This summer a Tennessee Rural Health Care Task Force offered 13 evidence-based policy recommendations to improve access to care, including establishing a Rural Health Center of Excellence and funding local communities to address social drivers of health via public-private partnerships.
The Task Force, formed by Gov. Bill Lee and co-chaired by Milbank Memorial Fund National Director of Population Health, Morgan McDonald, M.D., and Lifepoint CEO David Dill, spent a year reviewing best practices and meeting with local and state programs, providers, and communities to identify opportunities for greatest impact.
The Task Force’s report notes that the pace of facility and service line (e.g., obstetrics) closures in rural areas threatens the health of Tennessee residents and business investment opportunities while needs such as behavioral health are quickly increasing. “Furthermore, a high rate of uninsured residents creates significant barriers to access, weakens the financial viability of health care, dental and behavioral health facilities, and diminishes the health of the work force and their families.”
The report says the Task Force’s recommendations “provide a comprehensive road map to transform the health care landscape in our State by improving access to healthcare, providing communities resources to address key drivers of health outcomes, and training and sustaining healthcare professionals for rural Tennesseans for years to come. Improvements in health and healthcare access have ripple effects, leading to better opportunities for Tennesseans in education and economic mobility, resulting in stronger communities.”
“The Task Force recommendations are based on what is working within and outside the state and are being put forward by the people who are doing this work every day,” McDonald said in a statement. “The recommendations to address the increasingly urgent need for health access and improved outcomes in rural Tennessee are practical and ready for implementation.”
The Task Force comprised 34 public and private stakeholders, including representatives of the General Assembly, the Tennessee Department of Health, the Department of Economic & Community Development, Department of Human Services, Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, and the state Medicaid program, TennCare, in addition to representatives from large and small health care facilities, payers, patients, and various health professions schools.
The Task Force’s recommendations included:
- Establishing a Rural Health Center of Excellence for health providers and communities to offer and coordinate technical assistance, business support for at risk services, and advocacy
- Funding local communities to address social drivers of health via public-private partnerships
- Expanding health insurance availability
- Nearly $140M five-year workforce development investment to include rural medical and behavioral health apprenticeships, loan repayment and recruitment incentives, pipeline educational opportunities from high school through rural community colleges to health professions schools
- Supporting community health worker sustainability and training
- Expanding existing loan repayment programs to incentivize providers to practice in rural areas. Implementing closed-loop referral support systems and support for implementing community agencies to enhance non-medical service coordination
The report includes a five-year budget request and legislative agenda items to improve access to healthcare services and improve health outcomes for people living in rural Tennessee.
According to McDonald, the Task Force demonstrated both collaboration and consensus building between different stakeholder groups and a commitment to improving rural health in the state. “Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly have been strong supporters of rural communities,” she said. “These recommendations, when implemented in collaboration with state agency leads and local communities, will be an evidence-based investment with generational impact.”
