About the Consortium
Our Mission
Our mission is to make Middle Tennessee healthier by bringing together health care providers, public sector agencies, academia, and community-based and other organizations to advocate, build capacity and coordinate efforts to improve the health of the medically underserved.
For more than 25 years, the Safety Net Consortium of Middle Tennessee has worked to improve the health and healthcare of low income, uninsured residents of Nashville, Davidson County and surrounding areas. As a member organization, the Consortium is a forum for stakeholders to share information, plan, and to work together, bringing together clinics, providers, academicians, and consumer and community leaders to integrate knowledge and skills to support an effective system of care.
Our nation’s healthcare environment is constantly changing. Though health reform has changed the dynamics, we recognize gaps still exist in delivering care. Over the years, we have stretched and pivoted our goals and objectives to meet the challenges of the day. However, what has not changed is our commitment to maintaining a sustainable and compassionate system of care that respects the healthcare and related needs of individuals without insurance.
Together we are working to better connect people to care, making plans to serve a changing population, and working to understand the needs of our community. We continue to work to improve access to healthcare, overcome barriers to care, and to improve the health status of community members by working together to make sure our communities are also able to change with the times. We strive to make Middle Tennessee a place where all residents, including the uninsured and underinsured, have access to high quality, affordable healthcare.
2026-2027 Board of Directors
Sherry Mast, Chair
Chief Executive Officer, Faith Family Medical Center
Katie Richards, Vice-Chair
Chief Executive Officer, Siloam Health
Katina Beard, Secretary/Treasurer
Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Walker
Comprehensive Health Center
Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi, DMD, Immediate Past Chair
Chief Executive Officer, Interfaith Dental Clinic
Melva Black, Ed.D., Director
Deputy Director, Metropolitan Public Health Department
Elisa Friedman, Director
Associate Vice President, Office of Community Health and Engagement
Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Mary Kate Mouser, Director
Director of Community Benefits, Ascension Saint Thomas
Karen Winkfield, MD, Ph.D., Director
Executive Director, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Our History
The Consortium was founded with the purpose to provide access to appropriate levels of care for the uninsured population of Nashville, through the establishment of a system of information and care coordination. Established in May of 2000, our network began with all existing primary care safety net providers, six of the nine hospitals in Nashville, and the Metro Public Health Department of Nashville and Davidson County (MPHD). By September of 2001, we expanded to include all dental care, mental health care, and substance abuse care safety net providers. See our full historical timeline and get to know our growth and impact over the years.
Contact us.
If you represent a clinic or healthcare organization and would like to learn more about becoming a member, please contact us.