As rural hospitals face declining reimbursement rates and worsening workforce shortages, Tennessee is among the states being hit the hardest. A recent report from the Physicians Advocacy Institute found that from 2019 to 2024, rural Tennessee lost 42% of its independent physicians and 44% of its independent medical practices.
Meharry Medical College, a private, historically Black medical school affiliated with the United Methodist Church, is trying to address the need for dental care with roving mobile units offering affordable services in underserved communities.
Dr. Julie Gray, associate dean of community affairs at Meharry Medical College, leads Meharry’s dental mobile efforts and says the units are currently serving Bedford County, a largely rural county with many patients living below the poverty line who lack insurance.
Gray, a 1999 graduate of Meharry’s School of Dentistry, spoke with U.S. News in February. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What is the state of rural health in Tennessee and which groups are being impacted by the decline in rural health services the most?
“The state of health and dental in Tennessee has very much been affected by the decline. Many people are uninsured and lack access to care as a result, and are seeking out alternative methods of coming to the dentist.
“They are waiting until they have urgent and emergent needs because they’re letting their dental needs go untreated.”
What do the units offer residents that they can’t get from local health providers?
“What we really like to do is try to take care of patients before they have a problem. We offer major preventative healthcare – cleaning their teeth, taking care of any fillings before they turn into a root canal that they could not afford and having a tooth extracted.
“These mobile dental units are really accessible to try to meet patients where they are, who may not have transportation. They take care of their needs for their regular maintenance before they have urgent and emergent needs and have to show up in an emergency room, which would be a much higher cost.”
