As COVID infections spread in Tennessee, the state’s Department of Health says more people are getting vaccinated. After months of declines, the number of vaccinations jumped more than 20% last week.
Blake Farmer, Senior Healthcare Reporter
Blake Farmer is Nashville Public Radio's senior health care reporter. In a partnership with Kaiser Health News and NPR, Blake covers health in Tennessee and the health care industry in the Nashville area for local and national audiences.
An Antioch Call Center Employee Blew The Whistle, And A Diabetes Supply Company Is Settling For $160M
The case revolved around mail-order diabetic testing supplies at one of the country’s largest companies sending patients testing strips and meters. The $160 million settlement — the largest ever reached in Nashville — came after a call center employee in Antioch tipped off federal investigators to potential Medicare fraud.
Investigation: A Clarksville Hospital Has Sued 750 Patients This Year. Its Co-Owner Didn’t Know Until Now.
Court records compiled by WPLN News show that Clarksville’s sole hospital has sued more than 9,000 patients since for-profit giant Community Health Systems took over in 2010. And 750 of those suits have been filed since bringing on a co-owner, Vanderbilt University Medical Center — which has a policy against suing patients.
Tennessee’s Science Museums Promoting, ‘Not Pushing,’ Vaccination In August
The state’s six nonprofit science museums have jointly decided to promote vaccines this August during National Immunization Awareness Month. The Science Alliance of Tennessee’s initiative is intentionally broader than COVID to sidestep the politics of the pandemic.
Tennessee Doctors Urge Political Leaders To Consider Kids First In Latest COVID Response
With school starting for most in the next two weeks, Tennessee doctors are raising concerns about the Delta variant’s spread, as kids under 12 are the only people left who still don’t have an option to vaccinate and fatal cases of the virus continue to rise in children.
Saint Thomas Becomes Latest Health System To Require Vaccines Across Workforce
The country’s largest Catholic hospital system says its employees must get the shots by mid-November, joining the likes of Vanderbilt University Medical Center locally, as COVID cases and hospitalizations across Tennessee continue to spike in the unvaccinated population.
A New Message From Tennessee GOP Leaders: Vaccines Save Lives
Republican lawmakers are urging more residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. A letter signed by 16 state senators touts the benefits of the shots and warns about the danger of not getting them.
Nashville Symphony Union Agrees To Pay Cuts After Pandemic Shutdown
Violist Melinda Whitley, who led the negotiations, says it feels like a step back, even though musicians are eager to return to what they love doing. The new contract has been ratified with a 7% reduction in pay for the first year. The 83 union members have until next week to sign their personal contracts.
Tennessee’s Top Prison Official To Leave State Government
The head of Tennessee’s prison system is leaving state government. Tony Parker announced his retirement Tuesday, effective this fall.
Study: Residents Of Southern States Without Medicaid Expansion Have Far More Medical Debt
People who live in the South owe doctors and hospitals more than three times as much as those who live in the Northeast. That’s according to a new study that looked at unpaid medical debts in collections for the last decade and found that medical debt started shrinking after the implementation of Obamacare, as more people were covered by insurance.
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