The Tennessee List of Reportable Diseases and Conditions, effective January 1, 2025, have been updated. The full details are available in the attached documents and also available at Tennessee Reportable Diseases.
Here are some highlights of the updates for 2025:
In July of 2021, Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA) received a “Notice of Award” from Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) about a funding opportunity to build strategies and best practices to reduce COVID-19 risk across the state of Tennessee in underserved and rural communities. The contract (GR-21-73441) totaling $2,468,000 was made possible by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Under this grant which concluded May 31st, 2024, RHA provided services to individuals from all 95 counties in Tennessee, sponsored education for thousands of learners, and established better supports for our School Health, Rural Hospital, Rural Health Clinic, FQHC, and Mental and Behavioral Health Members.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the U.S. Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Among other things, FFCRA required state Medicaid programs keep beneficiaries enrolled through the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) in exchange for enhanced federal funding.
In preparation of the PHE ending, RHA signed a contract with the State of Tennessee, Department of Finance and Administration, Division of TennCare (TennCare) for “Advocacy and Outreach Services During the COVID-19 Unwinding Period.” This contract allowed RHA to expand upon and later sustain the work that began as part of the TDH contract.
In 2021, Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA) received a contact from Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Office of Minority Health, via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA).
The service goal of this contract was to improve the health of people in rural Tennessee by providing activities for COVID-19 advocacy, communication, and health education. As part of the strategy to provide accurate education regarding COVID-19, vaccinations, and overall population health improvement, RHA contracted with the Men’s Health Network of Tennessee (MHN) to develop and disseminate a Certified Men’s Health Educator training.
The Tennessee Department of Health is issuing an urgent alert regarding a recent surge in measles cases, both domestically and globally, necessitating heightened awareness and proactive measures. Regrettably, many instances of measles infections have gone undetected within healthcare and community settings, resulting in prolonged exposure periods and sustained disease transmission. It is imperative for clinicians to promptly identify suspected cases of measles, institute isolation protocols swiftly, and notify public health authorities by reporting any suspected cases to the Tennessee Department of Health at 615-741-7247.
Moreover, the Tennessee Department of Health offers measles testing services, available upon prior consultation and approval from the Vaccine Preventable Diseases team. Attached resources include the Tennessee Health Alert Network (TNHAN) measles notification, Project Firstline AAP's Think Measles Info Sheet, and the recent CDC Health Advisory on measles. TNHAN Members are reminded to keep their contact profile information updated to ensure effective communication channels. This collaborative effort aims to curb the spread of measles and safeguard public health within Tennessee and beyond. An Archive of TNHAN notifications sent to licensed medical professionals can be found, here.
Vaccine hesitancy in rural areas often stems from a combination of factors, including distrust in healthcare systems, concerns about vaccine safety, and the influence of tight-knit community networks. National Flu Vaccine Awareness Week provides an opportunity to engage local leaders, community influencers, and healthcare providers in initiating conversations about the importance of vaccination. By fostering open and transparent communication, public health campaigns can work towards dispelling myths and addressing specific concerns that contribute to hesitancy, ultimately building trust and encouraging higher vaccine uptake.
In addition to communication strategies, improving access to flu vaccines in rural areas is crucial. National Flu Vaccine Awareness Week can serve as a catalyst for organizing mobile vaccination clinics, partnering with local pharmacies, and collaborating with community organizations to ensure that vaccines are readily available. By making vaccination convenient and addressing logistical barriers, public health efforts can make significant strides in overcoming hesitancy and increasing flu vaccine coverage in rural communities.
Tennessee public school students are required to turn in the state department of health immunization certificate before returning to the classroom. The list of required vaccinations are here. VFC helps families of children who may not otherwise have access to vaccines by providing free vaccines to doctors who serve them.
Children ages 18 years or younger who meet at least one of the following requirements:
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides answers to general and program-specific inquiries including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and private insurance in an informative publication available here.
Rural Health Association is ready to assist patients in keeping their TennCare Coverage! Trained assisters will be at Saint Louise Clinic in Murfreesboro each Friday in May and June from 9am - 1pm CT to help individuals determine if they are still eligible for TennCare and provide other helpful information. Can’t attend the event? Call 866-675-7092 or click here to schedule an appointment with a trained assister.
The address for Saint Louise Clinic is 1020 N Highland Ave A, Murfreesboro, TN 37130.
Conference and holiday season is upon us. If you have COVID-19 questions or want updates, then this webinar is for you!
Free COVID-19 Therapeutics Now Available!
All CMS-certified RHCs may now enroll in the HRSA RHC COVID-19 Therapeutics Program to receive a direct supply of free COVID-19 Antivirals! For more information click here.
The following statement is from STLT Policy & Public Health Partnerships in regards to under 5 year old vaccinations:
On Saturday, June 18th, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation to expand COVID-19 vaccination to children younger than 5 years of age. This decision now universally recommends COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older, paving the way for about 20 million children in this age group to get vaccinated and allowing providers to begin vaccinating with either the Moderna or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as soon as possible.
CDC releases "Rural Considerations for Vaccine Confidence and Uptake Strategies"
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released another COVID-related rural resource that
may be of interest. A “Rural Considerations” addendum was recently added to its field guide for conducting a Rapid Community Assessment (RCA). An RCA is a process for quickly collecting community insights about a public health issue in order to inform program design. The assessment involves reviewing existing data and conducting community-based interviews, listening sessions, observations, social listening, and surveys. In addition to the rural considerations addendum, the
The following information was an update made by the CDC on January 6, 2022: The CDC has updated guidance for K-12 schools to align with the updated quarantine and isolation guidance.
Quarantine is a strategy used to prevent transmission of COVID-19 by keeping people who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 apart from others. Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-19.
Today the CDC Director issued two COVID-19 related recommendations following actions by the FDA:
The media statement released this morning is below. The FDA action authorizing booster shots for children ages 12-15 will be discussed at an ACIP meeting scheduled for Jan 5. When available, we will communicate CDC’s decision. Providers are reminded to wait for the CDC recommendation before administering booster shots to this age group.
