Mission & History
The Sumner County Health Committee was developed after a meeting between Tennessee Department of Health Community Development Staff and local county officials. The County Health Department Director along with the Regional Community Development Staff collaborated in January of 1997 to develop a list of potential council members. Prospective members were contacted and invited to a meeting to be held January 19, 1997. At this meeting, prospective members were introduced to the “Community Diagnosis” process and to the roles and responsibilities of the newly formed Sumner County Health Council.
The Friendly Council adopted the following mission:
The Sumner County Health Committee’s mission is to educate Sumner County residents of the link between a healthy lifestyle and a successful vibrant community. Bound together as one voice, members promote and provide resources while building strong networks within our communities. We strive to address the physical, mental, nutritional, and community concerns that are essential to a person’s quality of life.
Through this process we will, at a minimum:
- Provide justification for budget improvement requests submitted to the State Legislature
- Provide to state-level programs and their regional office personnel information that fosters
better planning, promotion, and coordination of prevention and intervention strategies at the
local level - Serve health planning and advocacy needs at the community level
Here, the community leaders and local health departments provide the leadership to ensure that documented community health problems are addressed.
The Council continues to meet monthly, with meetings held on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Meetings are open to the public from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Typically meetings are held at the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Building in Gallatin (255 Airport Rd, Gallatin, TN 37066).
The Council has both a Chair and Co-Chair. Individuals were elected to fill these positions soon after the initial meeting. It was also agreed that the Council should be limited to no more than twenty-five members. The Council has adopted bylaws that outline its structure and activities.
The Council has had the participation and support of Sumner Regional Medical Center, Sumner County Government, City of White House, City of Gallatin, City of Hendersonville, City of Westmoreland, and City of Portland. In addition, the council also has participation and the support from Sumner County Board of Education, Volunteer State Community College, Shalom Zone, TNCEP, and the Sumner County Prevention Coalition.
