Hamilton County seeing more teen sexual assault victims seeking forensic exams
Officials from Chattanooga's rape crisis center are calling for more education and awareness amid an increase in teenage sexual assault victims seeking forensi…
Stories by Elizabeth Fite
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COVID-19 national emergencies are ending. What does that mean for Chattanoogans?
National emergency declarations related to the pandemic are set to end May 11, meaning many patients in the Chattanooga region will likely have to start paying…
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Chattanooga hospitals see ‘significant’ spike in overdoses, Health Department warns
Chattanooga hospitals have treated a significant increase in non-fatal drug overdoses this week, according to an alert from the Hamilton County Health Departme…
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Erlanger hopes to attract, retain nurses with historic pay increase
The Erlanger Health System Board of Trustees unanimously agreed Thursday to allocate $13 million toward nurses' base pay in an effort to recruit and retain tho…
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Tennessee’s top health official offers no explanation for HIV funding cut
Tennessee's new health commissioner declined to explain this week why the state will halt federal funds historically given to partner nonprofits for HIV testin…
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Report: Tennessee among worst states for maternal health before abortion ban enacted
Women in the 16 states with the most restrictive abortion laws, including Tennessee, are more than three times more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth …
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How much will Tennesseans with Medicare save each month with new insulin cap?
The White House estimates that Tennesseans on Medicare who take insulin will save on average $494 per year with the new $35 monthly out-of-pocket spending cap …
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Tennessee set to end HIV grant that funds Chattanooga nonprofit programs
Chattanooga nonprofit organizations that provide HIV services are scrambling to figure out how to keep those programs as Tennessee plans to forfeit millions in…
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Hamilton County sees ‘significant’ spike in syphilis cases
Syphilis cases increased 65% during the past year in Hamilton County, prompting Health Department officials to issue a warning Thursday urging prevention and t…
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National mental health 988 crisis hotline sees boost in calls from Tennessee
The three-digit, national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988, has received roughly 21,000 calls from Tennessee in the six months since launching, according to st…
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Chattanooga doctors treating child obesity offer hope beyond diet, exercise
Chattanooga doctors want families to know that there are underutilized options beyond diet and exercise to help treat childhood obesity -- a common and increas…
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Tennessee children face high foster care instability, poor access to mental health services, other challenges
Foster care instability, poor access to mental health treatment and high child care costs are among the biggest challenges facing Tennessee children and their …
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Critics question increasing number of freestanding ERs in Chattanooga area as supporters promote accessibility
Dr. Ben Cottrell was working at the Parkridge North emergency department on Lee Highway in August when an ambulance dropped off a 66-year-old man in cardiac ar…
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What eligible TennCare members need to do to stay covered in 2023
Tennessee officials are urging TennCare and CoverKids members to update their contact information and respond to all communication from the agency as state Med…
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How 2 miles on the Tennessee Riverwalk helped save a Michigan woman’s life
Susan Fennema looks like the epitome of health on her morning walks along the Tennessee Riverwalk, a ritual she began after coming to work in Chattanooga in Au…
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CHI Memorial’s stalled Ringgold hospital regains approval after Parkridge appeal dropped
CHI Memorial has regained the approval needed to begin construction on its new North Georgia hospital in Catoosa County, near Ringgold.
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Flu activity in Tennessee subsiding but remains high
Tennessee's flu season came early and hit hard but appears to be subsiding, although influenza-like illness activity remains high, according to the U.S. Center…
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Tennessee’s Medicaid adult dental benefits starts Jan. 1. Here’s what you need to know.
For the first time in state history, all adult TennCare members will be able to access dental care, including regular exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, crown…
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Children's Hospital at Erlanger officials share tips to keep your kids safe during the holidays
While the holidays can be a joyous time for children, they also pose many dangers, such as toy safety issues and improper car seat use, according to officials …
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Audit finds Tennessee children in state custody in jeopardy
A state audit released Tuesday recommends immediate action to eliminate unsafe conditions for children under Tennessee Department of Children's Services care.
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Opioid settlement funds soon up for grabs in Tennessee. Here’s what you need to know.
As drug overdoses continue to kill a record number of Tennesseeans, members of the state's Opioid Abatement Council said they're expecting roughly $60 million …
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Parkridge ends appeal of new CHI Memorial Georgia hospital
Officials at Parkridge Health System announced Monday they will drop their appeal to CHI Memorial's plans to build a new replacement hospital in Catoosa County…
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More Tennesseans got health insurance during pandemic, but some may soon lose coverage
The rate of Tennessee children without health insurance is at its lowest since 2018 -- a year that saw uninsured child rates spike due in part to a drop in Ten…
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Chattanooga pastors plead for more Black blood donors
A good friend who works for the American Red Cross once told Pastor Troy Brand, "When blood is needed, only blood will do."
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Chattanooga region sees HIV spike amid public health crises
As World AIDS Day is recognized Thursday, Chattanooga health care providers who offer HIV treatment and prevention services say other public health crises — na…
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Hamilton County mayor shares public health goals, works to learn more from local medical community
Better serving disadvantaged and overlooked communities while sparking new innovation at the Health Department are among the public health goals of new Hamilto…
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Erlanger pension funding dips slightly in 2022
A weaker investment market has caused Erlanger Health System's pension to drop to a funding level of 48.7% compared to more than 50% funding in November 2021.
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Respiratory viruses, other ailments causing record-breaking patient surge at Erlanger Children’s hospital
November is on track to be one of the busiest months in history for the emergency department at the Children's Hospital at Erlanger.
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More CHI Memorial systems are back online more than a month after cyberattack
CHI Memorial patients are now able to use the patient portal and providers can access their patients' electronic medical records as computer systems continue t…
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Clinica Medicos breaks ground in Chattanooga on new dental, mental health facility
Clinica Medicos leaders and partners have begun renovations on a new, 8,000-square-foot facility designed to meet the dental and behavioral health needs of the…
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Hamilton County health officials preach vaccination as Tennessee sees high flu levels
Hamilton County health officials are encouraging residents to get their influenza shots now as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks Tennes…
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UT affiliation to remain after Erlanger becomes private entity
Erlanger Health System's affiliation with the state's largest public higher education institution will remain unchanged once Erlanger fully transitions from a …
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Baylor students put lung cancer under the microscope
Nearly 150 students in Baylor School's scientific research program got to play doctor for Halloween by learning the steps of lung cancer screening, diagnosis a…
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Chattanooga health officials monitoring flu amid possible ‘tripledemic’
Influenza cases are surging early across the U.S., as are other respiratory viruses, causing concern that the combined effects of a potential COVID-19 wave thi…
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Parkridge’s $16 million Soddy-Daisy emergency department approved despite opposition
State regulators this week granted Parkridge Health System a certificate of need, which is akin to a permit, to build a new freestanding emergency department o…
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Erlanger Health System maintains good financial outlook despite inflation, labor market
Erlanger Health System continues to buck industry trends by maintaining a positive financial margin in the face of growing inflationary pressure, a tight labor…
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Some CHI Memorial systems are back online weeks after cyberattack
Some CHI Memorial computer systems are back online following a cyberattack that left staff across the health system scrambling to care for patients without key…
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COVID remains a leading cause of death in Tennessee despite fading public concern
In Hamilton County, people like Joy Hudson are an uncommon sight 31 months into the pandemic.
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Report: Chattanooga doctor sent woman on 6-hour ambulance ride for abortion
A Chattanooga obstetrician specializing in high-risk pregnancies recently told The Wall Street Journal that Tennessee's abortion law led her to send a patient …
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Chattanooga’s blood supply critically low, donors needed after fall break
Blood Assurance is pleading for people to give blood after last week's donations fell 90% compared to the prior week, largely attributed to fall break, accordi…
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New Georgia rule weakens Parkridge challenge to Memorial's stalled Ringgold hospital
A health care regulatory board in Georgia unanimously approved a rule change Thursday to prevent out-of-state providers from appealing state-approved projects …
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Ransomware attack cause of CHI Memorial’s IT issues, officials confirm
CHI Memorial's parent company, CommonSpirit Health, has confirmed that the ongoing IT system shutdown at several facilities is due to a ransomware attack.
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Dr. James Haynes named dean of UT College of Medicine-Chattanooga
Dr. James Haynes, a Chattanooga-based family medicine physician, has been named dean of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine-Chattanooga after servi…
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IT shutdown at CHI Memorial remains unresolved in Chattanooga, across the US
A cybersecurity incident at CHI Memorial's parent company that forced facilities in the Chattanooga region offline on Monday is garnering nationwide industry a…
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CHI Memorial computers down due to ‘IT security incident’
Some computer systems at CHI Memorial were offline Tuesday as the health system’s parent company dealt with an “IT security incident” at some of its facilities.
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Chattanooga-area health council meets for first time in 30 months
Worsening mental health, overdose deaths, an increase in syphilis and falling childhood vaccination rates were areas of concern highlighted Monday at the first…
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New 988 hotline provides immediate help for mental health crises
About three weeks ago, social worker Angie Duncan took a call from a woman alone in her car on a country dirt road.
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Proposed Erlanger North mental health hospital won’t need prior state approval under new Tennessee law
Unlike the last time Erlanger moved to open a behavioral health hospital, officials won't have to seek permission from state regulators to do so for the planne…
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Erlanger moves to convert Red Bank hospital into psychiatric facility
The Erlanger Health System Board of Trustees paved the way Thursday to convert the acute care side of Erlanger North Hospital on Morrison Springs Road in Red B…
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Few Tennessee day cares test water for lead despite free program to help
Lead could be lurking in the water at your child's day care. It's a toxic metal that can't be seen, smelled or tasted in water.