Dr. Hemant Jain is the director of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Journey Health Foundation Research Center, housed in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. Photo by Angela Foster.
The Research for Evidence-based Action in Community Health (REACH) Fund was established earlier this year through the Journey Health Foundation Research Center housed in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In less than one year, it’s already funding 10 interdisciplinary projects focused on improving community health across Southeast Tennessee.
The projects bring together UTC faculty and community partners to address issues tied to the social determinants of health (SDoH), including healthcare access, transportation, food security, environmental health, emergency response equity, behavioral health and healthy aging.
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2026 REACH Fund Recipients
Assessing Equity in Emergency Response Services
Led by Data Analytics Professor of Practice Damitha Bandara, this project analyzes 911 emergency response data across Hamilton County. The project aims to improve equitable access to lifesaving emergency services. Bandara is working with local emergency response agencies and geographic information system (GIS) tools to identify whether some neighborhoods experience longer emergency response times than others.
Improving Access to Preventive Pediatric Care
Physical Therapy Professor David Levine partnered with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine — Chattanooga and the Department of Pediatrics at Erlanger Health System. This project examines how transportation, housing stability and other SDoH affect children’s attendance at well-child visits. Researchers will use data to identify regions where families face the greatest barriers to preventive care, with the goal of improving childhood health outcomes.
BALANCE Hamilton: Preventing Falls Among Older Adults
Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy Erin Melhorn is leading BALANCE Hamilton to create a countywide fall surveillance framework. The project will identify neighborhoods where older adults face elevated fall risks and help guide prevention efforts. Melhorn is collaborating with Erlanger Health System and Hamilton County Health and Social Services Departments to combine hospital, emergency response and community data.
Stylists as Community Care Connectors
Farron Kilburn and Beth Miller are project managers from UTC’s College of Nursing and Counseling Center. Their regional pilot project trains hair stylists across Southeast Tennessee to connect clients with free and low-cost mental health, healthcare and domestic violence resources. This project builds upon the ChaCareConnector.org resource developed by the UTC College of Nursing and includes collaborations with Partnership for Families, Children, and Adults and UTC’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program.
Data-Driven Insights into Chronic Disease and Health Disparities
Assistant Professor of Data Analytics Guisen Xue is partnering with Erlanger Health System and community organizations to forecast healthcare needs. The project is using advanced analytics to study the social and economic factors linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and depression. The goal is to support more targeted interventions and improve health outcomes across the Chattanooga region.
SHIELD: Community Health Screenings at the Library
Assistant Professor of Nursing Jason Peter is leading the SHIELD project. This initiative will bring preventive health screenings directly to residents through a partnership with the Chattanooga Public Library. UTC nurse practitioner students will partner with social work students to provide screenings and connect participants with healthcare, mental health and social support resources.
Project IMPACT: Transportation Access Through Bicycles
Led by Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance Karissa Peyer Rein, Project IMPACT will study how access to bicycles impacts individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Community partners include White Oak Bicycle Co-op, Metropolitan Ministries and Volunteer Behavioral Health.
Food and Nutrition Security Surveillance Pilot
Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance Marissa McElrone is partnering with Chattanooga Area Food Bank. This project pilots a new system for tracking food and nutrition insecurity across Hamilton County. The effort aims to provide timely local data to better guide hunger-relief and nutrition initiatives.
Environmental Health Monitoring and Lead Exposure Evaluation
Professor Sean Richards and Adjunct Instructor Dawn Ford from the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science are co-leading a project with Research Associate Nyssa Hunt to conduct blood lead testing in Hamilton County communities. Their work focuses on South Chattanooga neighborhoods affected by historic industrial contamination. They have partnered with Blood Assurance and the Chattanooga Health Expo to identify ongoing environmental health risks and guide future remediation and public health action.
Evaluating Tennessee’s TN Together Opioid Policy
Assistant Professor in Health and Human Performance Youngeun (Heather) Lee is examining how Tennessee’s TN Together initiative has affected opioid overdose deaths across the state. The project explores how healthcare access and insurance coverage influence outcomes. It will also identify opportunities to strengthen opioid response efforts in Hamilton County and beyond.
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This research is made possible through the REACH Fund at the Journey Health Foundation Research Center, housed in UTC’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business Department of Data Analytics. The Fund provides up to $25,000 to support applied, community-engaged research focused on improving health outcomes and addressing the social determinants of health across the Chattanooga region.
Learn more
Gary W. Rollins College of Business
Journey Health Foundation Research Center
