ETSU Center for Rural Health Research releases second annual report
The Center for Rural Health Research, at the ETSU College of Public Health has released it second annual report.
The Center was established in 2019 by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee as a par of his efforts to improve the lives of people living in Tennessee’s most rural counties and was supported with a generous gift from Ballad Health.
Through partnerships on the state, regional and national level, the Center has secured over eight million dollars of additional funding.
The Center serves Appalachia and the nation through research and evaluation projects designed to improve the health and well-being of the people in the region. The Appalachian Highlands, the 21 counties in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, remains the core focus of the Center’s work, highlighted by the enduring partnership with Ballad Health. As one of seven federally funded Rural Health Research Centers, the Center Collaborates with the ETSU Addiction Science Center and the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis to provide studies designed to inform national rural health policy.
“We are so proud of all the Center has accomplished over the past three years. We have recruited world-class faculty and staff, engaged with partners locally, regionally, statewide and across the nation, and have developed a reputation as a trusted evaluator and research partner,” said co-director Mike Meit. “Our work for Ballad Health, the Tennessee Department of Health, federal agencies, foundations, and other public health partners has allowed us to grow rural research capacities that we continue to leverage to improve health and well-being in the Appalachian Highlands, across our state, and across our nation. We are grateful to all of our partners for their continued trust and support.”
In addition to its significant external funding, Center staff have published more than 20 articles in journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of Rural Health, and Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services.
Members of the Center have also presented findings and lead sessions at the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Annual Conference, National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Health Equity Conference, and American Public Health Association Annual Meeting among several others.
Center faculty also serve on several task forces, committees, and advisory boards that support causes at the local, regional, state, and national levels