Office of Rural Health

History

In July 1993, the Tennessee Office of Rural Health was established through a grant by the federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Within the rural areas of the state of Tennessee, there was a need for a central focus and coordinated effort to identify obstacles unique to rural areas. Solutions were also required to bring about changes and reforms which would improve and enhance the health care of rural citizens.

Mission

To improve and enhance the accessibility, availability, and affordability of quality health care in Tennessee by creating a central focus and coordination of rural health care resources.

Tennessee Rural Health Task Force

Tennessee’s rural communities face unique health care challenges that impact both physical and behavioral health. Rural Tennesseans often experience diminished access to care, in part due to limited availability of health care facilities, long travel times to receive care, workforce shortages for high-demand health care professions, and a high cost of health care. 

In recent years, Tennessee has prioritized programs and resources to improve rural health care, including the Health Care Modernization Task Force, Healthy Smiles Initiative, Tennessee Rural Hospital Transformation Act of 2018, Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act, and the Small and Rural Hospital Readiness Grant Program. 

Recognizing the opportunity to build upon these initiatives, Governor Bill Lee established the Tennessee Rural Health Care Task Force, led as a public-private partnership originating in the Tennessee Department of Health and charged with developing a set of recommendations to improve rural health care across Tennessee.