University of Tennessee Martin receives mobile health unit through University of Tennessee System Grand Challenge Grant
The mobile health unit will be utilized by the Department of Nursing to help train nursing students as well as to provide healthcare services to community members.
University of Tennessee Martin has received a mobile health unit thanks to a University of Tennessee System Grand Challenge Grant. The Grand Challenge Grant provides grants to initiatives that seek to strengthen rural communities, help individuals overcome addiction, and advance K-12 education. The grant awarded three mobile health units, with the other two going to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the University of Tennessee Southern. The mobile health units will provide outreach, education, and training for individuals in rural communities, as well as for healthcare workers.
According to an article on the University of Tennessee Martin’s website, Dr. Mary Radford, who serves as the chair of the UT Martin Department of Nursing, was quoted as saying, “We used data from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] to identify the counties in each of our respective regions that were most in need of our services. Basically, the ones that had the worst health-care statistics in our area are Lake County and Carroll County. For instance, Carroll County and Lake County have both identified mental health, substance use and weight-management issues. We go out into these communities and we provide education, screenings and healthy giveaways with the hope of leading community members towards a healthier lifestyle. We are able to involve our students in this. It’s a great opportunity for the nursing students to not only practice their skills, but to interact with the community and to see that part of nursing care that is often overlooked. Being out in the community and providing for our rural areas in Tennessee is so important.”
The mobile health unit will help these rural communities gain access to healthcare with the goal of improving the overall health of residents. Additionally, the mobile health units pose an important opportunity for nursing students to receive hands-on training that will serve them in their future careers.
For more information about the University of Tennessee Martin, visit the school’s website.