Paris, Tenn.–Henry County Medical Center Community Champion Gina Matlock was awarded the Community Star Award for the State of Tennessee last week. She was given the award by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health during the organization’s Annual Recognition Program.
The Community Star Recognition Program highlights the stories of those making a difference and positively impacting their communities in vital health-related areas.
Matlock was nominated for the award by Kaarin Lund, the community program specialist at the National Rural Health Resource Center.
HCMC has been a member of the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) Program since 2019. Under the leadership of CEO Lisa Casteel, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Tory Daughrity, and Matlock, the HCMC program has worked with dozens of community partners, the medical staff and other collaborators to identify three critical needs of Paris/Henry County residents.
Through a DRCHSD workshop, HCMC developed a three-pronged strategy: increase access to behavioral health services, provide behavioral health education, and finally, address poverty. The workshop produced the #SilenceTheShameTN initiative which worked to reduce the stigma surrounding behavioral health issues. Under Matlock’s direction, HCMC used personal stories of brave community members who have struggled with mental illness, poverty and addiction. These testimonials highlighted the behavioral health struggles in the community and provided hope for treatment of conditions and help with resources.
“We have been blessed to have Gina join HCMC as our Community Champion,” said Daughrity. “Her passion for the behavioral health initiative has been contagious and she has definitely impacted the organization and the community with her efforts. It’s been exceptionally rewarding to work with her on this effort.”
Matlock and Daughrity have been fortunate to share this behavioral health initiative at conferences including the Rural Health Association of TN ant the Hospital Marketing National.
For more information on the #SilecnetheShameTN initiative, go to our website at www.hcmc-tn.org.