March 2016

Only a few months in, we are on a roll! With your support, NashvilleHealth is in the midst of impactful relationship building, shared learning and creating change.  As we begin our work, NashvilleHealth has three initial areas of focus: tobacco cessation and prevention, hypertension and child health.

In recent weeks, we have supported a statewide “Quittin’ Time” campaign to curb tobacco use, launched our working group on tobacco control and, importantly, influenced increased access to proven smoking cessation therapies for TennCare enrollees. Read more below …

Quit Week Draws Attention to Dangers of Tobacco

NashvilleHealth joined a statewide coalition to draw attention to tobacco use and promote cessation during the recent It’s Quittin’ Time campaign spearheaded by the Tennessee Department of Health. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths and disease in the U.S., and statewide, more than 11,000 deaths each year are caused by smoking. It’s estimated over 100,000 Nashvillians smoke. Kristy (pictured above), a Tennessean who experienced a lung collapse at 33 due to tobacco use, serves as a national spokesperson on the dangers of smoking. Her story, here.

If you, a friend, or loved one is interested in quitting smoking, click here  to learn about free cessation opportunities in Nashville.

NashvilleHealth and Partners See Success in Promoting Smoking Cessation

NashvilleHealth, Vanderbilt and other partners actively encouraged a move by TennCare to exempt proven cessation drugs from monthly drug limits for enrollees.  TennCare recently approved this change, and the new policy is now in effect, broadening access for those who want to quit.  With annual health care costs to the state of more than $2.6 billion due to smoking, increasing access to cessation aids is vital to improving population health and reducing long-term spending.

NashvilleHealth Kicks Off Tobacco Working Group 

Tennessee quit week created a lot of interest, and we want to keep the momentum going! NashvilleHealth convened its inaugural Tobacco Working Group meeting which brought together more than 35 community, government and business leaders who have a shared interest in reducing tobacco use in Davidson County. This far-reaching group will help guide NashvilleHealth’s efforts around tobacco prevention and cessation interventions in Nashville. To join this group, click here.

Vanderbilt Health Policy & NashvilleHealth Convene Experts on Tobacco Control 

Nashville’s smoking rate of 21% is higher than nearly all of our peer cities, which affects our competitiveness and leads to high health care costs. We recently partnered with the Vanderbilt School of Medicine Department of Health Policy to bring together national experts on tobacco control to determine what evidence-based, effective strategies have been deployed in the clinical setting, via media, through policy levers, and by community engagement, to make a meaningful dent in smoking rates. These strategies will be presented to the Tobacco Working Group for feedback.

Next Up: Tackling Hypertension

NashvilleHealth has kicked off our tobacco efforts, and we plan to next turn our attention to addressing the ~30% of Nashvillians with high blood pressure. If you are interested in getting involved in our hypertension efforts, click here.

In the News
Sen. Bill Frist: Tennessee quit week a first step to a healthier Nashville.
Healthy Nashville Summit: Building Healthy Brains – April 22

Launched last fall by U.S. Senator Bill Frist, NashvilleHealth is a bold new initiative that creates a culture of health and well-being by serving as a convener to open dialogue, align resources and build smart strategic partnerships to forge a dynamic plan to measurably improve the health of all Nashvillians.