Department of Health

The Tennessee Department of Public Health was established January 31, 1923, taking over activities of the Board of Health created in 1877 in response to epidemics of yellow fever and cholera, and preceded by a series of state entities and efforts dating back as early as 1778. Activities and responsibilities have changed and grown through the years as health needs, public health challenges, and health care have evolved. In 1983, the department’s name was changed from the Department of Public Health to the Department of Health and Environment to more clearly reflect its functions. As a result of the state’s increased focus on environmental protection and conservation, the environmental programs were transferred in 1991 to the new Department of Environment and Conservation. The agency’s name was then changed to the Department of Health.

Services: Community Health Services (CHS), Communicable and Environmental Disease and Emergency Preparedness, Laboratories Services, Licensure and Regulation of Health Care Professionals, Family Health and Wellness, Health Disparities Elimination, Population Health Assessment, Vital Records and Statistics.

Related Advisory Boards, Committees, and Councils: Advisory Committee for Children’s Special Services, Genetics Advisory Committee, Perinatal Advisory Committee, Tennessee Child Fatality Prevention Team, Tennessee Medical Examiners Advisory Council, Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council.