Tennessee Department of Health outlines services, staffing and rural partnerships to House Health Committee

Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado told the House Health Committee on Feb. 1, 2025, that the department employs roughly 2,900 people and manages a budget of about $1.5 billion while operating primary-care clinics, dental sites and local public-health programs across all 95 counties.

Alvarado said the department’s mission is “to protect, promote, and improve the health and the well-being of all people in Tennessee” and emphasized partnerships with metro health departments and other state agencies to reach rural and underserved communities. “The department is 1 of the largest, government, struct or departments in state government and touches almost everybody in the the state,” he said.

The presentation to the House Health Committee was an overview of department programs and services and came during an informational, meet-and-greet committee session. Committee members and department leaders discussed staffing, vaccination trends, maternal and population health initiatives and coordination with metro health departments.

Among program details provided to the committee: the…