TN.gov Newsroom

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health announces that the suspension of admissions at Newport Health and Rehabilitation Center has been lifted. The facility is a 150-bed licensed nursing home located at 135 Mariner Drive in Newport.

One In Five Women In State Admits To Smoking During Pregnancy

NASHVILLE – Getting the news of a positive pregnancy test can be both exciting and scary for some women. What might make it downright complex is if the mom-to-be is a smoker or uses other tobacco products. The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) provides pregnant women assistance in quitting tobacco use.

National Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week is May 18-24 

NASHVILLE – Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of swimming season, and is the traditional opening day of many public pools in Tennessee and across the country. The Tennessee Department of Health wants to make sure residents and visitors have a safe and healthy swimming season. TDOH joins the national observance of Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week May 18–24, 2009. This health observance in the week leading up to Memorial Day is designed to raise awareness about healthy swimming behaviors.

NASHVILLE – In the spirit of the Volunteer State, the Tennessee Department of Health state laboratory is assisting Texas public health authorities with testing a backlog of samples from their patients who may be infected with the new H1N1 flu virus. Tennessee’s public health labs have already begun testing an initial submission of 400 samples from Texas, in addition to samples taken from Tennessee patients.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health state laboratory is now confirming cases of the H1N1 influenza virus and will no longer submit all samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmation. Now that confirmations can be made by the state lab, Tennessee will begin reporting only confirmed cases of this new strain of flu virus.

Cocke County Nursing Home Cited For Violations

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN, has suspended new admissions of residents to the Newport Health and Rehabilitation Center effective May 5, 2009, and imposed a one-time state civil monetary penalty of $1,500. The state also has recommended that the federal civil penalty be imposed at $6,150 a day until the violations are corrected. A special monitor has been appointed to review the facility’s operations.

NASHVILLE - State officials are warning consumers to be on the lookout for fraudulent e–mails and Web sites trying to cash in on the recent H1N1 flu outbreak in addition to false claims for possible “cures” or drugs alleged to immunize consumers from the flu.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health has identified an additional probable case of the novel H1N1 virus in WilliamsonCounty. As a result, the state has recommended the dismissal of students from CrockettElementary School for seven days to lessen the chance of transmission of the illness among students. The state’s initial case of the virus was identified by the department in WilliamsonCounty on April 29.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health has received notification from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that another case of the novel H1N1 virus identified in the state has been confirmed positive. This confirms a case from DavidsonCounty. Starting this week, the state public health lab will be able to confirm cases of the virus for the state with the use of flu kits provided by federal officials.  

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health has received notification from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the initial case of the novel H1N1 virus identified in the state has been confirmed positive. The initial case was identified by the department in Williamson County on April 29.