Congratulations to Jalynn Burress, Calandra Traylor, Errion Bells, and Adrienne Williams, who became Certified Licensed Phlebotomist in the month of September. They attended the phlebotomy course at Professional Allied Health, LLC in Memphis. The participants were referred by Kimberly Burse, Staff Development Coordinator, at Pine Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Bolivar, TN. They have been working with Maddy Rymer and Patty Lane, workforce development staff at the Rural Health Association of TN. 

Delta Regional Authority grant funding made it possible for the RHA workforce team to provide supportive services and case management support for the past six months.  Employees are encouraged to gain additional certifications and credentials along their healthcare journey.

Allie Haynes will represent Rural Health Association of Tennessee on Tennessee Council on Developmental  Disabilities.  The Council, established by the federal Developmental Disabilities Act (Spanish language version of the Developmental Disabilities Act.) and by Tennessee Executive Order 50 exists to:

• Build bridges between the experiences of real people with disabilities and the policies and service systems that affect their lives.
• See the big picture across government programs to help connect dots and fill gaps to meet real needs.. 
• Use these connections to make change toward greater inclusion, independence, and self-determination for people with disabilities in Tennessee.

To learn more about the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, visit their website.

GetCovered Tennessee, a healthcare access program of Family and Children’s Service, is a great resource here in Tennessee! They are the state grantee for connecting uninsured Tennesseans with health insurance through TNCARE/CoverKids/Affordable Care Act. FCS is a non-profit offering free healthcare access service in all 95 Tennessee counties, and their services are free of charge. In addition to enrollment, they also provide educational training on TNCARE/Coverkids/Affordable Care Act or Health Assist Safety net programs, such as how to use your insurance coverage and what the insurance terms mean. 

GetCoveredTenn is a non-profit program providing free health insurance enrollment and healthcare advice to all Tennesseans. GetCoveredTenn has a team of 20 experts to help Tennesseans find quality healthcare through affordable insurance, access to community-based healthcare services, or both. Their services are free and unbiased.

Sabrina Blue is the Founder and CEO of Helping Hands of Middle and West Tennessee (HHT). The mission of HHT is to build stronger communities and help improve health outcomes for West Tennessee families. HHT provides dental, medical, and medical insurance assistance to families earning no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Blue is an Associate Pastor with the Historic First Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee. Her mission is to look at the deficit of the resources in rural Tennessee and figure out how to deliver holistic healthcare to the residents of rural West Tennessee.

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Rural Health Association of TN's members A Step Ahead Chattanooga has a commitment to removing barriers to contraception through education, outreach, and access to free birth control.

A Step Ahead Chattanooga serves 18 counties across Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama (Bledsoe, Bradley, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, Meigs, McMinn, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie, Catoosa, Dade, Murray, Walker, Whitfield, DeKalb, and Jackson counties).

Rural Medical Centers has clinics located in mountains where there is no internet or cell service, and in the middle of a tomato field. As you might imagine, they have a few challenges providing healthcare services. You can listen to a very interesting conversation with Jessica Zimmerman and Alexis Andino who are both with Rural Medical Services in East Tennessee.

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After working in various parts of the country, Erica Johnson-Locket fulfilled her promise to the elders of her community and returned home. That “homegrown kid” is now the Chief Nursing Officer of Bolivar General Hospital in Bolivar, TN. 

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On this week’s episode of Rural Health Leadership Radio, we’re talking to a nurse trying to make a difference in the Appalachian region. Robyn Seamon has earned advanced degrees, studied, and conducted research to help prepare her to serve Appalachian residents.

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Tyler Melton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science at the  University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), College of Pharmacy. He has nine years of pharmacy practice experience including inpatient and outpatient pharmacy in rural environments. Tyler joined UTHSC in September of 2020, after completing a postdoctoral research fellowship in Community Pharmacy Practice and Prescription Drug Abuse and earning his Master of Public Health from East Tennessee State University. His areas of research expertise include community pharmacy practice, rural health, health disparities, and prescription drug abuse.

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Lisa Beasley joined the UTHSC CON faculty in September 2020. Prior to joining UT, Lisa was previously at the  University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing for 10 years, serving as a Clinical Associate Professor and the Director of Clinical Education for the last 6 years of her time there. Lisa’s practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner has been in hospice and palliative care for the last 9 years serving patients in rural and underserved communities. Prior to becoming a nurse, Lisa enjoyed an 18-year career in the radio industry.

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