The Tennessee Department of Health selected the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence and awarded the university a $12 million grant to lead a four-year initiative to help close the gaps driving differences in health outcomes for rural Tennesseans.
As a statewide leader in rural health innovation, the center focuses on improving access to quality care, enhancing health outcomes, and fostering sustainable solutions tailored to the needs of underserved populations.
Leadership
The team leading the Center of Excellence includes faculty and staff members of the university statewide. College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, is the principal investigator. She is also the executive director and special advisor for rural health for UT Health Science Center. Professor Jim Bailey, MD, MPH, of the College of Medicine, is the co-principal investigator. Dr. Bailey is also the executive director of the Tennessee Population Health Consortium.
Grants Team
- Jessica Snowden, MD, Vice Chancellor for Research
- Allen Stanton, DMin, Director of Strategic Partnerships, College of Dentistry
- Ashley Harkrider, PhD, Interim Dean, College of Health Professions
- James Haynes, MD, Dean, College of Medicine – Chattanooga
- Tyler Melton, PharmD, MPH, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy
- Satya Surbhi, PhD, Associate Professor, College of Medicine
- Tyra Girdwood, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing
- Matthew Harris, PhD, Boyd Distinguished Professor of Health Economics, UT Knoxville
- Rebecca Baker, CEO, Synergy 3C
Advisory Board
An internal advisory board chaired by Phil Wenk, DDS, identifies communities and partners that help expand the reach of the Center of Excellence. Dr. Wenk, an alumnus of the UT Health Science Center College of Dentistry, is the retired president and CEO of Delta Dental of Tennessee and current president of the Smile180 Foundation. He is the former chair of the UT Health Science Center Advisory Board.