At Tennessee Health Care Campaign (THCC), our mission is simple: to ensure that every Tennessean – no matter their ZIP code, income or background – can access quality, affordable health care close to home.
But as we talk with families across the state, we’re hearing more and more heartbreaking stories of people going without care because it’s simply out of reach, especially in our rural communities. In 70 out of our 95 counties, at least half of Tennesseans live in rural areas. Since 2010, we’ve had 13 rural hospital closures.
Rural access to care is weakening, and it’s putting the health of entire communities at risk. Emergency departments, maternity wards and oncology units are shutting down at local hospitals because facilities don’t have the funding to keep these specialized services running…