External Affairs

Office of External Affairs & Business Development

Through the Office of External Affairs & Business Development (OEABD), Meharry Medical College contributes to the community and society through education, public policy, and outreach. We facilitate and coordinate the use of university resources to support existing university/community partnerships and engage new partnerships that contribute to the educational, health, social, and economic progress of the community, region, and state.

 

The OEABD is comprised of four divisions:

 

Federal Governmental Affairs Division
Serves as College’s liaison with the Congress and Federal government departments and agencies; responsible for developing and maintaining an effective working relationship with the Senate; the House of Representatives; Congressional committees and Committee staff; and Federal government departments/agencies.

 

State & Regional Affairs
Serves as College’s liaison with state and local governments.

 

Collectively, we fulfill Meharry’s mission by proactively building and maintaining relationships between neighboring communities; local, state, and federal officials; civic, corporate and community organizations; alumni and internal constituents.

 

Our pursuit of these relationships, along with many innovative and strategic initiatives, is part of the reason Meharry Medical College is often recognized as a leading, urban-based research institution and a place where issues affecting all of these constituents are addressed and resolved effectively. And the relationships are mutually beneficial, as Meharrians are kept abreast of local news, events, and services, and offers a vehicle to get them involved. Each year, faculty, students, and staff give more than 1,000 hours of community service across the state, whether individually or through over 40 campus organizations.

 

Public & Community Affairs
Serves as the liaison with the public and with Community, community, and public interest groups. The Division also disseminates general information to the public and Community’s regarding the College’s activities, initiatives and policy directions.

 

Administration & Operations Staff
Provides and coordinates administrative, personnel, and management support services; prepares special ad hoc studies, analyses and/or reports as required; and provides advisory and implementation support in the development of policy and procedures encompassing any of the OEA program responsibilities.

 

If you are a Meharrian, please click here to learn more about processes, policies, and to download forms.

The Division of Governmental Affairs is the College’s liaison with the Congress and Federal government departments and agencies. It is responsible for developing and maintaining an effective working relationship with the Senate, the House of Representatives, Congressional committees and Committee staff, and Federal government departments, and agencies.

 

Major areas of responsibilities are:

  • Manages the presentation of the College’s legislative and budgetary programs before congressional appropriations and authorizing committees.
  • Advises and assists College members and staff in preparing for appearances before congressional committees.
  • Coordinates and reviews the preparation of College testimony submitted to Congress, prepares briefing materials for College witnesses, coordinates the preparation of responses to pre- and post-hearing questions for the record and reviews transcripts of Meharry-related congressional hearings.
  • Provides information on College programs and activities to members of Congress and staff and arranges for formal and informal briefings in response to congressional requests.
  • Advises the President, Faculty and staff on congressional actions affecting the College and provides guidance on the most effective responses.
  • Compiles legislative history materials for congressionally enacted legislation that affects College programs and activities.Reviews and maintains files on congressional correspondence.
  • Builds communication and promotes cooperation with each Federal agency that interacts with the College.
  • Serves as an information resource for the College on relevant decisions, issues and activities of other government agencies.
  • Coordinates College participation in activities, seminars, hearings, conferences and workshops sponsored by other Federal agencies, Colleges and departments.

 

Priorities

 

GME
America has the world’s best doctors and nurses because we have the best teaching hospitals. However, cuts to graduate medical education (GME) would jeopardize the ability of medical schools and teaching hospitals to train physicians, nurses, and other health care providers, as well as limit critical services to the community. Cutting the deficit is important, but cutting physician training at a time when our nation faces a critical shortage of doctors would threaten the health of all Americans.

 

Health Professions
Meharry Medical College strongly advocates continued and robust funding for Title VII health professions programs under the Public Health Service Act.

 

Title VII is the only federal programs that support education/training opportunities for an array of aspiring and practicing health professionals, both facilitating career opportunities and bringing health care services to rural and underserved communities. Through educational experiences in interdisciplinary, community-based settings, the programs enhance the supply, diversity, and distribution of the workforce and fill the gaps in the supply of health professionals not met by traditional market forces.

 

These programs, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), are funded annually under the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.

 

Diversity and Health Equity
To increase diversity in medical education and to advance health care equity in the United States, our efforts focus on four general areas:

  • diversify the applicant pool
  • encourage more African Americans, Latinos/as, and Native Americans to consider medicine as a career
  • work to reduce health disparities by supporting a more diverse medical school faculty and administration
  • conduct research on the impact of diversity

 

NIH
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world.

 

More than 80 percent of the NIH’s budget goes to more than 300,000 research personnel at over 3,000 universities and research institutions, with more than half of this extramural funding going to the nation’s medical schools and teaching hospitals.

 

Meharry Medical College works closely with a broad spectrum of stakeholders for Medical Research to advocate sustainable funding support commensurate with growing opportunities for scientific discovery and improved health.

 

Meharry Medical College also collaborates with NIH and the scientific community to promote policies that maintain and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the medical research enterprise.

 

Medicare Teaching Hospital Payments
Medicare makes two payments that only go to teaching hospitals: Direct Graduate Medical Education (DGME) and Indirect Medical Education (IME) payments. The DGME payment helps offset the direct costs teaching hospitals incur when training Medical residents. The IME payment is intended to help offset the higher patient care costs incurred by teaching hospitals as a result of their more complex patient population and teaching and research missions. The payment methodology for both of these payments relies on each hospital’s resident count.

 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Since 1946, affiliations between VA medical centers and the nation’s health professions schools have provided a critical link that brings expert clinicians and researchers to the VA health system.

 

These long-standing affiliations are a major factor in ensuring quality care for U.S. veterans and represent a model partnership between the federal government and non-federal institutions.

 

The AAMC represents 62 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers; 124 VA medical centers have affiliation agreements with medicals schools; and over 70 percent of medical students rotate through the VA during their training.

The State & Regional Affairs Division is the College’s liaison with state and local governments. The Division also coordinates and centralizes the College’s interaction and communication with state legislators and other governmental entities, and regional coalitions or groups regarding specific Meharry initiatives and policy directions.

 

Major areas of responsibilities are:

  • Provides information on College programs and activities to state and local governments through outreach materials, posting agency actions and time-sensitive content on the Meharry Website, responding to written and telephone inquiries, and attending conferences widely attended by these constituents.
  • Performs the liaison role for informing, advising and educating state officials on the College’s programs and activities, coordinates agency participation in events sponsored by state governments and administers and proactively manages the College’s Outreach and Communications Program to identify and conduct outreach activities with key state legislators.
  • Assists other offices in developing informational materials for outreach to the states, local & regional markets.
  • Manages the content of the state & regional web page, including planning, posting and overall presentation.Develops and implements Internet content guidelines and policies and ensures compliance with federal standards.

 

Priorities

 

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)
Tennessee pays annual dues to SREB

 

Graduate Medical Education (GME)
Tennessee annual GME funding remains flat. Ensure the state of Tennessee contributes (via the TN hospital assessment fee) and the federal government matches at the negotiated rate.

 

Uncompensated Care
Ensure Meharry Medical College is reimbursed for uncompensated services. Secure the state of Tennessee contributes that triggers a federal match

The Public and Community Affairs Division is the College’s liaison with the general public, community, and public interest groups. The Division also disseminates general information to the public and community regarding College activities, initiatives and policy directions.

 

Major areas of responsibilities are:

  • Provides information on College programs and activities to the general public, community and public interest groups, through outreach materials, posting agency actions and time-sensitive content on the OEA Website, and responding to written and telephone inquiries from the general public.
  • Administers and manages the College’s Outreach and Communications Program proactively to identify and conduct outreach activities with key community and non-governmental organizations.
  • Coordinates discussions with stakeholders, conducts information and demonstration sessions, conferences, and workshops with the public when needed.Coordinates the aspects of the College’s ongoing strategic communication planning process that involves major policy issues and relations with public interest, community, or community groups.
  • Assists other internal offices in developing informational materials for outreach to the public.

The Administration and Operations Staff is responsible for providing and coordinating the administrative, personnel and management support services; prepares special ad hoc studies, analyses and/or reports as required; and provides advisory and implementation support in the development of policy and procedures encompassing any of the OEA program responsibilities.

 

Major areas of responsibilities:

  • Review the requirements for administrative resources such as personnel, equipment, supplies and other support services.
  • Provide coordination of work activities that require separate input from multiple Divisions, such as the annual budget and procurement calls and establishment and realignment of the budget and reporting codes.
  • Coordinate all requests for personnel actions and personnel related matters such as performance standards, performance appraisals, awards, adverse actions and time and attendance reporting.
  • Assist staff in preparing necessary paperwork and ensure that paperwork is completed accurately and timely.
  • Develop and administer the Office’s human capital program.
  • Coordinate budget preparation including planning, review and timely completion.
  • Consolidate and prepare travel, training and administrative budgets.
  • Monitor all budget expenditures for administrative and program operations and prepare financial forecasts and reports for management depicting information on allocations and expenditures.
  • Develop, coordinate and implement administrative policies and procedures to ensure a smooth and efficient administrative work flow.
  • Oversee the maintenance of an accurate and up-to-date inventory of accountable property assigned to office staff and monitor the data entry in the computerized inventory system.
  • Oversee the efficient utilization of space and the development of space requirements. Such duties include the layout and design of offices, relocation of personnel, the installation of telephone equipment, the installation and location of computer equipment, and the coordination of changes with appropriate offices.
  • Provide records and files management assistance

Additional Resources

The Tennessee General Assembly
Information about the Tennessee State Legislature, information on sessions, bills, and more.

 

The Office of the Governor
The official site of the State of Tennessee

 

The Office of the Mayor
The official site of the Mayor of Nashville

 

The Nashville Chamber of Commerce
Stay connected to Nashville through the Chamber.

 

The NAACP
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization.

 

The White House
Find out about the President and current White House events, along with press releases and more.

 

The United States House of Representatives
Includes what is currently on the floor, U.S. laws, vote information, contact information, and more.

 

The United States Senate
Includes what is currently on the floor, U.S. laws, vote information, contact information, and more.

 

The United States Supreme Court
This site includes the Supreme Court’s schedules and hearings, along with information on cases, the members of the United States Supreme Court, and more.

 

The Library of Congress
A source for information on all subjects and focuses on American history and government.

 

Thomas
A part of the Library of Congress and a great source for legislative information.

 

QuitDay
Smoking has serious consequences for students and institutions of higher education. Not maintaining smoke-free campus policies puts non-smoking students, faculty, and visitors at risk. Join in as we strive for a smoke free campus

Administration and Staff