MISSION:
The mission of the
Department of Health is to promote, protect and restore the health of
Tennesseans by facilitating access to high quality preventive and primary care
services.
SERVICES INCLUDE:
Breastfeeding
Promotion – Education, encouragement and support are offered to pregnant
and post-partum women by a full time lactation consultant.
Children’s Special
Services (CSS) – Medical services are coordinated by a full time social
worker for children (birth to 21 years) with special handicapping or chronic
conditions who meet financial criteria.
Child Health -
Well baby/child exams, immunizations, and/or sick care are provided to children
20 years and younger.
Dental Services –
Preventive and restorative dental care is provided to children 20 years and
younger by a full-time dentist and dental assistant.
Diabetic Education
– Education and counseling are available to both diabetics and those at high
risk for the disease by a team composed of a registered nurse, registered
dietitian, and health educator
Emergency
Preparedness –Volunteers are recruited and trained to operate emergency
clinics in order to administer medications or immunizations to large numbers of
people very quickly. For more
information about becoming an emergency response volunteer visit
http://www2.state.tn.us/health/volunteer/start.htm.
Epidemiology –
Communicable disease and food borne illnesses are investigated, specimens are
collected, lab testing is conducted and preventive treatment is provided as
appropriate.
Family Planning -
Education, counseling, physical exam and birth control are provided.
Food and General Sanitation – Environmental
specialists inspect existing food service establishments and review plans for
prospective ones. Inspections are also
done on hotels, motels, public swimming pools, bed and breakfasts, childcare
facilities and school plants.
Health
Education/Promotion – Health educators coordinate activities that focus
attention on lifestyle choices that will result in positive differences for
at-risk groups.
Immunizations –
Routine immunizations are provided to infants, children and adults.
Men’s Health –
Routine preventive care, sick care and physicals are provided to uninsured
men, ages 21 years and older.
Paternity Acknowledgement – Information is provided
to parents regarding paternity and paperwork is completed for those parents
wishing to acknowledge paternity.
Prenatal Care –
Pregnancy testing, options counseling, prenatal vitamins and temporary
enrollment on TennCare are available. Uninsured women who are not
eligible for TennCare and have no other resource can receive full prenatal
care.
Prenatal Care
Coordination Program – Case management services, including home visits, are
provided to high risk prenatal patients by bilingual case managers and a part
time social worker. In addition, all pregnant women known to the health
department are tracked so that they can be offered opportunities such as
classes, “baby celebrations” and case management services if needed.
Sexually Transmitted
Diseases – Confidential testing, treatment and contact follow-up is
provided for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
Tuberculosis –
Skin testing is provided to persons assessed to be at risk for tuberculosis.
Medication is provided at no cost to suspected, active and latent cases.
Contacts to suspected or known cases are notified, tested and treated as
needed.
Vital Records –
Certified copies of Birth and Death certificates are issued (for birth
certificates, persons must have been born in Tennessee in or after 1949). Records for all
county deaths are maintained and state Vital Record Reports are completed.
Women’s Health –
Routine preventive care, sick care and physicals are provided to uninsured
women 21 years and older. Preventive care includes providing or ordering pap
smears and mammograms, some of which can be at no cost to uninsured, low
income women ages 40 through 64 years. Low income, uninsured women
suspected of or diagnosed with cervical or breast cancer can be assisted in
obtaining TennCare quickly.
WIC (Women, Infants
and Children) – Children under age five, pregnant and breastfeeding who are
at or below 185% of poverty and have a nutritional risk receive a limited
health screening, nutritional counseling and food vouchers.
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