Health Department History 1991 - Present

1991: The Tennessee Department of Health and Environment has a name change to become the Tennessee Department of Health.

2002: First case of West Nile Virus in humans in Tennessee, spurring additional aggressive efforts to control insect populations.  

2006: TDH Commissioner Kenneth S. Robinson, MD, announces Tennessee’s first toll-free statewide Tobacco Quitline Aug. 28.

2008: Veronica Gunn, MD, MPH, announced as the new TDH Chief Medical Officer Feb. 4.

2009: First confirmed case of novel H1N1 virus identified in Tennessee.

2011: Governor Bill Haslam announces, Sept. 2, John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, is TDH Commissioner.

2012: TDH announced Oct. 1 it is investigating cases of meningitis involving 11 patients. 

2013: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome becomes a reportable condition in Tennessee.

2014: The first case of chikungunya in Tennessee.

2016: The first case of Zika viruse disease in Tennessee.