Healthcare
Commentary: “Life Protection Act” will hurt Tennessee’s most vulnerable women
This week, I attended the Tennessee House Health Subcommittee meeting and watched as legislators discussed and debated HB 2779 or “The Life Protection Act.” Many other women attending the meeting, worried about the ramifications of this bill, which seeks to outlaw all abortion in this state. As an emergency physician, my job is to care […]
2022 could break anti-LGBTQ legislation records
Tennessee’s legislative season is concerning transgender constituents, LGBTQ+ activists and officials around the country. The state could break its 2021 record by passing the most anti-LGBTQ legislation yet. Freedom for All Americans lists 14 bills on its anti-transgender legislative tracker, including one that would make gender-affirming healthcare for kids a crime. According to the Human […]
Suicides at Vanderbilt highlight demand for mental health services
Vanderbilt University has lost four doctoral students in the biomedical sciences program to suicide in the past two years, according to interviews with students and emails from the university. The deaths have added stress in a community of only a few hundred students already struggling with intense professional pressure and heightened the demand for counseling […]
“It has to become a part of the structure of community care.”
Like every Black parent, Dr. Tobi Amosun knew the day would come for her children to hear “the talk.” When her son was five, Amosun explained to him that the world operated differently for little Black boys, and that he would need to behave carefully around authority figures and learn to de-escalate a situation. “This […]
State ends no-bid contract with contact tracing firm, $65 million poorer
The state of Tennessee has wound down its contact tracing contract with Xtend Healthcare, a for profit medical billing firm hired in June 2020 through a no-bid contract in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic as state resources quickly became overwhelmed. Over the course of 19 months, the contract with the Hendersonville-based company — […]
Healthcare advocacy group urges Lee to take action
Parents, doctors and pastors asked Gov. Bill Lee to reinstate a state of emergency to deal with the ongoing COVID surge that’s forced dozens of schools to close in the past few weeks. In a press conference organized by the Protect My Care, speakers described how Lee and “radical” politicians have left Tennesseans to deal […]
CHOICES Memphis gets funds for playground to serve clients’ children
The Shelby County Commission awarded $25,000 to a nonprofit reproductive healthcare facility, despite controversy over the facility providing abortions for low-income women. CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health was founded in 1974 and offers a full range of reproductive services for women and the LGBTQ community. Along with providing Pap smears, birth control, breast exams, […]
Shelby County approves $1.5 million for COVID testing kits
During a special session Wednesday, Shelby County commissioners approved $1.5 million for the purchase of at-home COVID testing kits as cases continue to spread throughout the county. Shelby County’s weekly test positivity rate has decreased since last week, but residents are still testing at a positive rate of 35.9%, continuing the county’s streak of the […]
Shelby County accepts opioid settlement
The Shelby County Commission voted to accept $20 million as a partial settlement as part of a statewide effort to crack down on the opioid epidemic. In March 2021, Memphis city officials filed a federal lawsuit against a group of opioid manufacturers and distributors for their role in fueling the opioid influx that has significantly […]
Judge rules fired Tennessee vaccine official Dr. Michelle Fiscus cannot pursue monetary damages
A federal judge has ruled that former Tennessee vaccination chief Dr. Michelle Fiscus cannot pursue claims for monetary damages against the state’s top two Department of Health officials after her controversial firing last summer — but the remainder of her lawsuit seeking a ‘name-clearing hearing’ and a finding that the state violated her constitutional rights […]
$400 million in American Rescue Plan funds to support those with disabilities
Thanks to American Rescue Plan funds, more Tennesseans with disabilities will hopefully be getting services they need, aimed at supporting them in their homes and communities. One state program, Enabling Technology, introduces gadgets to lessen dependence on in-home helpers. In November, TennCare, Medicaid for low-income Tennesseeans, and the state’s Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities […]
Shelby County add funds to target opioid addiction
The Shelby County Commission voted Monday to add $168,700 to its operating budget to combat the county’s opioid epidemic. Shelby County previously received $506,000 from the Tennessee Department of Health for the period of Sept 1, 2021 to Aug. 31, 2022 through an effort to target high-impact areas across the state. Today’s vote amended the […]