Fifteen TBR community and technical colleges awarded grants to expand access to health care career programs
Fifteen Tennessee community and technical colleges across the state are receiving nearly $28.8 million to expand access to education and career pathways in high-demand health care fields through the state’s rural health initiative, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced May 21.
Ten Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and five community colleges are among the 20 institutions statewide receiving Rural Health Care Pathways Expansion (RHCPE) Grants of up to $2 million each, as announced by THEC. The grant funding is a key initiative to strengthen Tennessee’s rural health care workforce – and the health of residents – by expanding access to education and career pathways into health care, behavioral health, and dental health professions.
Tennessee Board of Regents colleges awarded the RHCPE Grants are:
- Chattanooga State Community College - $2 million
- Columbia State Community College - $2 million
- Dyersburg State Community College - $2million
- Northeast State Community College - $884,404
- Walters State Community College - $1,898,617
- Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Athens - $2 million
- TCAT Crump - $2 million
- TCAT Dickson - $2 million
- TCAT Hartsville - $2 million
- TCAT Jackson - $2 million
- TCAT Knoxville - $2 million
- TCAT McMinnville - $2 million
- TCAT Morristown - $2 million
- TCAT Oneida/Huntsville - $2 million
- TCAT Pulaski - $1,996,731
“By investing in these institutions, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable health care workforce in Tennessee’s rural communities,” said Dr. Steven Gentile, Executive Director of THEC. “These partnerships will help students explore careers in health care earlier, transition into postsecondary education more seamlessly, and advance professionally within their chosen fields.”
The RHCPE Grant supports a variety of evidence-based strategies, including: increasing high school students’ exposure to health care careers, strengthening pathways into health science education and employment, and enhancing career advancement opportunities within the health care sector
Through this initiative, THEC continues its commitment to addressing workforce shortages and improving health outcomes in Tennessee’s rural areas by building strong, data-informed pathways into essential health care roles.
THEC would like to thank the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Department of Education, and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for their partnership and support in this initiative.
For more information about the Rural Health Care Pathways Expansion Grant, visit www.tn.gov/thec.
The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 24 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving approximately 140,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.