A $500,000, two-year grant led by faculty from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing will increase outreach, education, and health care workforce development in rural areas of the state. The effort is a collaboration with nursing faculty from the University of Tennessee at Martin and the University of Tennessee Southern in Pulaski.

Faculty members applied for the grant through the University of Tennessee System's Grand Challenges program, in which UT has committed up to $5 million to address the most pressing issues facing the state. UT defines the Grand Challenges as advancing K-12 education, strengthening rural communities, and overcoming addiction.

The program funded by the grant would deploy three One UT-branded mobile health units to rural counties. One mobile health unit would travel from each of the three institutions involved to provide education, outreach, and training to nearby rural communities and to the health care workforces in those areas.

This work is very much needed, as Tennessee ranks 44^th in the nation for health outcomes, and rural residents experience significant disparities compared to those who live in urban areas. Rural communities also suffer from health care workforce shortages, which are caused, in part, by isolation and limited access to professional development.

Dr. Ansley Stanfill Dr. Alisa Haushalter

"This type of work is really why I became a nurse-to help others to achieve their best possible health," said Associate Dean of Research Ansley Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN. "In this project, my colleagues and I will help provide professional development and educational opportunities for nurses and other health care professionals who are working in some of the most underserved areas of Tennessee, and we simultaneously get to serve the residents of those communities. This will spread and scale our existing research and rural health initiatives from each of our colleges for an even greater reach throughout the state."

The grant team is led by Dr. Stanfill and Associate Professor Alisa Haushalter, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, of UT Health Science Center. They are collaborating with Professor Mary Radford, EdD, FNP-BC, CNE, of UT Martin; Professor Michelle Decker, DNP, MSN, BSN, of UT Southern; and Assistant Professor Randi McElhaney-Tuten, DNP, BSN, of UT Southern.

Dr. Mary Radford Dr. Michelle Decker Dr. Randi McElhaney-Tuten

The grant team will select six counties for outreach based on need, guided by the health metrics in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's PLACES database. Then the team will work with UT Extension Offices, community members, and other stakeholders to develop educational opportunites that align with the counties' needs. The first six months of the project will be used for planning and getting the mobile health units in place. During the next 18 months, each of the six selected counties will have a One UT mobile health unit event every other month.

"We are deeply grateful for this transformative grant," said Dr. Radford, who is chair of the Department of Nursing at UT Martin. "It will not only enhance our ability to serve rural communities but also provide invaluable opportunities for our nursing faculty and students to make a direct and lasting impact on the health of Tennesseans. By bridging education and real-world experience, we are preparing the next generation of compassionate, skilled health care professionals while addressing critical needs in our state."

Dr. Decker of UT Southern said, "Having lived in a rural community all my life, I know first-hand the health challenges faced in the rural setting. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to provide health services to the residents in these underserved communities. This work also provides a means, that is typically not available, for professional development and educational opportunities to nurses and other health care providers serving these rural communities. This grant will have a lasting positive impact on the health in these communities."

This grant was one of four awarded to interdisciplinary teams from the University of Tennessee System under the 2024 Grand Challenge Grants Type 2 competition. In the sytemwide announcement of the awards, UT President Randy Boyd said, "These grants represent the power of collaboration across our campuses, institutes, and community partners to deliver innovative solutions that transform lives."

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