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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: Tennessee

A Summary of State Innovation Models (SIM) Evaluation Results Across 17 States (2013-2020)
Summarizes evaluation results of the State Innovation Models (SIM), which examined the ability of 17 state governments to implement and test innovative value-based payment (VBP) healthcare models across multiple payers between 2013 and 2020. Presents findings regarding the implementation and impact of 29 delivery and payment models, including patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, behavioral health integration, and more. Covers state contracting and consensus building, practice transformation, pediatric care, behavioral healthcare, beneficiary and provider perspectives, and more. Includes a section on payment model designs tailored to unique state needs, including rural populations, as well as rural references throughout.
Additional links: A Summary of State Innovation Models (SIM): Focus on State-Led Transformation - Findings at a Glance, Executive Summary, Findings at a Glance
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Sustainability Resources for Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network (RPHWTN) Program Awardees
Offers guidance to awardees of the Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network (RPHWTN) on creating sustainability for funded projects. Lists resources and funding opportunities for awarded projects at the national and state levels.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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A Comparison of Rural and Urban Differences in Geographic Proximity to Outpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Services in Tennessee
Examines distance and travel time disparities for outpatient stroke rehabilitation (OSR) services in rural and urban areas of Tennessee. Analyzes 185 facilities for OSR and provides rural versus urban median travel distance and time according to OSR service type. Includes county-level maps showing mean travel distance by kilometers.
Author(s): Phoebe M. Tran, Benjamin Fogelson, Robert E. Heidel, Raj Baljepally
Citation: Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention 45(1), 65-71
Date: 01/2025
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Maternal Mortality in Tennessee: Annual Report 2025
Findings from Tennessee's review of maternal deaths, focusing on pregnancy-related deaths from 2017-2023. Examines trends, leading causes, contributing factors, and disparities, and outlines recommendations to reduce pregnancy-related deaths and improve maternal health outcomes. Includes information on on pregnancy-related mortality rate by social drivers of health by rural or urban residence on PDF page 18.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Tennessee Child Fatality 2024 Annual Report
Detailed review of deaths of Tennessee children ages 0-17 in 2022. Includes a section on the Sources of Strength program, an initiative to promote mental health and prevent suicides in rural communities.
Additional links: Infographic
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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A Cross-Sectional Study of Stigma Towards Opioid Users among Rural Law Enforcement and Community Members in Tennessee
Examines stigma toward people who use opioids among 48 law enforcement officers (LEOs) and 393 community members in rural Tennessee. Compares perceptions of opioid use and opioid user demographics among LEOs and community members, including data on attitudes related to dangerousness, blame, social distance, and fatalism. Discusses the effects of stigma on access to harm reduction and treatment for opioid use disorder.
Author(s): Kahler W. Stone, Gabrielle M. Chesak, Angela S. Bowman, Michael Ayalon, Cynthia Chafin
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 195
Date: 11/2024
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Social Isolation and Loneliness Prevention among Rural Older Adults Aging-in-Place: A Needs Assessment
Surveyed 82 rural older adults aging in place in rural Appalachian Tennessee to determined local factors contributing to social isolation and loneliness. Discusses neighborhood conditions, interpersonal relationships and activities, health status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Offers rural-specific strategies for addressing social isolation and loneliness in rural communities.
Author(s): Jodi L. Southerland, Shimin Zheng, Kayla Dodson, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1404869
Date: 10/2024
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Loneliness and Alcohol Use Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Appalachia
Results of a study exploring the association between loneliness and various levels of alcohol use in 2020-2021 among 310 college students ages 18-25 in a rural, underserved region of Appalachian Tennessee. Features demographics with breakdowns including rural, suburban, or urban background.
Author(s): Manik Ahuja, Rachel Miller-Slough, Esther Adebayo-Abikoye, et al.
Citation: Chronic Stress, 8
Date: 08/2024
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Never Underestimate the Power of Community
Provides an overview of the Tennessee Department of Health's efforts to improve public health and emergency response strategies for extreme heat days in 2 rural Tennessee counties. Discusses planning, implementation, and cooperation with health professionals and community members.
Author(s): Kimberly Harrell
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Improving Pain Self-Management Among Rural Older Adults With Cancer
Results of a study to test the feasibility, acceptability, and changes in pain outcomes from exposure to the Cancer Health Empowerment for Living without Pain, an intervention designed to help patients' communicate effectively with their clinicians. Uses data from interviews with 30 older adults with cancer who were residing in a noninstitutional rural setting and receiving outpatient care at a rural-based clinic in Tennessee in May 2022. Features demographics and statistics on type and stage of cancer.
Author(s): Megan J. Shen, Tammy Stokes, Sarah Yarborough, Jill Harrison
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(7), e2421298
Date: 07/2024
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