ETSU Tobacco Researchers Present Their Findings in Nashville

Tennessee ranks 46th nationally for the number of adults who smoke and this problem is particularly bad in northeast Tennessee where the adult smoking rate is up to 40% in some counties.  As part of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) State Innovation Model (SIM) plans, Tennessee has been working to improve population health in a number of areas, including tobacco cessation.       

With support from the Tennessee Department of Health, Dr. Hadii Mamudu and Dr. Mary Ann Littleton have been leading an effort to gather stakeholder information on tobacco control opportunities in the northeast Tennessee region.  The process began with health council meetings, key informant interviews, and community meetings conducted by ETSU College of Public Health faculty and doctoral students.  The process culminated in a regional meeting in November 2015. 

The Regional Population Health Improvement Plan (PHIP) Stakeholders’ meeting was held at the Valleybrook Campus.  An article was published on the meeting in the Johnson City Press.

At the Regional Stakeholder Meeting findings from PHIP process were presented along with regional best practices discovered through the process.  Attendees were able to review recommendations and provide suggestions at the regional meeting. Dr. Hadii Mamudu stated, “The prevalence of tobacco use in northeast Tennessee is above the average of the state and entire country. The Population Health Improvement Plan (PHIP) for the cessation of tobacco use is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project administered though the Tennessee Department of Health to address this public health problem through population-based approach.”

A total of 222 individuals representing 91 separate organizations participated in the PHIP activities. Several goals and recommendations emerged through this process, including continuation and increasing funding for tobacco control through the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) revenue or tobacco settlement money and removing the state tobacco preemption to allow the development of locally home-grown and culturally tailored best practices for tobacco control.

In March 2016, Dr. Hadii Mamudu, Dr. Mary Ann Littleton, and Crystal Robertson, a Master of Public Health student employed at the Regional Health Department, presented the plan in Nashville to Tennessee’s SIM team and four other participating academic institutions.  The SIM team will be traveling to Johnson City in April 2016 to present the state PHIP plans developed from the work of ETSU PHIP team and the other institutions.