UT Health Science Center and UT Extension Collaborate to Bring Health Hubs to Two Rural Counties

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center's Tennessee Population Health Consortium is piloting a program aimed at closing the health care gap for rural Tennessee counties.

Under the UT Extension Rural Health Hubs initiative, health coaches are being placed in University of Tennessee Extension Offices in Hardin and Decatur counties to bring essential primary and preventive health care to those who have limited options in their rural communities.

The UT Extension Rural Health Hubs pilot is funded through a three-year, $1 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Health as part of its Health Resiliency Program (HRP).

Jim Bailey, MD, MPH, who as executive director of the consortium initiated the pilot, sees it as a prelude to an expected statewide strategy as the University of Tennessee and its Health Science Center work together to help increase access to essential primary and preventive care.

"We envision that UT Extension Rural Health Hubs staffed by health coaches can become a fundamental and life-saving part of the health care system across the state in rural Tennessee counties," Dr. Bailey said.

Like the UT Health Science Center Health Hubs in Shelby County, the hubs in the two rural extension offices focus on preventing and improving control of high blood pressure and diabetes by providing convenient access to free screenings, healthy cooking and exercise classes, and other classes including diabetes self-management. The health coaches also reach out into their communities to engage county residents to build trust and provide essential services that can help keep people out of the emergency room.

"When I go out into the community, people want to know what a health coach is," said Lydia Thorne, health coach in Hardin County. "It is so new to our area and people are curious about what it is. This is beneficial for Hardin County because it is a new opportunity for people to improve their health."

The hub in Hardin County opened earlier this year and already has served about 80 people, often screening them for high blood pressure or elevated blood sugar levels. The Decatur County hub opened this month. Its health coach, Stephanie McCready, is working to spread the word about the services it offers.

"I love our ability to collaborate with the UT Extension Office here in Decatur County," McCready said. She explained the extension office and hub have complementary activities and goals for the community. The community hospital in Decatur County closed in 2020, so the closest hospital is 35 miles away - another reason the hub is a welcome addition to the county, she said.

It is well documented that geographic disparities in preventable deaths exist between rural and non-rural areas. In Tennessee, rural counties tend to rank lower in health outcomes and health factors than their urban counterparts, according to a 2024 Tennessee Department of Health report. This disparity negatively affects the 24% of Tennesseans who live in rural counties.