Tennessee
Tennesseans who suffer from food insecurity face long-term health issues and complications
To improve health outcomes and promote preventive care, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is introducing a statewide initiative called FarmBoxRX.
What is food insecurity? How food deserts are impacting Americans.
What to know about food insecurity and how it impacts millions of Americans.
- Sherri Zink is senior vice president and chief data officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
Whenever I’m asked to share an example of health inequity that hits close to home, I think about how many Tennesseans struggle with food insecurity, particularly in urban areas.
There’s a misconception that food insecurity simply means people are at risk of starving. But it actually refers to the affordability and accessibility of nutritious food.
In other words, there may be a prevalence of processed and fast-food options within easy driving distance in many communities, but these areas lack grocery stores or markets that offer fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins. And some may be able to put food on the table but can’t afford the healthier choices.
Lack of access to nutritious food has long-term consequences
Food insecurity is a social driver of health, and several areas in Davidson County and Middle Tennessee are at increased risk. Within our health equity report, we define these drivers of health as obstacles that can lead to health disparities, or unfair and avoidable differences in health status.
A lack of nutritious food consumption can lead to long-term health issues and complications. We’ve seen these effects on our Medicare and Medicaid populations, particularly. Oftentimes senior members may lack transportation or family assistance to drive long distances for healthy food, much less the financial stability to afford it.
Many of our Medicaid members in the BlueCare Tennessee program are working multiple jobs to support their families and may rely solely on drive-thrus or canned goods from convenience stores to ensure everyone is fed.
This is a stressful reality for so many in our state. Each person’s life experiences and situations guide their health journey. And social drivers can affect anyone, not just those working to make ends meet. These factors can also correlate with racial and ethnic identities because of the historic inequities these groups have faced.
Our data has shown that maternal health, cancer screening, chronic condition management, child and adolescent well-care, and behavioral health are all negatively impacted by social drivers of health, particularly among minority populations. Debt burden, education level, language barriers, and community safety can all disproportionately impact these populations and their health care access.
Maternal and mental health care are among the disparities 2024 equity report identified
For example, someone living in an area without public transportation and who speaks English as a second language may struggle to find a doctor and schedule a preventive care visit. That’s why BlueCross is taking proactive steps to address these drivers before they develop into health conditions.
Community-based solutions can aid in tackling food insecurity
Our BlueCare team has worked to decrease food insecurity in rural areas across the state by supporting the creation and maintenance of community food gardens. These gardens support those living in food deserts. They’re a supplement for people who rely on social services, food pantries, and food banks to meet nutrition needs as well. BlueCare has also partnered with Nashville Community Fridge, providing fresh produce and pantry goods to families in need.
To improve health outcomes and promote preventive care, we’re introducing a statewide initiative called FarmBoxRX. BlueCare members will receive food boxes shipped directly to their doors after receiving well-childcare or diabetes care.
Of course, this is just one of many social drivers of health that we’ve identified, measured, studied, and begun to proactively address. For all social drivers and risk factors, we’re increasing our coordination with providers and making it easier for them to contact us so that we can get involved and steer our members toward available resources and help get them on track. That way we’re closing the loop between member, provider, community organization (where applicable) and health plan.
Our goal is to use this integrated approach to help people make progress toward their own goals for better health. But all of us have a role to play in addressing these social drivers. Ask yourself, what are some barriers to care that you see in your everyday life, or maybe in the life of a neighbor or family member, and why are they there? Sometimes simply putting yourself in someone else’s shoes can lead to understanding, inspiration and action.
Sherri Zink is senior vice president and chief data officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans enter the 2025 NFL season with one glaring and major change on their quarterback roster, thanks to their selection of Cam Ward atop this offseason’s draft.
For a rookie signal caller like Ward, there can be a wide range of expectations for how things could pan out during his first year in the fold. There’s a world where he surges onto the scene as a day one star under center, or can face the ups and downs a young quarterback making a transition to the pros can often have.
Even for a number-one overall pick like Ward, league history has shown us examples of both ends of that spectrum being on the table, regardless of being that highly esteemed top prospect.
Yet, in the mind of NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, he sees the glass as half-full for the Titans and their rookie quarterback –– not just for how Ward may fare in year one, but also how he’ll factor in alongside Titans head coach Brian Callahan.
Brooks recently broke down his picks for the top-five new quarterback-play-caller duos that NFL defenses should be most worried about for the season ahead, where the Titans’ pairing of Callahan and Ward landed right in that mix.
“The marriage between the No.1 overall pick and Joe Burrow’s former tutor should add some spice to the Titans’ 26th-ranked offense that lacked pizzazz and pop with Will Levis under center in 2024,” Brooks wrote. “With Ward bringing the talent, tools and tenacity that reminds me of a young Steve McNair, the Titans have a quarterback with the ‘alpha dawg’ persona to lead an eye-popping offensive transformation in Nashville. As a pinpoint passer with the capacity to drop dimes from various arm angles, the rookie should easily connect with Calvin Ridley, Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett racing down the field on crossers and diagonal routes, which will enable the Titans to showcase their QB1’s elite arm talent and impeccable timing.”
“Moreover, Ward’s superb passing skills will allow Callahan to utilize more pages of his creative playbook to punish defenses for overloading the box to slow down Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears in the backfield. Considering how Ward orchestrated dramatic turnarounds at Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami, he could help Tennessee quickly become an offensive juggernaut in the AFC.”
It’s not to say Ward is on track to be the next Joe Burrow, but if Callahan can manage to unlock some similar shades of that immediate production out of his rookie quarterback in year one, that only means great things for this Titans offense.
Pairing Ward with an improved offensive line and a batch of new weapons compared to last season is certainly a nice help for how his rookie season could soon transpire. However, none of those offseason additions will have the chance to elevate the Titans’ rookie like Callahan can, set to be one of the most prominent voices in his ear for the foreseeable future, and one of the most critical people in the building to put him in a position to succeed.
If Callahan can put the pieces together to be the offensive guru he was once advertised as, this Titans offense could be a pleasant surprise for the year ahead.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Chattanooga Baylor running back David Gabriel Georges is one of the most coveted players in the country for 2027. He was back at Tennessee on Saturday and said the Vols remain a top option for him.
“For me, they are a top team,” Gabriel Georges said. “I mean, they were the first person to kind of offer me when I came here, and that’s meant a lot for me because they saw me before I had a chance to compete and everything.”
The Vols have invested in recruiting his family. They were with him yesterday for the first time on campus and he was able to show them what he liked about Tennessee.
“They’ve been talking with my uncle and my auntie a lot,” he said. “That’s something I like, because they include my family not just me. That’s pretty nice.”
So what impresses him about Rocky Top?
“It’s kind of everything — the stadium, the fans, the coaches — and it’s really nice to have this experience,” Gabriel Georges said. “Like I said, in Canada, it’s really different. We don’t have this much opportunity to see a university and have this much of an experience, so it was great.”
He spent a lot of time with the staff. He really likes running backs coach De’Rail Sims.
“He’s a really nice coach,” Gabriel Georges said of Sims. “He’s been really friendly and nice to be with, and I really feel like that’s a coach that can really teach me and make me learn more about football and about my position.”
And he also likes head coach Josh Heupel.
“Coach Heupel seems friendly. Actually, he went to Baylor and spoke to my head coach for Gabe (Osenda), Joakim (Dodson) and everything,” Gabriel Georges said about his former teammates.
“I had a chance to talk to him, and it’s not the first time I’ve seen him. He’s just a really nice guy, and it’s really nice to hang out with him.”
Gabriel Georges looks like he is already in a college weight room. He is well put together and says his hard work has paid off.
“I think where I got stronger is, really, physicality,” Gabriel Georges said. “And I think I learned that from Shekai, and he really helped me with that in the weight room. … I’ve gained, like, 20 pounds since I have been here, and that’s really helped me a lot to develop myself. And Shekai was a good example to follow.”
He plans on coming up for several games this fall with Osenda.
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