Newsroom

NASHVILLE – Today, Governor Bill Lee announced that Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey will depart from state government and enter the private sector.

NASHVILLE – Jennifer Putnam has been appointed assistant commissioner of Health Licensure and Regulation for the Tennessee Department of Health. In this role, Putnam oversees a staff of approximately 350 employees in Health Professional Boards, Health Care Facilities, the Office of Investigations, and Emergency Medical Services.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) announced today it was awarded a two-year project to build capacity to promote Alzheimer's disease awareness. This project will support provider engagement, strategic planning, and public awareness of risk reduction, early diagnosis, and treatment. TDH is one of 16 public health departments awarded this capacity-building opportunity under the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health recognizes World Birth Defects Day on March 3, 2022, joining other birth defect prevention organizations, including the World Health Organization, March of Dimes, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to increase awareness about birth defects.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health joins partners across the state in celebrating the seventh annual Tennessee Quit Week February 20-25. The Tennessee Tobacco Program will promote this quit campaign between February 13 – March 4, 2022, with this year’s theme being “My Journey.” The goal is to inspire Tennesseans to live healthier lives by taking advantage of the state’s free resource, the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine, to quit using tobacco products.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health continues to receive increased bi-weekly allocations of oral antivirals to treat mild to moderate COVID-19.

NASHVILLE – Everyone deserves a healthy relationship founded on trust, honesty, respect, equality, and compromise. Youth and young adults must be guided and taught to build healthy relationships and identify unhealthy ones. This February, the Tennessee Department of Health is taking part in Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month to help prevent and bring awareness to dating violence among Tennessee teens.

NASHVILLE – Stephen Espy has been named director of the Office of Informatics and Analytics (OIA) and chief data officer (CDO) for the Tennessee Department of Health. In this position, Espy will provide oversight of the management and governance of the public health data for the state.

NASHVILLE - This new year, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) continues to urge Tennesseans to prioritize their health. One way to live a healthier version of yourself is to take steps in prevention of cancer. This January during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, TDH encourages HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening.

NASHVILLE - Human trafficking continues to be a public health concern in Tennessee. Through mid-December 2021, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Hotline had received 1,185 tips or leads related to human trafficking concerns. This January, which is recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the Tennessee Department of Health encourages Tennesseans to learn risk factors, red flags, and resources for human trafficking that could help save a life.

NASHVILLE - Today, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) announced the state has received shipments of the Merck and Pfizer oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19.

NASHVILLE - Today, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) released year-end, reconciled COVID-19 data, process improvements and previewed 2022 operational priorities.

NASHVILLE - For some people, stress increases during the holiday season, leading to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. If you or a loved one experience a mental health crisis, live with substance misuse or exhibit suicidal behavior during the winter holidays, there are resources and services available through the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) and the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) to help navigate those challenges and strengthen community connections.

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Health is recognizing the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccine administered in the state. The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was given at Vanderbilt Medical Center on December 16, 2020. In following days doses of the first available COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer BioN-Tech and Moderna, arrived and were distributed according to the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

NASHVILLE – Throughout November, the Tennessee Department of Health is recognizing National Diabetes Awareness Month. This year the campaign looks to educate individuals on ways to reverse pre-diabetes and prevent or delay the onset of diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes.