Vision
Empowering rural communities for a healthier Tennessee.
Mission
To strengthen health care across Tennessee by actively involving rural communities in shaping their health care future, providing strategic technical assistance, conducting implementation-focused research, promoting partnerships, and advocating for evidence-based policies that enhance access, quality, equity, and long-term resilience of health care in rural communities.
This four-year, $12 million project engages a multidisciplinary team to identify health care gaps in rural counties and support those communities in developing solutions. The Center of Excellence administers $7 million in planning and implementation grants to address rural health concerns across the state.
The Center of Excellence is built around five cores:
- The Administrative Core provides technical support and fosters collaboration to drive change in rural health care.
- The Evaluation Core assesses and reports on impact.
- The Planning and Implementation Core identifies and pilots innovative solutions.
- The Sustainability and Dissemination Core shares best practices across the state.
- The Practice Optimization core partners with clinical practices to identify sustainable funding sources and optimize care efficiency and effectiveness.
May Webinar Highlights Connection
Dr. Simpfronia Taylor, director of Community Grants and Programs at the UT Martin Ripley Center, will present on her work with the HUB, a Lauderdale County Connection Resource that was a 2025 Healthcare Resiliency grant awardee. The webinar will be from 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm on May 20. Dr. Taylor will discuss the background of the project, including the partnership between The Betah Group (Dr. Taylor’s non-profit organization) and the Lauderdale County Health Council, and how this work has helped achieve the goal of enabling Lauderdale County residents to live healthier, more resilient lives.
Grant Opportunities
Connect with the Center
Stay in touch with the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence by sharing your contact information, joining our newsletter, or sharing your community’s top three health concerns.