Tennessee Health Care Campaign staff and volunteers believe that education—of policymakers, of the general public, and ourselves and fellow healthcare advocates—about strategies to improve the health of communities, quality of care, and equality of access—is another important part of our work and necessary for meaningful change.
Our supporters, volunteers, and Board members represent diverse backgrounds, different parts of our state, and often divergent opinions about how to realize our vision. Diversity makes us stronger but sometimes, it takes us longer as an organization to develop positions and priorities. But when we take a stand we stand firm, though flexible, and are in it for the long haul.
Here we share materials from our own THCC conferences, trainings, presentations, and community-engaged research efforts, as well as recent studies and reports from credible sources that provide insight into the challenges to achieving health equity, or evidence for programs and approaches that can help narrow health disparities.
If you have suggestions, please share them with us at info@tnhealthcarecampaign.org.
THCC REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
Saving Tennessee’s Rural Hospitals: Strategies for Success
The survival of rural health care is at a critical juncture. Rural hospitals provide vital health services and contribute significantly to vulnerable communities’ economic and social well-being. Despite playing a crucial part in the lives of many Tennesseans, rural hospitals face many challenges that jeopardize their futures.
Over the last four years, the Tennessee Health Care Campaign has completed two research studies on our state’s rural hospital crisis. For this second study, we interviewed key stakeholders in five successful rural hospitals from the Mississippi River to Appalachia, many of whom are serving in executive leadership positions. We asked them to share their insights on survival, viability, and the hospitals’ ability to thrive
Implementation of the No Surprises Act: Consumer Notifications Study
The No Surprises Act of 2020 (NSA) was a milestone for health care consumers. The federal law protects patients from unexpected medical bills and resolves out-of-network payment disputes between providers and insurers, leaving insured consumers out of the process. The act also created a patient-provider dispute resolution process for uninsured consumers. The Act mandates transparency regarding healthcare costs and provider networks.
The Tennessee Health Care Campaign, (THCC), took part in a national survey being conducted by Families USA to assess whether hospitals were informing consumers of their NSA rights. The survey also assessed whether hospitals were telling the public about hospital charges, as required by the federal Price Transparency Act of 2021. It looked at whether consumers had access to financial-assistance information on hospital websites. THCC’s survey included 105 Tennessee hospitals.
COVID-19 Vaccine Listening Sessions Part 2: The Voices of People of Color in Rural Tennessee
Tennessee Health Care Campaign has been working since Spring, 2021 to improve COVID vaccination in 5 of the most at-risk counties in West Tennessee: Hardeman, Haywood, Lauderdale, Crockett, and Madison. In August 2021 THHC held to two listening sessions with unvaccinated participants. The results of those listening sessions are included in our 2021 report: COVID-19 Listening Sessions: The Voice of People of Color in Rural Tennessee.
COVID-19 Vaccine Listening Sessions: The Voices of People of Color in Rural Tennessee
Tennessee Health Care Campaign was awarded in the Spring of 2021 a one-year grant to improve COVID and Influenza vaccination in 7 of the most at-risk counties in the State: Hamblen, Bedford, Hardeman, Haywood, Lauderdale, Crockett and Madison. As a part of the grant, THHC held to two listening sessions. All of the participants were unvaccinated. The goal of the sessions was to identify the barriers to vaccination and learn what sources community members trust to provide accurate and culturally appropriate information. Before THHC employed a marketing campaign to encourage vaccinations, we wanted to first hear and learn from a sample of the people and communities we are trying to impact.
Rural Hospital Closures
Since 2010, Tennessee has had the second highest number of hospital closures in the nation, and the highest number of closures per population. Seventy five percent of Tennessee’s 25 remaining essential access rural hospitals are at high risk of closure in the next few years if current healthcare policies and practices remain the same. Bottom line for Tennessee’s rural communities: over one quarter of Tennessee’s rural counties have no hospital, and one fifth have no emergency room services, and that number will continue to grow unless concerted effort is made to prevent that from happening.
Care and Caring: The Affordable Care Act, Health Coverage and LGBT Tennesseans
Addressing Rural Health Equity and Access in Rural Tennessee. Poster presentation by Leah Scholma Branum and Catherine Gonzales of Vanderbilt University Peabody College at the 2020 CDC Public Health Ethics Forum: Ethical Dilemmas in Rural Health, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University. September 11, 2020
OTHER REPORTS WORTH REVIEWING
Access and affordability of care in Tennessee:
