The Tennessee Department of Health has selected the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence and awarded the university a $12 million grant to lead a four-year initiative to help close the gaps driving differences in health outcomes for rural Tennesseans.
Tennessee ranks 44th in the nation for health outcomes, and rural residents suffer major health disparities when compared to urban residents.
The Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence will build on the university’s existing strengths throughout the state and expand public-private partnerships to create a system in which rural communities can thrive. A key component of the Center of Excellence is in administering and supporting grants that will be distributed to address rural health concerns across the state. Of the $12 million in the grant, $7 million will go to these planning and implementation grants.
“Since 2019, we’ve made record strides to expand opportunity for Tennesseans, particularly across our rural communities,” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said. “As we continue to invest in and strengthen rural Tennessee, I’m grateful for our partnership with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, which will ensure that every family has access to enhance their health and wellbeing to build a stronger, healthier Tennessee for generations to come.”
Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dunn, DVM, PhD, EMBA-SL, said, “Health should not depend on where you live. Rural Tennessee faces unique health challenges. This partnership with UT Health Science Center will combine statewide expertise with local partnerships, expanded workforce development, and investment in programs prioritizing the health of our rural Tennesseans.”
As Tennessee’s statewide public academic health science institution, UT Health Science Center is a leader in improving health care for Tennesseans. The university’s geographic reach covers the state with its main campus in Memphis andeducational and clinical campuses at major hospitals in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville,as well as clinical sites statewide. Additionally, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has extension offices in all 95 counties, offering additional venues to reach rural residents.
“Being selected to lead this statewide initiative is a powerful reflection of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s deep expertise and commitment to improving lives across Tennessee,” said UT System President Randy Boyd. “The new Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence aligns with our Grand Challenges priorities, particularly improving the health and well-being of all Tennesseans. This work will help build lasting partnerships, drive innovative solutions and extend critical care into rural communities that need it most. My thanks to Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Health for entrusting us with this important work.”
UT Health Science Center has demonstrated its commitment and ability to meet the state’s rural health care needs through many projects in recent years.
- The Healthy Smiles Initiative, funded by a $52.9 million Tennessee Department of Health grant, has supported a significant increase in College of Dentistry enrollment and added rural dental clinics, where 8,000 procedures worth an estimated $2 million were performed over the last academic year.
- The UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health Unit is a fully equipped outpatient clinic led by advanced practice nurses serving Lake and Lauderdale counties. In the last year, the mobile unit has logged 504 patient encounters and 2,870 touchpoints at community events.
- The UT Chattanooga Mobile Medical Outreach Clinic (Mobile MOC) is a medically outfitted van that expands health care access for older adults and caregivers in rural Southeast Tennessee. James Haynes, MD, dean of the College of Medicine in Chattanooga, is the medical director for the Mobile MOC program.
- The UT Health Science Center Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology provides mobile services to high-need rural areas in East Tennessee in partnership with the UT Knoxville College of Social Work, with a total outreach of 442 individuals since starting operation in April 2025.
- The College of Pharmacy’s Rural Health Certificate program enrolls students to prepare pharmacists for rural practice. This year, 48 students are enrolled, with 11 graduating in May 2026.
- The Tennessee Population Health Consortium is extending its innovative Neighborhood Health Hub Program into rural Hardin and Decatur counties, providing essential health screening and coaching for obesity, hypertension, and diabetes with the support of the Tennessee Department of Health and its Healthcare Resiliency Program.
“The health of rural communities in America is a national problem,” said UT Health Science Center Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD. “We are extremely grateful and excited to partner with other vital institutions across Tennessee in enabling excellent care and innovation as a model for improving rural health care across America.”
The team leading the Center of Excellence includes faculty and staff members of the university statewide. College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, is the principal investigator. She is also the executive director and special advisor for rural health for UT Health Science Center.
“We are honored that the UT Health Science Center has been selected to lead this important initiative for the state and look forward to collaborating with stakeholders across Tennessee to work toward the goal of improving health care in rural Tennessee,” Dr. Likes said.
Professor Jim Bailey, MD, MPH, of the College of Medicine, is the co-principal investigator. Dr. Bailey is also the executive director of the Tennessee Population Health Consortium. “Tennessee’s Rural Health Care Center of Excellence will partner with rural communities across the state—providing technical assistance, research evidence, workforce development, and strategic investments—to support the development and implementation of innovative approaches to increase access to essential preventive and primary care,” Dr. Bailey said.
UT Health Science Center Vice Chancellor for Research Jessica Snowden, MD, is a member of the Center of Excellence grant team. “By investing in projects that reflect the unique needs of our small towns and farming regions, we can close gaps in access, bring cutting-edge care closer to home, and ensure that every Tennessean—no matter their zip code—benefits from the best that modern medicine has to offer,” she said. “The Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence can serve as the backbone of new programs to improve health outcomes across the state of Tennessee and serve as a model for rural communities across the country.”
During the first year for the Center of Excellence, the commissioner of the Department of Health will appoint a steering committee to serve as an advisory group and partner with center leadership to direct the planning and implementation of grants and other activities.
An internal advisory board will be chaired by Phil Wenk, DDS, to identify communities and partners that will help expand the reach of the Center of Excellence. Dr. Wenk, an alumnus of the UT Health Science Center College of Dentistry, is the retired president and CEO of Delta Dental of Tennessee and current president of the Smile180 Foundation. He is the former chair of the UT Health Science Center Advisory Board.
“Dr. Wendy Likes has taken the lead on a project commissioned by the Tennessee Department of Health, which is consistent with the strategies of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to address health care disparities in our state,” Dr. Wenk said. “UT Health Science Center has been chosen as the Center of Excellence to lead this newly created program, and the charge is to provide innovative recommendations and solutions to improve health care statewide. Dr. Likes has proven her expertise and willingness to lead change throughout her time as the dean of the College of Nursing, and she will engage with other deans and partnerships beyond UT Health Science Center, including the UT System. I look forward to seeing and working with Dr. Likes to find new ways to improve the health of Tennesseans.”
The Center of Excellence will be built around five cores. The administrative core will provide technical support and foster collaboration to drive change in rural health care. The evaluation core will define and share impact. The planning and implementation core will identify and pilot innovative solutions. The sustainability and dissemination core will share best practices across the state. The practice optimization core will partner with health care practices to identify sustainable funding to optimize health care practice.
In addition to Drs. Likes, Bailey, and Snowden, the grant team includes a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders: Allen Stanton, DMin, director of strategic partnerships for the College of Dentistry; Ashley Harkrider, PhD, interim dean of the College of Health Professions; James Haynes, MD, dean of the College of Medicine in Chattanooga; Rebecca Baker, CEO of Synergy 3C and an alumna of the College of Nursing; Tyler Melton, PharmD, MPH, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy; Satya Surbhi, PhD, associate professor in the College of Medicine; Tyra Girdwood, PhD, RN, assistant professor in the College of Nursing; and Matthew Harris, PhD, Boyd Distinguished Professor of Health Economics at UT Knoxville.