NASHVILLE - A total solar eclipse, when the moon completely covers the sun, will be visible August 21. Tennessee is one of 14 states that will be in the path of totality, a 70 mile-wide path where the sun is completely blocked by the moon. The Tennessee Department of Health encourages everyone to enjoy this once in a lifetime event, but urges eye protection and common sense safety.

Shelby County Home for the Aged Cited for Violations

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, has suspended new admissions of residents to Cummings Foster Group Home effective August 4, 2017. A special monitor has been appointed to review the facility’s operations. 

NASHVILLE – Being active outdoors is not only good for your health – it can earn you Tennessee State Parks merchandise, golf rounds, free camping or even cabin stays thanks to a new program.

Tennessee State Parks and the Tennessee Department of Health have partnered to develop a web application called Healthy Parks Healthy Person, which allows Tennesseans to log their activities at Tennessee State Parks in exchange for points that can be redeemed for rewards. The program also includes a Park Prescription feature where healthcare providers can prescribe outdoor activity as part of a healthcare regimen for patients. Talk to your healthcare provider about your options for engaging in outdoor activities to further your health goals.

Immunizations Prevent Serious Illnesses throughout Life

NASHVILLE – Preventing an illness is always better than trying to treat it once it occurs.  That’s why doctors with the Tennessee Department of Health encourage people of all ages to talk with their healthcare providers about the immunizations needed for lifelong protection.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health will conduct a public hearing Tuesday, July 18, to provide the general public and any interested stakeholders an opportunity to offer comments on the application for a Certificate of Public Advantage from Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System regarding their proposed cooperative agreement to merge. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time in the Northeast State Community College auditorium, located at 2425 Highway 75 in Blountville.

NASHVILLE – Tim Jones, MD, has been named the 2017 recipient of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ Pumphandle Award. Jones serves as Tennessee state epidemiologist and assistant commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health Communicable and Environmental Disease and Emergency Preparedness, or CEDEP division. 

Immunizations Save Teaching Time, Reduce Misery and Save Lives

NASHVILLE – To prevent the spread of diseases and to keep our kids of all ages and their classmates safe, healthy and in school learning, all students in Tennessee, from kindergarten to college, must have proof of immunizations before they can start school. State leaders of health and education say it’s best to get those important vaccines now to avoid longer wait times later and to ensure a smooth beginning to the 2017 school year.

Misuse of the Powerful Drug & Its Derivatives Causing Overdoses and Deaths

NASHVILLE – Fentanyl: It’s here; it’s deadly and not just illegal users are at risk. Along with fentanyl there are other, more powerful drugs like carfentanil that are being used in counterfeiting legal drugs like Percocet and even counterfeiting of illegal heroin. That’s the message leaders from the Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security provided today during a press conference at TBI headquarters in Nashville.

NASHVILLE – Fentanyl and fentanyl derivatives are powerful synthetic opioid drugs often imported and used by criminals to create counterfeit pills or to mix with other illegal drugs such as heroin and marijuana. Fentanyl and fentanyl derivatives are extremely potent and pose significant health risks both to those using them and to those who may be accidentally exposed to them. Increased public awareness about the growing threat of fentanyl and fentanyl derivatives can save lives.

 Simple Tests to Detect Colon Cancer Can Save Your Life

NASHVILLE – Let’s just get this right out of the way:  Few people want to talk about their colon. As body parts go, it doesn’t match the heart, eyes or brain for attracting poetic verse and many are unaware of its importance. What does matter, especially for those 50 years or older, is that among the cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.  

Additional information submitted by hospital systems, process moves forward

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, FACOEM, in consultation with Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III today announced the Certificate of Public Advantage application from Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System has been deemed complete and the COPA process will move forward.

Fight the Bite to Prevent Spread of Serious Illnesses

NASHVILLE – Ticks and mosquitoes are now out in force and looking for food. The meal of choice for both is blood, creating opportunities to spread a variety of serious illnesses such as Zika Virus Disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever as they move from one bite victim to another.

May is High Blood Pressure Education Month

NASHVILLE – Your heart powers your life. It will beat almost three billion times and pump about 42 million gallons of blood through your body during your lifetime. Your heart allows you to love, laugh and live your life to the fullest. It works nonstop to take care of you and you should take care of it. May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month and the Tennessee Department of Health wants adults to get to know their blood pressure numbers and how to keep them healthy.

Misuse and Accidental Use of Powerful Drug Can be Fatal

NASHVILLE – Fentanyl, an exceptionally powerful drug used legally to treat extreme pain, has found its way to the illegal drug market, and it is killing people. According to three departments and one agency of Tennessee State Government, overdose deaths associated with fentanyl are increasing in the state and law enforcement officials have found the drug in counterfeit versions of commonly misused pain relief pills

National Youth Violence Prevention Week is Apr. 3-7, 2017

NASHVILLE – Athletic coaches play an influential role in the lives of young athletes and are often in a position to positively influence how their athletes think and behave both on and off the field or court. The Tennessee Department of Health is now partnering with coaches to implement the “Coaching Boys into Men” program as part of our efforts to reduce violence