Two faculty members from Tennessee Tech University’s Whitson-Hester School of Nursing were recently honored by the Tennessee Public Health Association (TPHA) for their leadership in expanding health care access for children and families in rural communities.
Jennifer Mabry, professor of nursing, and Emily Lee, associate professor of nursing, received the Partners and Leadership (PAL) Award during the TPHA annual state conference in Murfreesboro. The PAL Award is presented to a non-public health professional, group or organization that has made a significant contribution to public health that is extraordinary and serves as an example for others.
Mabry and Lee were recognized for their work on the Collaboration for Healthcare Access in Rural Tennessee (CHART) initiative, an academic-practice partnership that provides free health screenings and promotes equitable access to care among medically underserved populations. Established by Mabry in 2021 with internal funding from the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing, CHART offers required health, vision, hearing and blood lead screenings at no cost to children ages 3 to 5 enrolled in LBJ&C Head Start programs across the Upper Cumberland…