As 2025 draws to a close, one truth remains impossible to ignore: families across Middle Tennessee are still confronting significant challenges in meeting basic needs. Housing costs continue to climb, food insecurity has risen to more than 40% among families with children, and rapid regional growth has intensified transportation and childcare barriers. Behind those statistics are parents navigating multiple jobs and families struggling to keep pace with the cost of living.
In Middle Tennessee, the state’s fastest-growing region, these social drivers of health have an outsized impact. Access to affordable housing, reliable transportation, healthy food, and early childhood support determines health outcomes long before an appointment with a provider. If we want stronger, healthier communities, addressing those factors must be a shared responsibility.
This year, Wellpoint Tennessee worked alongside community partners across Nashville, Clarksville, and Murfreesboro to meet these needs directly. Our Community Baby Showers in Nashville helped expand access to care by providing expecting and new parents with support ranging from diapers and safe-sleep education to direct connections with local clinicians and community health workers. Middle Tennessee has seen a rise in maternal health disparities, particularly for low-income families and families of color. Providing early support helps reduce preventable complications and builds a stronger foundation for infant health…