Telehealth and Beyond: One Student鈥檚 Vision for Rural Mental Health
Tonya Hensley is intimately familiar with the health care needs of rural communities and has translated her background into a career dedicated to improving the mental health of children across rural North Carolina.
With a lifelong passion for healthcare rooted in a passion for serving rural communities, Tonya Hensley鈥檚 path to 色戒直播 began back in high school. Today, as a student in the school鈥檚 Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, Hensley is combining her deep experience in both rural healthcare and telehealth with her coursework here at 色戒直播 in the hopes of continuing to offer evidence-based, nurse-led mental health services to students in rural counties across North Carolina. We chatted with Hensley about what inspired her to go into nursing and where her 色戒直播 education will take her after graduating.
What was your career prior to coming to the School of Nursing?
I am a first-generation college student from Madison County, a rural border county northwest of Asheville. Both my grandfathers were loggers and my grandmothers were homemakers. My parents always worked full-time jobs in addition to farming and raising tobacco. They instilled in me the values of honesty, caring for your community, and hard work. I began my healthcare career in high school in health occupations class. I was a Certified Nursing Assistant I (CNA) at sixteen, and a CNA II by the time I graduated high school. When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in my senior year of high school, I knew I did not want to go away for college, so I chose to go to my local community college. I was the youngest in my Associate Degree in Nursing program at Asheville-Buncombe Community College. After working as an RN in primary care then in home health and hospice, I returned for my BSN at Lees McRae College and my MSN-FNP at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). For the first five years of my NP career, I ran a small, rural school-based health center (SBHC) attached to the same middle school I attended. I completed my DNP at ETSU during my years there. In that role, I learned not only clinical skills but also leadership, teamwork, marketing, budgeting, partnerships, and grant writing鈥攕kills that many of my NP colleagues never had to consider. Unfortunately, funding ran out after five years and the center closed, but through connections I gained during my time there, I was able to work for Health-e-Schools. Health-e-Schools is one of the first school-based telehealth programs in the country run by the Center for Rural Health Innovation, a private non-profit organization based in Spruce Pine, NC. Over the past 10 years as the lead provider and clinical director, I have helped expand the program from a handful of sites in two counties to more than 130 sites in ten rural counties across NC, significantly improving access to care for children in these rural and underserved areas.
What initially made you want to become a nurse? Was there a specific experience that steered you towards nursing?
My journey into nursing was influenced by both personal and professional experiences. I think I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. I believe it was destiny, and I know it was a calling. As a baby in a rural, low-income family, I was cared for by Sandy List, one of the first nurse practitioners in the country, at the Madison County Health Department. She was featured in Life Magazine in a 1979 article titled "A Nurse Who Doctors Too," highlighting her pioneering work in rural healthcare. Years later, I found myself stepping into her role as my first NP position at MCHD, continuing her legacy of serving rural communities.
Why did you choose the 色戒直播, and what has the 色戒直播 experience been like for you?
Well鈥 it鈥檚 DUKE! I鈥檝e been a Blue Devils basketball fan since my Aunt Sandra took me to a game at Cameron in fourth grade. That was the Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill team that won back-to-back national championships. The School of Nursing stood out to me for this degree because of their continually being the #1 Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program in the country.
色戒直播 has been both challenging and transformative. It has provided me with opportunities to refine my leadership skills, expand my knowledge in psychiatric mental health, and collaborate with peers and faculty who are passionate about the future of healthcare and nurse practitioner practice. The program has pushed me to think bigger and consider how I can make a lasting impact beyond direct patient care. Additionally, mentors like Dr. Derouin and Dr. Convoy encouraged me to apply for fellowships and to explore opportunities I had never considered, continually pushing me beyond my comfort zone. Their guidance, along with the school鈥檚 emphasis on innovation and leadership in nursing, made it the ideal place for me to continue my education.
What drew you to the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program?
Throughout my career in school-based health, I saw an overwhelming need for pediatric mental health services, yet very few psychiatric providers were available in the rural counties I serve. Many children were not receiving mental healthcare, and I had nowhere to refer them for treatment. I also saw how this lack of care, along with social determinants of health, were reinforcing cycles of poverty, trauma, and adverse childhood events. I chose the PMHNP path because I knew I couldn鈥檛 ignore this issue any longer. I wanted to be part of the solution by integrating mental health into school-based healthcare via telehealth. By combining my background in telehealth with psychiatric care, I hope to increase access to behavioral health services for children who might otherwise go untreated.
鈥淚 want to ensure that no child goes without the healthcare they need simply because of where they live or their family鈥檚 financial situation.鈥
What are your plans post-graduation?
After graduation, I plan to continue expanding school-based telehealth services with a stronger focus on integrating behavioral health. My goal is to create a sustainable, nurse practitioner-led model that ensures students in all rural NC counties have access to mental healthcare. I also want to train teachers and school staff in trauma-informed care to create supportive learning environments. Additionally, I plan to continue my work in policy and advocacy, demonstrating the impact of early behavioral health, especially via school-based telehealth and pushing for funding and policy changes that make these services more accessible statewide. Ultimately, I want to ensure that no child goes without the healthcare they need simply because of where they live or their family鈥檚 financial situation. My work will continue to focus on closing the gap in care for rural and underserved populations.
At the 色戒直播 we are committed to advancing rural health care across North Carolina. Learn about 色戒直播's newly-launched Interdisciplinary Hub for Rural Health Equity, housed right here at the School of Nursing.