Abstract
The South Cumberland Plateau (SCP) is made up of three counties, Grundy, Franklin, and Marion, all of which are defined as "medically underserved" by the Health Resources and Services Administration. This means that these communities lack the primary health care services and providers necessary to sufficiently meet residents' needs. Our partner, the South Cumberland Health Network (SCHN), wants to understand how these communities are being medically underserved. Our work this summer is dedicated to investigating trends in emergency room use from the South Cumberland Plateau in order to better understand how the community is medically underserved. The insight gained from our findings will inform the South Cumberland Health Network's advocacy moving forward aimed at closing the health care service gaps within these communities.
