Join the Tennessee Health Care Conference
Call for Proposals - Now Open!
September 18 & 19
University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
Conference Agenda
All times listed in Eastern Daylight Time
This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of grassroots advocacy and current policy issues/priorities. It will identify and employ selected skills for strategic communications to promote system change to improve health and health care. (2.5 Nursing Contact Hours; 2.73 Social Work CEUs)
Presenters: Tracey Stansberry, PhD, MSN, APRN, is a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Graduate Certificate in Health Policy Program Coordinator at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing. She worked as an oncology advanced practice registered nurse for nearly two decades and currently focuses on teaching, health policy advocacy, health services research, and rural community service.
Carole Myers PhD, RN, FAAN is a Professor Emerita with the University of Tennessee College of Nursing, policy advocate and researcher, host of HealthConnections radio program on WUOT, the Knoxville NPR-affiliate, and former Fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University.
Medicine Man: The Stan Brock Story
A captivating documentary following the unlikely journey of British-born Amazonian cowboy turned star of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, Stan Brock, as he sacrifices everything for his life-changing mission to bring free healthcare to remote and underserved communities across America. Join Stan on an inspirational adventure that sees him go from wrestling giant anacondas on TV to grappling with one of the biggest social issues of our time.
(Movie is 1 hour 36 minutes)
(4.5 Nursing Contact Hours; 4.91 Social Work CEUs)
9:00am – 10:00am Registration and Light Breakfast
10:00 am – 10:15am Welcome and Introduction of the Keynote Speaker by Georgita Washington, Ph.D., RN, MSN, MACM; THCC Education Committee Chair
Presenter: Rebecca Adkins Fletcher, Ph.D. (she/her)
Associate Professor, Department of Appalachian Studies; Assistant Director, Center for Appalachian Studies & Services; Director, Governor's School for Tennessee History and Environmental Studies; Co-Editor, Appalachian Places: Stories from the Highlands Magazine, East Tennessee State University
Dr. Fletcher will discuss place-based approaches, including syndemics, bright spots, and vital places, to explore models of addressing SDOH. A syndemic approach emphasizes understanding the how diseases and their underlying social, economic, and environmental drivers affect health. Bright Spots are communities or regions that demonstrate better-than-expected health outcomes despite their resources and other impactful characteristics. Vital Places are community spaces that support health, such as healthy food sources, recreational facilities, and gathering spaces.
Session 1: Unraveling the Web: Strategies for Navigating Healthcare-related Mis/disinformation in the Social Media Era.
This session will describe a successful community outreach effort founded in 2021 with funding from the *Tennessee Department of Health and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Presenter: Melissa J. Geist, EdD, MSN, PPCNP-BC, FNP-BC, Professor of Nursing, Whitson-Hester School of Nursing, Board Certified Family and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Tennessee Tech University
Session 2:Un-Natural Supports: The Familial Responsibility in a Complex Healthcare System
This session will explore the lived experience of parenting a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Tennessee, with a focus on how families manage care within a complex and often fragmented healthcare system.
Presenters: Chrissy Hood- Peer Support Coordinator, Family Voices of Tennessee;
Tonya Bowman, M.S.- Family Resource Specialist, Family Voices of Tennessee
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BACKGROUND: Current efforts in Washington to reduce federal spending on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and other agencies that work in partnership with states to promote health and welfare could have significant consequences for state budgets and for services directed at underserved communities. This panel will focus on the projected changes in the federal budget and how those will impact state investments in TennCare, Cover Kids, the Adult Health and Mental Health Safety Net programs, rural health infrastructure and other public health programs. Panelists will also discuss how advocacy efforts can be targeted to minimize the impact of federal cuts on Tennessee communities.
PANELISTS:
- Mandy Spears, Executive Vice President/Deputy Director, The Sycamore Institute
- State Senator Jeff Yarbro, Democrat, Senate Health Committee member
- State Representative Renea Jones, Republican, House Insurance Committee member
MODERATOR: Carole R. Myers PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University and Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Tennessee Health Care Campaign
The Tennessee Health Care Campaign (THCC) is a statewide, non-partisan, non-profit health care advocacy organization that was founded in 1989. Since its inception, THCC has been dedicated to promoting access to affordable, quality, and equitable health care for ALL Tennesseans. To achieve this mission, the organization focuses on three key areas: public education, legislative and administrative advocacy, and direct assistance. Specifically, THCC helps Tennessee families enroll in TennCare, CoverKids, and Affordable Health Care Marketplace plans, ensuring that more individuals receive the coverage they need.

Tennessee Health Care Campaign Conference
This year’s conference will take place on Thursday and Friday, September 18 & 19, 2025, on the campus of University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
THCC is seeking proposals for two concurrent sessions at its annual Education and Advocacy Conference, where participants can choose between two topics per session. This event brings together local, regional, and national speakers to advance our mission of ensuring all Tennesseans have affordable access to health care.

Submit Your Proposal – Next Call for Proposals Will Be Announced Soon
This year’s conference will take place on Thursday and Friday, September 18 & 19, 2025, on the campus of University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
📅 Submission Deadline: July 11, 2025
📍 Conference Date: September 18-19, 2025 – University of Tennessee, Chattanooga