more inclusive.
We invite you to hold RHA of TN accountable to this pledge. Please share your thoughts and suggestions on this issue by
sending me an email
.
In the meantime, below are some resources and articles of interest.
To good health,
Jacy Warrell, MPA
Executive Director
Rural Health Association of Tennessee
615-907-9707
