Director Selected to Lead Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence

Matt McDaniel, MPH, MPA, has been named the director of the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence.

McDaniel brings strong experience in public health and public service to his leadership role in the new, statewide initiative housed at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He joined the Center of Excellence as director on Dec. 1.

"The idea of getting in on the ground floor to build something that can improve the health of Tennesseans is really exciting," McDaniel said.

The Center of Excellence was established at UT Health Science Center earlier this year with a $12 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Health. The four-year project will engage a multidisciplinary team to identify health care gaps in rural counties and support those communities in developing solutions. A key component of the Center of Excellence is administering and supporting grants that will be distributed to address rural health concerns across the state.

A Tipton County native who makes his home in Mason, Tennessee, McDaniel has served as county director of the West Region for the Tennessee Department of Health, leading three rural county health departments. His professional experience also includes work in emergency preparedness with the Shelby County Health Department. He has been active in the Tennessee Public Health Association for many years, serving in various board positions, from audit chair to president. Most recently, he worked for the University of Memphis as an associate professor of health sciences.

McDaniel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science and health promotion and a master's degree in health promotion from the University of Memphis. He attained a Master of Public Health degree from East Tennessee State University and a master's degree in public management from Arkansas State University.

"We are very fortunate to have Matt join our team and help lead the Rural Health Care Center of Excellence. He has the perfect background and passion to help us fulfill our mission and vision for rural Tennessee," said Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP. Dr. Likes is the principal investigator for the grant, executive director and special advisor for rural health at the university, and dean of the College of Nursing.

McDaniel credits his experience at the Tennessee Department of Health with making him aware of the challenges people face in accessing health care services. When working as a county director, he saw that many people had no transportation to facilities where they could receive basic health care services.

"You have people who can't get access to care, or they don't know things that you take for granted," he said. "You don't know what people are up against until you are there trying to meet them where they are."

The purpose of the Center of Excellence is to meet rural health care providers and communities where they are and provide support and assistance in improving health care outcomes. Tennessee ranks 44th in the nation for health outcomes, and rural residents suffer major health disparities when compared to urban residents. The Health Resources and Services Administration considers 69 of the 95 Tennessee counties fully rural. Approximately 66% of the health provider shortage areas are in fully rural counties.

The Center of Excellence will distribute $7 million in grants over four years. Dr. Likes said the center received more than 200 letters of intent for community grants for the first year. From those applicants, a committee will choose organizations that will be invited to make a full grant proposal by Dec. 5. The deadline to submit full proposals is Jan. 15, 2026. Grants will be effective on April 1, 2026.

McDaniel is enthusiastic about the opportunities the Center of Excellence can make available to communities across the state. "There is a lot we can do this first year to make sure that we are successful in rolling out the grants, getting the word out, and being a statewide resource for rural health providers," he said.