TENNESSEE AWARDS $206 MILLION TO RURAL HEALTHCARE INITIATIVES ACROSS 44 COUNTIES
The Tennessee Department of Health has announced the initial 53 project awards under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), utilizing federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to enhance healthcare access and health outcomes across 44 rural counties. The grants focus on the Healthy Active Rural Tennessee (HART) priority, supporting nutrition, physical fitness, and community social programs through a mix of county governments and local nonprofits.
The awarded projects, recipient organizations, and their specific initiatives include:
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Anderson County: The Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge — Moving Together: A Community Wellness Initiative
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Bedford County: Bridge Bedford Inc — Riverview Active Living Corridor
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Blount County: Great Smoky Mountains Institute, Inc — Building Health Through Nature: Planning Tremont’s Education Pavilion in Rural Blount County; Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Bradley County: Cleveland City Schools — TDC HART; YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga — ROOTS (Rural Opportunities for Outdoor activity, Teamwork & Strong communities)
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Cheatham County: Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative; Tennessee Voices for Children, Inc. — Cultivating Wellness: Community Garden Initiative; Town of Ashland City — Active Ashland City Health, Heart and Sole
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Claiborne County: Claiborne County Government — Claiborne County Healthy Places and Active Living Initiative; Town of Cumberland Gap — Cumberland Gap Parks Improvement Project
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Clay County: Clay County Government — Safe Routes to Hermitage Springs Park
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Cocke County: Cocke County Cradle to Career Coalition — Youth-Led Development of a Complete Streets Plan for Cocke County; VETERANS IN FOCUS, INC — Veterans Park and Conference Center
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Coffee County: City of Manchester — Manchester Systemwide Parks and Recreation Master Plan; Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Decatur County: City of Parsons — City of Parsons Safe Pedestrian Corridor Planning Project
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Dyer County: Foundation of the Dyersburg/Dyer County Chamber of Commerce — Wild on the Wing Walking Trail; Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Fayette County: Mane Up Memphis — Mane Mindscape Community Wellness Tour
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Giles County: Boys and Girls Clubs of South Central Tennessee — Pulaski Boys and Girls Club – Natural Playscapes Project
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Grainger County: Clinch-Powell Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc — The Rutledge Active Living and Community Connectivity Initiative
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Grundy County: City of Altamont — City of Altamont Healthy Lifestyles Project; South Cumberland Community Fund — Activate Southern Grundy County Through Trails and Parks; Town of Tracy City — Tracy City Littell-Partin Center Healthy Lifestyle Project
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Hancock County: Hancock County Government — Hancock County Pedistrian plaza demostration
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Hawkins County: Hawkins County Schools — Healthy Active Hawkins County; Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Haywood County: Mane Up Memphis — Mane Mindscape Community Wellness Tour; Town of Whiteville — City of Whiteville Planning Project for Multi-Use Trail
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Houston County: City of Tennessee Ridge — Herb Gould Veterans Park Public Health Improvements
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Jefferson County: City of Jefferson City, Tennessee — Centennial Park Outdoor Exercise Equipment Installation; Jefferson County Mayor — Mossy Creek Wildlife Viewing Area Improvement Project
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Lauderdale County: Lauderdale County Schools — The Power of Play: Building a Playground Where Every Child Belongs
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Lawrence County: City of Lawrenceburg TN — Connecting Healthy Spaces
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Lewis County: Hope Hohenwald Inc — Building Hope Active Campus and Community Wellness Park
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Loudon County: Loudon County Economic Development Agency — Lenoir City Recreation Wayfinding
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Macon County: Macon Hospital, Inc — Macon Healthy Living and Child Development Project
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Marion County: Appalachian Conservation Institute — Healthy Access: Trail Navigation and Interpretation Improvements
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Marshall County: City of Lewisburg — 2026 Jones Park & Comprehensive Master Plan
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Maury County: Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Obion County: Obion County Public Library — Creating a Healthy Oasis; Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Putnam County: Cookeville Regional Medical Center Foundation — Community Wellness Loop; Nature Together — Trails Together: Community Audit and Active Living Initiative; Putnam County Government — Healthy Steps Community Park at Jere Whitson; Tennessee Central Heritage Rail Trail — Tennessee Central Rail Trail – West End to Cane Creek Connection
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Rhea County: City of Dayton — Dayton Active Living Enhancement Project
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Roane County: City of Rockwood — Rockwood Forest Trail Improvement Project; Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Rutherford County: City of Murfreesboro — MPRD We-Go Wheelchair Accessible Swing Project
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Scott County: Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cumberland Plateau — Healthy Active Scott County; Civic Design Center — Highlander Trail Connection Plan; Echoes of the Rail Foundation — Highlander Trail
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Sevier County: City of Gatlinburg Recreation Department — Mills Park Access; Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Sullivan/Unicoi Area: Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) Tri-Cities — Gateway to Trails – Unaka Bike Park (Serving Unicoi)
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Sumner County: Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative; Sumner County Board of Education — Sumner County Schools Districtwide Playground Accessibility Initiative
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Union County: City of Maynardville — Liberty Park Placemaking & Enhancement Project
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Warren County: City of McMinnville — Warren County Multi-River Health & Safety Trail
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Wayne County: City of Clifton — 2026 Clifton Ferry Loop Riverbank Restoration & Park Improvements; City of Mount Pleasant — 2026 Mount Pleasant Community Access and Safety Enhancements on 3rd Avenue
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Weakley County: Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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White County: Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Williamson County: Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
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Wilson County: Special Olympics Tennessee — Rural Inclusive Readiness Initiative
