State spotlights investments into West Tennessee health facilities
INVESTING IN HEALTH CARE ACCESS & PARTNERSHIPS ARE STATE PRIORITIES FOR PATIENT CARE IN WEST TENNESSEE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s Health Commissioner joined local health care executives and leaders at five West Tennessee health departments and hospitals this week to see how more than $16.4 million of state and local grant funding and investment is expanding access to quality health care facilities and services for patients.
Photo: “BMH TDH ICU Expansion Review” (L to R): • Denise Ferguson, Chief Nursing Officer, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville • Dr. Ralph Alvarado, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Health • Lindsay Stencel, Administrator and CEO, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville • Keith Norman, Vice President and Chief Government Affairs and Community Relations Officer, Baptist Memorial Health Care • Nick Lewis (in background), Chief Facilities and Environmental Safety Officer, Baptist Memorial Health Care • John Curran, System Director of Facilities Construction & Renovation, Baptist Memorial Health Care Photo Cutline: State Health Commissioner Dr. Ralph Alvarado reviews plans for the expansion of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville’s intensive care unit during the Commissioner’s recent West Tennessee tour of health care systems and hospitals with completed, planned, and underway facility improvements through Health Resiliency Program grant awards from the Tennessee Department of Health.
“Health care in the entire West Tennessee region is greatly improved because of the dedication of many health care leaders to their communities and their pursuit of partnerships that benefit and serve patients,” Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP said. “Leadership in both the public and private sectors is exactly how we improve the culture of health and healthcare in Tennessee, and how our state becomes the model in the southeast U.S. for meeting the needs of citizens where they live, work, play, and worship.”
On Monday, Dr. Alvarado toured local health departments in Henderson and Carroll counties where the Tennessee Department of Health is joining local governments in investments to renovating and building new community health facilities.
The Henderson County Health Department is pursuing new construction of a facility using $3.1 million in state and local funding, while the Carroll County Health Department is devoting $495,000 to renovations.
“We are looking forward to the opportunities a new facility in Henderson County and a renovated facility in Carroll County will bring as we continue to provide services to the residents in these counties,” Henderson and Carroll County Health Department Director, Emily Rushing said. “Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the state and local entities whose funding made these projects possible.”
Tuesday, Dr. Alvarado celebrated the success of TDH’s Healthcare Resiliency Program and the HRP’s $9.1 million grant award to Baptist Memorial Health Care in 2023.
Baptist Memorial Health Care will use $5.5 million of HRP grant funding to renovate and double the intensive care unit size, from seven to 14 beds, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Collierville, Tenn.
Also, Baptist Memorial Health Care’s West Tennessee Virtual Care Project will receive $3.6 million of the HRP grant funding to expand access to medical services through technology and
meet the growing health care demands at three hospitals, in Carroll, Tipton, and Union counties.
”Baptist Memorial Health Care is delighted to receive $9 million in funding from the Tennessee Department of Health’s Healthcare Resiliency Program,” said Keith Norman, VP/chief government affairs and community relations officer for Baptist Memorial Health Care. “With this funding, we are addressing the region’s top health needs and advancing access to quality health care in West Tennessee.”
Also during Shelby County visits Tuesday, Dr. Alvarado met with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare to see how the healthcare system is serving patients facing chronic conditions.
TDH awarded Methodist Le Bonheur a $3 million HRP grant to establish a chronic disease education and support program designed to improve patient outcomes through evidence based care, self-management, and referrals.
“We are excited to offer this impactful, proven and life-changing health program to our entire community,” said Cato Johnson, senior vice president and chief of staff for Methodist Le Bonheur. “Our program, through generous funding from the Tennessee Department of Health, allows us to directly respond to many of the health challenges identified in our Community Health Needs Assessment, specifically to empower people to better understand and best manage their chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancer, arthritis, and more. Our six-week free courses address medication management, mind-body connection, exercise, nutrition and health literacy, all of which can positively influence the longevity of a person’s health and well-being.”
Dr. Alvarado finished his West Tennessee visit Wednesday, at the Henderson County Community Hospital, in Lexington, Tenn., where the hospital will devote $687,000 of HRP grant funding to expand access to inpatient and outpatient emergency services.
TDH’s HRP grants are the result of the Tennessee Resiliency Plan and its oversight by the State of Tennessee’s Financial Stimulus Accountability Group, a bipartisan legislative and executive branch committee charged with planning the use of federal funding available to states through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Tennessee received $3.9 billion in total ARPA funds, with $230 million committed to TDH to fund healthcare modernization and transformation projects in the state.
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