Leading in rural health

March 22, 2023

This week, ETSU Health published its annual magazine, highlighting achievements and advances in health care and research. East Tennessee State University has long been a leader in the health sciences and rural health in particular. Through collaboration with community partners such as Ballad Health, ETSU provides care to high-need communities throughout the Appalachian Highlands and is at the center of cutting-edge research. 

Our health sciences faculty, staff, and students are leading projects on a variety of topics. For example, a team from ETSU recently received a $1.8 million NIH grant to focus on finding ways to restore the loss of a sense of smell. Members of ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy are developing methods to deliver medicine through the skin. Researchers from ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine are testing a fascinating theory that they may be able to cure heart failure by stimulating a nerve in the ear. And ETSU faculty have literally written the book on health in Appalachia, tackling issues ranging from opioid addiction to social determinants of health. 

The university also has strong ties with local hospitals and clinics, providing students with hands-on experience in rural health care settings. From our community health centers to our Nave Center for Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, from our Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic to the Overmountain Recovery Center, our students are making a meaningful difference in our communities long before they graduate. Through our Bishop Hall Center for Interprofessional Collaboration, ETSU Health Sciences students also gain a deep understanding of what it takes to work in a real-world health care setting and collaborate with other professionals from a variety of fields. 

As we seek to implement our vision for the future of the university as outlined in the Vision for 125, Chapter 2, expanding our impact in health care and further developing our reputation as a premier health sciences institution is critical. These goals not only align with our existing strengths but directly speak to our mission to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond.  

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Brian Noland
President, East Tennessee State University