Leading business, health care and civic officials will hold a forum on January 22 focusing on the chronically poor health condition of Hamilton County and Tennessee residents. The summit will address how Tennessee’s decades-long position as one of the nation’s unhealthiest states poses risk to the economic potential and quality of life of Chattanooga-area and Tennessee communities, and will also identify state- and community-led initiatives to improve health outcomes.
The forum will be held in the University Center Auditorium on the campus of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 642 East 5th Street, Chattanooga, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Complimentary parking will be provided. Hosts include The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Area Chamber, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and the Tennessee Business Roundtable.
Speakers and panelists will include JD Hickey, executive vice president and COO, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee; Claude Ramsey, former Hamilton County mayor; Mike McKee, president, McKee Foods; Bill Kilbride, president and CEO, Chattanooga Area Chamber; Dr. Keith Helton, CEO, One to One Personal Physicians Network; Rick Johnson, CEO, Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness; Dr. Allyson Cornell, Southeast Regional Medical Director, Tennessee Department of Health; Dr. Valerie Rutledge, dean of the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies; and Dr. Valerie Boaz, Hamilton County Department of Health.
“Tennesseans may not fully understand the depth and the consequences of the problem,” Johnson said. “The cost, year after year, in human suffering and massive amounts of capital cannot – and should not – be sustained. However, if we can come together and commit to addressing this important issue, we can help people change their unhealthy behaviors and ultimately improve our quality of life, reduce health care costs and reduce the cost of doing business in Tennessee.”
“In the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies, we are committed to providing highly skilled healthcare professionals who take a comprehensive approach to patient care,” said Rutledge. “It is important for our students and graduates to understand not only the clinical diagnostics and procedures necessary for healthcare delivery, but also the payment structure and care management environments that their patients experience.”
The 2014 America’s Health Rankings, an annual report published by UnitedHealth Foundation, ranks Tennessee No. 45 among all states in health status.
A number of our most troubling indicators are even worse – diabetes (No. 46), obesity (47), physical inactivity (49), poor physical health days (49) and smoking (46). Tennesseans have a high rate of preventable hospital stays (46) and poor physical health days (49), statistics that illustrate the high costs of workplace absenteeism, disability and health insurance costs.
The cost of treating preventable, chronic disease in Tennessee is about $6 billion a year, according to analysis by the Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness.
The forum will focus on three key areas:
- A statistical snapshot of the health of the state, including the counties of Bledsoe, Bradley, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie;
- A panel comprised of regional business, economic development and health leaders will discuss how the area’s poor health status poses a threat to future economic opportunity, quality of life and to state and local financial resources; and
- Improving the area’s health profile will require local solutions involving health, business, political and civic leadership, innovative policies and increased access to care.
To register for the event, visit this website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chattanooga-health-forum-tickets-15093006589.
