HEALTH-TN
A new chapter of health, close to home.
Healthcare Expansion, Access, Linkages, Telehealth & Health for Tennessee
For our neighbors · Our counties · Our state
The Opportunity: Rural Tennessee Deserves More.
Across our small towns and farm communities, families face real hurdles when it comes to health care — even close to home.
- Not enough providers
Not enough doctors, dentists or specialists in the counties that need them most.
- Long drives to care
Hours behind the wheel, missed work, and visits put off — sometimes for years.
- Care that doesn’t connect
Referrals that go nowhere. Results that don’t make it back to the family.
- Untreated health issues
Diabetes, high blood pressure and dental problems going unaddressed too long.
These are not numbers. They are our neighbors — and they have waited long enough.
The Initiative: A Promise, Spelled Out.
Health care Expansion, Access, Linkages, Telehealth and Health for Tennessee
A multi-year program led by the Department of Physician Assistant Sciences at Meharry Medical College to bring real, lasting health care to rural Tennessee — care that’s closer, better connected and built to last.
Every letter is a promise we mean to keep.
At A Glance:
What You’ll Notice: Care That’s Closer to Home
Care that looks like our community.
Meharry-trained clinicians.
Nearby
A visit shouldn’t cost a whole day — care right in your county.
Familiar
Local staff you know — and clinicians who stay awhile.
Convenient
Same-week visits, video check-ins and help getting a ride.
Connected
Your doctor, dentist and specialist talk to each other.
Caring
A whole-person approach — not just a rushed appointment.
Care that meets you where you live and where you belong.
How It Works: One plan. Three ways we reach you.
Pillar 01 · Care in your county
Primary care and dental teams working inside your county health department and trusted local clinics.
→ Same familiar place. New services.
Pillar 02 · Clinics on wheels
A mobile dental clinic and outreach van bring care to schools, churches and community events.
→ We come to you.
Pillar 03 · Video visits and follow-ups
See a specialist from your local clinic. Follow-ups that don’t fall through the cracks.
→ Local care, connected to specialists.
Prevention · Treatment · Specialty care — together, not in pieces.
Where We're Going: Ten counties across the heart of Tennessee.
From the Tennessee River to the Cumberland Plateau — where HEALTH-TN starts, and who benefits.
Tennessee Population Health Demographics — 10 Target Counties
Bedford · Benton · Cheatham · Dickson · Marshall · Montgomery · Rutherford · Putnam · Coffee · Warren
Our First Ten Communities served:
- Bedford
- Benton
- Cheatham
- Coffee
- Dickson
- Marshall
- Montgomery
- Putnam
- Rutherford
- Warren
21.6% of Tennessee’s rural population reached in the first wave
Sources: TN Dept. of Health County Data Packages · County Health Rankings 2024 · US Census QuickFacts
A Closer Look: Every county tells its own story.
A few highlights — so you can see the shape of what HEALTH-TN can change.
Where the need is greatest: Benton County
West TN · Camden · Tennessee River corridor
The highest child poverty in our cohort (24%) and the only county with population decline. Benton is where HEALTH-TN can make the biggest difference — fast.
No ER, no birthing hospital: Cheatham County
Middle TN · Ashland City · Nashville MSA
Families here must cross county lines for emergency and baby-delivery care. HEALTH-TN brings routine, follow-up and specialty care back home.
Our fastest-growing anchor: Rutherford County
Middle TN · Murfreesboro · Nashville MSA
Rutherford grew more than 29% in the last decade. It’s a Matthew Walker Clinic partner — the model for how growth and community care go together.
A regional hub for the Cumberland Plateau: Putnam County
Upper Cumberland · Cookeville
Home to Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Strong provider ratios make it the ideal launch-pad for the region.
Source: TN Dept. of Health 2024–2025 County Data Package · ARC FY2025 · County Health Rankings
People and Partners: Local hands. Trusted partners.
Workforce Pipeline
250 rural Tennesseans trained and hired.
Dental assistants, community health workers, care navigators, EMTs and doulas — trained locally and hired to serve their own neighbors.
Trusted Local Partners
- TN Department of Health
- 10 County Health Departments
- Cookeville Regional Medical Center
- Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center
- Camden Dental Group
- Rural Health Association of TN
We hire from the community — and build with those already serving it.
What Changes: What families will feel.
In the first year or two: Care that shows up.
- Fewer missed visits — care that fits real lives
- Fewer ER trips for things that shouldn’t need one
- Referrals that close the loop — no one falls through
Over five years: A different rural Tennessee.
- Rural and urban health gaps narrow
- A local workforce that lives and stays here
- A rural-care model built to last
Progress you can see — and feel.
Why Meharry, Why Now
A partner Tennessee already trusts.
Meharry Medical College
150 years serving communities others overlooked.
An academic health center rooted in mission, trusted by the state and ready to build with you.
- Proven infrastructure
Dental residency programs, telehealth and tele-dentistry, PA sciences, and community clinics already in place.
- Grant-management strength
A ~$100M research portfolio and deep experience with federal and state programs (NIH, HRSA).
- Mission alignment
Founded to serve the underserved — the same mission driving HEALTH-TN today.
- The right moment
Rural infrastructure, telehealth adoption, and state readiness now align — the moment to act is here.
Our Invitation: Let's build HEALTH-TN together.
This works when counties, communities, and our state walk in the same direction.
For county leadership
Open the door.
Host a site. Convene the community. Champion the work locally.
For our neighbors
Show up. Speak up.
Bring your voice, your neighbors and your family’s care needs.
For the state
Align and scale.
Partner on policy, data-sharing, and the path to all 95 counties.
Meharry Medical College · Health-Tn · A New Chapter For Rural Tennessee
Contact us for more details:
Michelle Drumgold MSPH, MSPAS, PA-C
Principal Investigator
Chair and Program Director
Associate Professor
Department of Physician Assistant Sciences
School of Graduate Studies
Meharry Medical College
mdrumgold@mmc.edu
Office: 615.327.6351