Shelby County Health Department’s new pilot program will allow all county residents aged 14 and up to order a free, at-home HIV testing kit once every six months. 

When the National Foundation for Transplants announced its closure, many patients discovered they could no longer access funds they believed had been raised specifically for their medical needs. 

The demolition is part of the $100 million in capital projects planned or underway that will modernize the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s aging campus.

Church Health CEO Jennie Robbins talked on “Behind The Headlines” about concerns that show up with the nonprofit’s patients amid national policy changes in Washington, D.C.

Two weeks after announcing the first local case of measles, the Shelby County Health Department announced it has determined it not to be measles.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, has been on the rise nationally in recent years, and Shelby County has reported five cases so far in 2025. 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Jude employees stepped up to donate their blood and platelets. But since the pandemic ended, the Blood Donor Center has been recruiting the public to become donors.

Tom Voss served in the army from 2003 to 2006, including a combat deployment to Mosul, Iraq, during which he conducted multiple security patrols.

Contrast therapy, sometimes called “fire and ice,” is a wellness trend its proponents say reduces stress, improves sleep, boosts the immune system, decreases pain and even provides a natural high.

Dr. Ralph Alvarado, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, touched on everything from vaccines to fluoride to health disparities during a presentation at the University of Memphis on Friday, March 28.

Although the resident contracted West Nile virus after they traveled to a region where its endemic, the case serves as a reminder to all residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites with the weather heating up. 

“Knowing where the case is and what population they are in ... that will really shape what we do over the next several days.”

Related story: 

What to make of measles: The situation in Shelby County

The clinic is the first of many to come in local YMCAs through a partnership with Greater Memphis Chamber.

Tennessee’s herd immunity is high, but most physicians practicing now have never treated a case of measles. And adults, especially those between 40 and 68 years of age, might want another dose of the vaccine. 

More than half of adults in the county have not seen a primary health provider in the last year, but many health care challenges could be avoided through preventative screenings like those offered at the clinic.

Of the 168 UT medical students who matched, 75 matched to residencies in Tennessee and 54 will remain at UTHSC for their residencies. 

Amid a national measles outbreak, the Tennessee Department of Health says a Middle Tennessee resident is the state’s first confirmed measles case this year. 

Shelby County Health Department has named two of its employees as deputy directors while a third has been promoted to chief of staff. 

The ear, nose and throat specialist was previously federally indicted on 115 counts of insurance fraud, but those charges were eventually dismissed.

Dr. Michael Hocker will replace Dr. G. Nicholas Verne, a gastroenterologist and physician scientist who has served as UTHSC College of Medicine interim dean since Dr. Scott Strome resigned from his position in 2023. 

First Horizon Foundation’s $1 million donation to Baptist Health Sciences University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, the first school of its kind in West Tennessee and the second in the state. 

Dr. Bret Mettler is a new leader at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s growing Heart Institute, which boasts a slew of recently recruited pediatric cardiologists and heart surgeons from around the country.

When Complete Care Family Psychiatry opened, Dr. Annie Gadiparthi wanted to offer unique care based on clinical shifts. Her own experiences fueled her passion.

Ransom will sign off for the last time at ABC24 on Wednesday, March 19, capping a career in broadcast journalism here that started in 1994.

The Shelby County Health Department is one of 550 local health departments nationwide earned the national recognition.