Tennessee Department Of Health
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The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is the primary agency of state government in Tennessee responsible for public health. Its workforce provides a variety of direct and indirect services to residents and visitors in all 95 counties of the state.


Purpose

In 2014, some 1.4 million of Tennessee's 6.6 million people received direct services in the 89 rural county health departments or the six metropolitan county health departments. Each year the department, in collaboration with many communities, creates a state health plan to help provide direction for the department.


Organization

The Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health is appointed by the Governor and oversees an enterprise affecting population health across the state. The commissioner, in turn, has an executive leadership team reporting directly to him that manages various areas or responsibilities within the department. The department has had 15 Commissioners since its creation in 1923. The current Commissioner is Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP. She has served since 2023. The Tennessee Department of Health has seven regional offices located across Tennessee; each of these is responsible for assisting county health departments within their jurisdiction. The TDH commissioner is responsible for appointing both regional and county directors. There are six metro health departments in Tennessee, located in the following counties: Davidson,
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
, Knox,
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
, Shelby, and Sullivan. Though not under the direct supervision of the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, metro health department directors and staff members work collaboratively with TDH regional and TDH central office staff on a variety of public health services and functions. By statute, the Commissioner, in consultation with county mayors, appoints each new county director including metros. By tradition, metro health departments are engaged directly in day-to-day pre-decisional tactical operations through the Health Systems Council structure. The metro health departments serve approximately 40 percent of Tennesseans and are another source of population health innovations that are often identified as best practices and adopted by their rural counterparts statewide. In both rural and metro areas, a county board of health, whose members are appointed under their local form of governance and serve varying term lengths without financial compensation, provide oversight of their county's public health department. County boards of health typically include at least one medical doctor. Each county also has a separate and distinct county health council. These positions are also appointed and uncompensated. Metro and rural county health departments routinely engage with the
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) is an agency of Tennessee government tasked with preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters across the state of Tennessee. The agency is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. TE ...
in preparedness exercises for both natural and man-made disasters that may affect population health. The Tennessee Department of Health provides staff members for the 2
Health Professional Boards
three committees, two councils and four registries responsible for the licensure and regulation of more than three dozen health and medical professions in Tennessee. Approximately 260,000 individuals are licensed and regulated by the boards. Board members are appointed by the Governor. Tennessee has had a licensing board for health professionals since 1947. Additionally, the Tennessee Office of Health Care Facilities licenses 14 different types of facilities. Currently, more 2,400 facilities are inspected. The Tennessee Department of Health maintains a free online information portal for anyone to review licensure status of health and medical professionals: https://apps.health.tn.gov/Licensure/default.aspx There is also a free online information portal to review status of licensed health-related facilities in Tennessee: https://apps.health.tn.gov/FacilityInspections/


County Health Departments



assures all residents have access to a variety o

intended to maintain or improve health. Services include wellchild exams, fluoride varnish applications, immunizations, family planning, control of sexually transmitted diseases, nutrition counseling, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, children's special services, prenatal care, the Help Us Grow Successfully (HUGS) program, Vital Records, Environmental Health Inspection programs and others. In some county health departments, medical staff members are available for diagnosing and treating acute and chronic illnesses; some also provide dental care. County health departments can also assist with those wanting certificates of births and deaths that occur in Tennessee. Record

pertaining to deaths and marriages are available from the TDH central office in Nashville. For information about genealogy, researchers may also find information at the
Tennessee State Library and Archives The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA), established in 1854, currently operates as a unit of the Tennessee Department of State. According to the Tennessee Blue Book, the Library and Archives "collects and preserves books and records of hi ...
.


Environmental Health

The Tennessee Department of Health and local county health departments regulate and inspect many locations and establishments. In the case of food, the department partners with th
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
in licensing and regulating providers. The
Tennessee Department of Agriculture The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is a Cabinet-level agency in the government of Tennessee. Founded in 1854, it is the oldest state agency in Tennessee. The present Commissioner, Dr. Charlie Hatcher, is the 38th incumbent. History Creation ...
(TDA) is responsible for those food service providers that are physically a part of another retail establishment, such as a gas station or convenience store. Establishments, operations and services licensed and regulated by the Tennessee Department of Health include food service providers that are ‘free-standing’ and not associated with other retail operations; hotels, motels and camps; public swimming pools, spas, hot tubs and camps; body art facilities; correctional facilities; and more. The department maintains efforts to prevent the spread of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. Tennessee is home to a number of insects or arthropods that are known carriers of disease. Illnesses such as West Nile Virus, La Cross Encephalitis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, though rare, do occur in the state. Rabies, once a scourge in the state, is exceptionally rare thanks to effective vaccination programs for animals and heightened awareness in humans. Th
Tennessee Department of Environment of Conservation
once a part of TDH, has been a separate department since 1992, providing a range of environment protection services.


Laboratory Services

TDH Laboratory Services provide analytical services of medical and environmental testing at its facilities in Nashville and Knoxville.


Health Matters

As is the case in many states, Tennessee residents are not as healthy as they could be, affecting both the quality and length of life. To address this, the Tennessee Department of Health has put intentional focus on the Big Four: * Increasing physical activity * Decreasing the rate of smoking * Advocating appropriate calorie consumption * Reducing problems associated with inappropriate use of drugs The Tennessee Department of Health created and supports services for any Tennessee resident wanting to end an addiction to tobacco called the Tennessee Tobacco Quitline. 1-800-QUIT NOW. There is also a service to get assistance with the disease of drug addiction in Tennessee, known as the TN Redline at 1-800-889-9789.


References

{{authority control State agencies of Tennessee Health departments in the United States Medical and health organizations based in Tennessee