Division of Health Planning
Guiding the Tennessee Department of Health in the development of programs and policies, and the allocation resources, to address the healthcare needs of TennesseansHealthy People, Healthy Communities, Healthy Tennessee
TDH's Division of Planning is responsible for the creation of the State Health Plan, oversight of the of the Certificate of Public Advantage, and the administration of the Joint Annual Reports.
The State Health Plan guides the Department in the development of programs and policies to benefit public health in the State of Tennessee. The Plan is directed by statute (Public Chapter 0942, 2004) to be evaluated and updated annually and to consider the following principles:
1. Every citizen should have reasonable access to emergency and primary care;
2. The state's healthcare resources should be developed to address the needs of Tennesseans while encouraging competitive markets, economic efficiencies, and the continued development of the state's healthcare industry;
3. Every citizen should have confidence that the quality of health care is continually monitored and standards are adhered to by healthcare providers; and
4. The state should support the recruitment and retention of a sufficient and quality healthcare workforce.
In collaboration with the Department's Data Governance section, the Division facilitates the collection of Joint Annual Reports of licensed health facilities in Tennessee, with information about locations, services provided, and financial indicators.
The Division further has oversight of the Certification of Public Advantage for the Department to ensure the merger of Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System, to create Ballad Health, serves as a benefit to the residents of Northeast Tennessee.
COPA
Information and resources about the Certificate of Public Advantage with sections and information for: Announcements, History, Official Correspondence, Public Input and Complaints, Reports, and Spending Plans.
JARs
Data from a variety of licensed health facilities through annual reports known as Joint Annual Reports (JARs) of licensed health facilities in Tennessee with data on locations, services provided, and financial indicators.
State Health Plan
Information about Tennessee’s state health
improvement plan and statewide health assessment.
Contact Information
Have comments or questions on the State Health Plan? Email us at state.health.plan@tn.gov.
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Joint Annual Reports (JAR)
The Health Statistics Facilities unit collects data from a variety of licensed health facilities through annual reports known as Joint Annual Reports (JARs). Data collected include facility locations, services provided, patient origin by county, and financial indicators. The blank forms show the data requested by facility type.
General Inquiries: Contact Trent Sansing 615-253-4702, Trent.Sansing@tn.gov
The Joint Annual Reports collect a variety of data from seven facility types in the state: assisted care living facilities, ambulatory surgical treatment centers, home health agencies, hospices, hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient diagnostic treatment centers, and birthing centers. Data collected included services provided, patient origin, financial indicators, utilization, and staffing levels.
The Hospital JAR is governed by statute: §68-11-310.
All other JARs are governed by rule.
Please note the following reporting requirements for hospitals:
68-11-310. Report of hospital statistics.
(1) All hospitals licensed by the health facilities commission or by the department of mental health and substance abuse services shall, within one hundred fifty (150) days after the end of each individual hospital's fiscal year, submit to the department of health a joint annual report of the statistical particulars relative to their patients for the fiscal year.
(2) If a hospital changes ownership during the fiscal year, the owner of the hospital at the beginning of the fiscal year shall either:
- (A) File a joint annual report with the department of health within one hundred five (105) days of the sale for the period of time that the hospital was owned or operated; or
- (B) Provide a notarized statement to the department of health within one hundred five (105) days of the sale indicating that the required data for the period of time that the hospital was owned or operated has been provided to the purchaser who shall submit a report for the full year.
(3) A hospital that submits a joint annual report to the department of health pursuant to this section shall also submit to the department a notarized statement from the hospital's chief financial officer stating that the financial data reported on the joint annual report is consistent with the audited financials for the hospital for that reporting year. The notarized statement must also be attested to by the chief executive officer of the hospital. This notarized statement validates that the hospital has submitted accurate and complete data such that the department of health is not required to independently audit the hospital's internal processes
This Page Last Updated: August 20, 2026 at 8:50 AM