RCORP-ETC is a consortium co-led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and community members working together to address the opioid epidemic in eastern Tennessee. The RCORP-ETC region includes 10 rural Appalachian counties: Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union.
Vision. To eradicate opioid use disorder, the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – East Tennessee Consortium strives to create healthy communities by enhancing health promotion and prevention, collaboration, and access to health services and care. Together these efforts will promote safety, physical and emotional wellness, and economic security.
Mission. To operate as a collaborative consortium that creates a complex plan with capacity building goals to significantly reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic in East Tennessee.
Nurturing Options for Women (NOW; 2020-2023) aims to prevent neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in rural East Tennessee by improving quantity and quality of the provider workforce across prevention, treatment, and recovery. The Hill and Servolution Health Services (SHS) of Claiborne County and Schools Together Allowing No Drugs (STAND) of Scott County are partnering in these efforts. Initiatives include: (1) Enhancing quality of the provider workforce through professional training; (2) Incorporating family planning into healthcare visits; and (3) Expanding behavioral health workforce and youth health promotion services.
Combatting Opioid Use in Rural Appalachia with Grace and Evidence (COURAGE; 2022-2024) aims address two overarching goals: (1) prevent opioid use disorder (OUD) with an emphasis on youth and the adults who care for them and (2) enhance OUD treatment and recovery by promoting integrated, interdisciplinary care. This project is partnering with 5 RCORP-ETC organizations, including the University of Tennessee, ICARe Union County, Live Free Claiborne, The Hill Claiborne, and United Methodist Church of Newport, TN. Jarrod Vick, a PharmD in Campbell County, is an individual member of the RCORP-ETC who will also serve as key personnel.