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Hamilton County accepts $338,600 state TB grant and approves new dental services contract
Summary
The commission authorized contracts for tuberculosis control services funded by a $338,600 Tennessee Department of Health award and approved a county contract for provision of dental services with Renaissance Health and Renaissance Life and Health Insurance Company of America.
Hamilton County commissioners on July 16 authorized the county mayor to sign a $338,600 continuation contract with the Tennessee Department of Health to provide tuberculosis control services in the 2025–26 fiscal year and approved a separate contract to secure dental services through Renaissance Health and Renaissance Life and Health Insurance Company of America.
The tuberculosis contract (Resolution 7 25-19) covers the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Wendy Shepherd, director of clinical services for the Hamilton County Health Department, described the TB work to the commission and answered public questions about local case counts. “I don't have the direct numbers, but last year, we had 8 or 9 TB cases,” Shepherd said. She explained that tuberculosis treatment requires intensive follow-up: diagnosed patients often require directly observed therapy and can be on medication for six months.
A member of the public asked whether the county’s $338,600 allocation represented effective use of state funds, noting that Tennessee distributes TB money across counties. County staff said the state sets funding criteria and awards that amount to the county for prevention and control; the county cannot reallocate state-specific funds.
Why it matters: TB requires sustained public-health follow up, including medication observation and multi-month regimens; small numbers of cases can demand significant staffing and resources. Shepherd told the commission the TB program staff assigned to that work are limited in number and that the state allocation helps support those positions and services.
The commission also approved Resolution 7 25-20, a contract for dental services (effective Nov. 1, 2025) between the county health services division and Renaissance Health and Renaissance Life and Health Insurance Company of America to provide dental care services to county residents through the health department.
Both items were approved on a bundled vote without recorded opposition. Commissioners and health staff emphasized the preventive nature of the TB program and the operational need for contracted dental services as part of ongoing county health offerings.
