Tennessee nurse leaders take on social determinants

Two Tennessee nurse leaders are addressing housing, education, transportation, employment and other nonmedical factors that have a profound influence on mental and physical health. As clinical director of the Tennessee Department of Health’s Office of Primary Prevention, Patti Scott, DNP, PNP, is nurturing the minds of the state’s youngest residents and promoting the development of a nursing workforce that can bridge the delivery of health care and social needs. Meanwhile, the state’s former health commissioner, Susan Cooper, MSN, RN, is spearheading a program to address the social needs of chronically uninsured patients at Regional One Health, in Memphis. “We’ve been able to show that, with a modest investment, you can create great human and financial returns,” says Cooper, who serves as the hospital’s senior vice president and chief integration officer. (Campaign for Action story, 9/6/19)