Bessie Smith Cultural Center

The mission of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center (The Bessie) is to become the premier interdisciplinary cultural center that promotes cultural, educational, and artistic excellence and fosters research and education of African and African American heritage; and provides a venue that allows the community to celebrate through education, art and entertainment.

Counties Served

Hamilton

Contact Info

Bessie Smith Cultural Center

200 E. MLK Boulevard

Chattanooga, TN 37403

(423) 267-1076

www.bessiesmithcc.org

Social

Stories about Diverse Populations

Chattanooga & Hamilton County Health Brief

County health briefs offer comprehensive information about Tennessee cities and their surrounding areas. Each county health brief is different and focuses on that county’s biggest health challenges as identified by county and city health departments. Due to the highly customized nature of this information, statistics and metrics will vary from brief to brief. This health brief focuses on the top health priorities as identified by local experts, including the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department’s community health profile. Scroll down to read about health in Chattanooga and Hamilton County or jump to a specific section: Demographics Causes of death Disease Social determinants Health disparities Solutions What are the demographics of Hamilton County? Population 361,613 (2017) Population Growth Hamilton County has grown by […]

Chattanooga & Hamilton County Health Brief

County health briefs offer comprehensive information about Tennessee cities and their surrounding areas. Each county health brief is different and focuses on that county’s biggest health challenges as identified by county and city health departments. Due to the highly customized nature of this information, statistics and metrics will vary from brief to brief. This health brief focuses on the top health priorities as identified by local experts, including the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department’s community health profile. Scroll down to read about health in Chattanooga and Hamilton County or jump to a specific section: Demographics Causes of death Disease Social determinants Health disparities Solutions What are the demographics of Hamilton County? Population 361,613 (2017) Population Growth Hamilton County has grown by […]
Include Me In

Have you ever been in a situation when you needed something done but the person you were talking to didn’t understand you, or worse, dismissed your concern as unimportant? If so, did you ever get to the point that you just threw your hands in the air and gave up? Imagine if that happened when it came to your health. “Historically, minorities have not always been treated well when seeking health care, which may result from issues with implicit or unconscious bias,” says Chara Stewart-Abrams, Memphis chapter president of the National Association of Health Service Executives (NAHSE), an organization dedicated to developing greater minority representation in health care leadership and improving care for minority patients. “When a patient is not […]

Include Me In: How diversity in the health care workforce creates a ripple effect of improved outcomes

Have you ever been in a situation when you needed something done but the person you were talking to didn’t understand you, or worse, dismissed your concern as unimportant? If so, did you ever get to the point that you just threw your hands in the air and gave up? Imagine if that happened when it came to your health. “Historically, minorities have not always been treated well when seeking health care, which may result from issues with implicit or unconscious bias,” says Chara Stewart-Abrams, Memphis chapter president of the National Association of Health Service Executives (NAHSE), an organization dedicated to developing greater minority representation in health care leadership and improving care for minority patients. “When a patient is not […]
Report Card: Senior Health

There are more than 1 million people ages 65+ in Tennessee. That’s 16% of Tennessee’s 6.7 million people. National Health Index The conditions with the biggest health impacts in Tennessee that affect seniors are: Hypertension: 13.5% Depression: 8.8% Substance or alcohol abuse: 8.2% High cholesterol: 7.8% Heart disease: 7.6% Diabetes: 5.9% COPD: 4% According to the BCBS Health Index, the health impact of a condition is how much it adversely affects the health of a population. Hypertension 1 in every 2 Tennessee seniors has high blood pressure. Depression Diabetes More than 25% of U.S. seniors have diabetes. That percentage is higher in Tennessee. Heart disease Alzheimer’s disease 110,000 Tennesseans age 65+ have Alzheimer’s disease. There has been a 148% increase […]

Report Card: Senior Health: A quick look at the over-65 population in Tennessee

There are more than 1 million people ages 65+ in Tennessee. That’s 16% of Tennessee’s 6.7 million people. National Health Index The conditions with the biggest health impacts in Tennessee that affect seniors are: Hypertension: 13.5% Depression: 8.8% Substance or alcohol abuse: 8.2% High cholesterol: 7.8% Heart disease: 7.6% Diabetes: 5.9% COPD: 4% According to the BCBS Health Index, the health impact of a condition is how much it adversely affects the health of a population. Hypertension 1 in every 2 Tennessee seniors has high blood pressure. Depression Diabetes More than 25% of U.S. seniors have diabetes. That percentage is higher in Tennessee. Heart disease Alzheimer’s disease 110,000 Tennesseans age 65+ have Alzheimer’s disease. There has been a 148% increase […]