NASHVILLE − As Thanksgiving approaches, the Tennessee Department of Health joins Research!America and leading American public health organizations in asking citizens to give special thanks to their local and state "public health heroes" who work to protect their health throughout the year. The fourth annual Public Health Thank You Day is November 24.
"Our mission at the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health of people living in, working in and visiting our great state," said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. "We take this mission to heart in our work every day in each county in Tennessee. We have thousands of people who strive to improve the lives of their neighbors and make Tennessee a healthier place, and who do so because they love their work and the results it can bring."
TDOH is using Public Health Thank You Day as an opportunity to educate the citizens of Tennessee about the many services provided by the state health department. Tennessee’s public health professionals work to improve health and wellness every day by helping to prevent injuries, infectious disease and chronic illness. These public health heroes include:
•Inspectors who work to ensure safety and sanitation standards are met by restaurants, hotels, swimming pools, camps and day care and school cafeterias
•Health educators who work with school and community groups to share important information about protecting and improving health and wellness
•Epidemiologists who investigate outbreaks of foodborne and other infectious diseases and work to control and prevent such outbreaks
•Physicians and nurses who provide primary care, dental care, immunizations, well child check-ups, sports physicals and other health care services
•Inspectors who investigate complaints about health care facilities and conduct regular evaluations to ensure standards of care are met
•Health professionals who collect, analyze and provide statistics and data on a variety of health indicators, which can help shape policy in order to respond to the health needs of Tennesseans
TDOH provides an array of other services including vital records, health statistics and assistance in getting needed health services. Learn more about what the Department of Health can do for you by visiting the TDOH Web site at
http://health.state.tn.us/whatwedo.htm.