NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Neighborhood Health, a longtime safety-net provider in Middle Tennessee, will receive more than $355,000 in Metro funding to continue delivering medical, dental, and behavioral health services to unhoused residents through June 2026.
Metro Council approved the $355,200 grant for the 17th consecutive year, supporting care for at least 3,500 unhoused patients at a time when uncertainty around health insurance coverage is growing.
“What we say, and we believe at Neighborhood Health, that if you have a pulse, you can be our patient,” said Brian Haile, CEO of Neighborhood Health.
The nonprofit operates 12 clinics — 10 of them in Nashville — and serves as a medical home for patients regardless of insurance or housing status. Last year, the organization provided care to 4,801 unhoused individuals, part of a total patient population of about 30,000, according to Haile.
The funding is designed to reduce reliance on emergency departments by addressing chronic and preventive care needs before they escalate.
“We’re going to be here to make sure that they get their care,” Haile said. “We are the right place to get care, not someplace like the emergency room.”
The grant also supports transportation to clinics and Neighborhood Health’s street medicine program, which sends medical teams directly into the community.
“We have a street medicine team that’s in the field five days a week, visiting encampments all across Davidson County,” Haile said.
For patients managing long-term illnesses such as diabetes, Neighborhood Health emphasizes continuity of care and consistent access to medication.
“If they have diabetes, we’re making sure that we’re tracking that and we’re providing them the medication, whether it be Metformin or insulin, that they have that and can rely on it,” Haile said.
Providers say demand for services is increasing as questions loom over the future of health insurance coverage, including Affordable Care Act subsidies.
While Haile said the organization is grateful for Metro’s continued support, the grant amount has remained unchanged since 2008. Rising costs for medical supplies and staff compensation have made it more difficult to cover the full cost of care.
“We’re thrilled with that amount and being able to put that towards our mission,” Haile said. “But the key for that for us is that we have to make up the difference to make sure that we can fund all of the costs for services people need.”
The Metro-funded contract runs through June 2026. Neighborhood Health says it will continue to rely on donations and additional funding sources to meet the growing healthcare needs of Nashville’s unhoused and uninsured communities.
Haile said the organization plans to begin conversations with Metro Council about increasing future funding to better reflect medical inflation.
This story was reported on-air and written by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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