Statements
Mission
The mission of TCCN is to support, educate, and represent non-profit organizations that provide charitable health care services to low-income, uninsured and under-served Tennesseans.
Background
The Tennessee Charitable Care Network (TCCN) was established in 2014 to ensure that Tennessee's charitable care organizations are equipped to efficiently respond to the health care needs of vulnerable populations now and into the future. Faced with common challenges, such as the changing healthcare landscape, limited financial resources, reliance on volunteers versus full-time staff, and a lack of training resources, key leaders within the state's charitable clinics identified the need for a statewide membership association. TCCN was initiated by these leaders to provide a collective voice for charitable clinics, along with the resources and expertise needed to tackle shared challenges effectively and efficiently. The leadership and collaboration provided by TCCN ensure that charitable clinics can successfully meet patient needs while navigating the changing environment, improving systems and quality, and developing services tailored to the unique needs and assets of each community.
Impact
TCCN's Accomplishments: Resources, Relationships, Results.
Tennesseans living in 70 of the state's 95 counties can access health care from TCCN member clinics and programs in 60 locations. TCCN has 42 organizational members that provide health care, dental care, care coordination for specialty needs, and services that address social determinants of health to low-income, uninsured Tennesseans. On average, each Member clinic or organization works with volunteers who donate 19,000 clinical and non-clinical volunteer hours per month in order to serve the needs of their patients. Through our advocacy work, and in building relationships with key legislators, a total of $30.4 million in state allocated funding to support the Uninsured Adult Healthcare Safety Net Program in FY24 administered by the Tennessee Department of Health State Office of Rural Health and Health Access . In September 2023, TCCN's Annual Conference, Transformational Leadership, took place in Nashville with excellent attendance and evaluation results.
Funding: Organizational Members have access to funding that they would not otherwise have had. TCCN is passing through almost $10,000,000 in grant funding directly to members in the form of subawards from 2021-2024.
Education: Organizational Members have knowledge and information with which to plan, deliver, and evaluate quality healthcare to vulnerable populations.
Advocacy: Policymakers, the healthcare community, funders, and the general public understand, appreciate, and support the charitable healthcare sector in Tennessee.
Needs
Increased funding to implement services and programs that enhance the capacity of charitable care organizations to provide health care, dental care, medication assistance, behavioral health and referral to specialty care services to Tennessee's uninsured, under-insured and under-served population. TCCN never competes with its members for funding which limits its fundraising opportunities. In addition, since our members are community and faith-based clinics that operate on incredibly small budgets, TCCN has very low membership fees to allow all to participate. TCCN has instituted a policy of allowing fiscally distressed potential members have a year of free membership so they can plan to budget for the dues and learn about the many, valuable benefits of being in the Network.
CEO Statement
TCCN's member clinics and programs are led and staffed by heroes in communities across Tennessee who simply cannot close their eyes to the healthcare needs of those who fall into what is often referred to as the 'coverage gap.' Estimates of the number of individuals in the coverage gap range from 300,000 - 500,000. Ironically, the vast majority of these individuals are employed and many work two or more jobs. They simply cannot afford housing, food and healthcare insurance and are not eligible for TennCare. TCCN's members offer their neighbors in the coverage gap high quality, affordable (and/or free) healthcare services, providing continuity of care and reducing the number of unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Based on TCCN's Annual Survey results, (38 respondents), there are 6,423 Clinical and Non-Clinical volunteers annually, giving 227,772 volunteer hours annually.TCCN is honored to support its members with education, funding and representation and advocacy support.
Board Chair Statement
My experience with free and charitable clinics spans nearly two decades and for much of that, there was only a loosely knit bond among Tennessee's clinics. The decision to organize a network of clinics that serve uninsured, under-served and low-income Tennesseans has been transformational to the free and charitable clinics of the state. Tennessee Charitable Care Network (TCCN) provides networking and educational opportunities, support for member clinics and representation of our clinics publicly and legislatively. TCCN works with our clinics to form a "Body of Evidence" that will help us to communicate the amazing things we are doing! I am proud to be the Chairman of the TCCN Board of Directors! pastingMy experience with free and charitable clinics spans nearly two decades and for much of that, there was only a loosely knit bond among Tennessee's clinics. The decision to organize a network of clinics that serve uninsured, under-served and low income Tennesseans has been transformational to the free and charitable clinics of the state. Tennessee Charitable Care Network (TCCN) provides networking and educational opportunities, support for member clinics and representation of our clinics publicly and legislatively. TCCN works with our clinics to form a "Body of Evidence" that will help us to communicate the amazing things we are doing! I am proud to be the Chairman of the TCCN Board of Directors!
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Health Care - Alliances & Advocacy |
| Secondary Category: | - |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
TCCN members are located and serve 66 of Tennessee's 95 counties.
| TN |
