ETSU Center for Rural Health and Research

We're excited to share that CRHR's Dr. Kayla Alvis will be speaking at the Rural Sociological Society Annual Meeting this weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Dr. Alvis will present during the session, "Aging in Rural Places," where she'll share community perspectives on aging across Tennessee and highlight CRHR's research on healthy aging in rural communities.

📍 Saturday, August 1
🕐 1:00 p.m.
📍 Reynolds Room

If you're attending the conference, be sure to stop by and learn how community voices are helping shape healthier, more age-friendly rural communities.

Congratulations to CRHR’s Dr. Qian Huang, who has been elected to the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Board of Directors as an At-Large Board Member!

Qian has been actively involved with ESIP for several years, including receiving ESIP Lab funding to support research using data and technology to address disaster preparedness.

We are excited to see Qian bring her expertise in geospatial science, data visualization, natural hazards, and public health to this national leadership role.

Congratulations, Qian!

Today is .

Hepatitis C disproportionately affects rural communities. In 2022, the rate of newly reported chronic hepatitis C was 58.5 cases per 100,000 people in rural areas, compared with 37.1 per 100,000 in urban areas.

Expanding access to hepatitis C testing and treatment is an important part of improving rural health. Hepatitis C can be cured, and getting tested is the first step toward treatment.

ETSU will be hosting its 1st Annual East Tennessee Substance Use Mentored Research Program (EMSUR) Summer Training Program Symposium. The NIDA funded program will feature 13 undergraduate students across four institutions presenting their addiction related research. The symposium will be held on August 5,2026 from 830AM-1PM. For more information contact Manik Ahuja at [email protected]. Faculty, staff, students and the public are welcome to attend. Register here at https://etsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezVXjnYaOLYoeAm.

Can I safely eat lettuce now?

With a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce, you may be wondering whether it’s time to skip the salad.

You don’t necessarily need to avoid lettuce altogether. Pay attention to current recalls, don’t eat recalled products, and take a few extra precautions when buying and preparing fresh produce.

Our graphic breaks down a few simple steps, including choosing whole heads of lettuce and continuing to wash fresh produce before eating or preparing it.

And remember: washing produce can help reduce contamination, but it does not guarantee that Cyclospora will be removed.

Learn more about the outbreak and current food safety recommendations from the FDA.

https://ow.ly/Cnk050Zrq1t

Join us tomorrow at NACCHO360!

📅 8:00–9:00 a.m.
📍 Room L 014

Discover how collaboration and data can strengthen community decision-making during this session featuring Qian Huang of the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research and John Vick of the Tennessee Department of Health.

They'll share how the Tennessee Livability Indicators Dashboard was developed to consolidate hard-to-find county-level social determinants of health data into a single, easy-to-use platform. Created through the Tennessee Livability Collaborative, the dashboard helps communities support planning, funding decisions and community health assessments while providing a scalable model for other states and organizations.

If you're attending , don't miss this opportunity to learn how partnerships and data can drive healthier communities.

Our first CRHR newsletter on Substack is here! 🎉 Read about the 2026 Annual Report, Dr. Casey Balio's new role as director of research, updates to the Tennessee Vitality Toolkit, and our recent graduates. Read more!

https://ow.ly/iGn550ZnPYx