East Tennessee State University’s Dr. Jodi Southerland, an assistant professor in the ETSU College of Public Health, has been selected to serve on the Lifelong Tennessee Steering Committee, part of a multi-year initiative to ensure Tennesseans are well cared for and well supported while they age.
Led by Tennessee’s Department of Disability and Aging, the committee is part of the Lifelong Tennessee: A Multisector Plan for Aging Well initiative. The initiative is part of Tennessee’s approach to a Multisector Plan for Aging (MPA), a nationwide model for building more coordinated and age-friendly systems.
An MPA serves as a long‑term roadmap that brings together public and private partners to better coordinate services, guide policy, and improve support for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
Southerland brings a wealth of experience – both personal and professional – to the committee, having been a family caregiver for nearly two decades and serving as chair of the Tennessee Public Health Association’s Aging Section.
She also brings a passion for improving the health and well-being of older adults and their families.
“I am honored to be part of this effort,” said Southerland, who teaches in the College of Public Health’s Department of Community and Behavioral Health. “Supporting older adults and their families is something I care deeply about, and this initiative provides us with a platform to work together to make Tennessee a state where growing older means staying active, engaged and supported.”
In recent years, the ETSU College of Public Health has worked closely with the Tennessee Department of Health, the Division of TennCare and other statewide agencies to inform the state’s plan to care for an aging population.
That includes the Center for Rural Health and Research collaboration with the Division of TennCare to create the Tennessee Multisector Plan for Aging Data Dashboard – a valuable resource for policymakers and stakeholders to gather information and insights about the population of Tennessee residents who are 65 or older.
The dashboard provides comprehensive data and statistics related to various aspects of aging, such as demographics, health and well-being, economic security, social engagement and community support.
ETSU’s commitment to bettering the lives of those in this region and beyond is one of the many reasons the university is the flagship institution of Appalachia.
Learn more and get involved with Lifelong Tennessee at http://bit.ly/4paLGVg. To learn more about the ETSU College of Public Health, visit etsu.edu/cph/.
