altamont

In September the Tennessee Department of Health announced the first recipients of Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Grants, awarding 53 projects across Tennessee that are devoted to initiatives of the Healthy Active Rural Tennessee (HART) priority: improving nutrition, physical fitness, and community social supports and programs. Funding for the RHTP grants comes from over $206 million awarded to Tennessee from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last year through the federal RHTP grant program. Local recipients of the initial HART grant funding include the Appalachian Conservation Institute in Marion County for “Trail Navigation and Interpretation Improvements”, the City of Manchester in Coffee County for a “Systemwide Parks and Recreation Masterplan,” and in Grundy County the City of Altamont, the Town of Tracy City, and the South Cumberland Community Fund have all been awarded funding for park-planning, trailimproving, and healthy lifestyle projects.