Dear Colleague: I ask your help in assisting the Hamilton County Health Department with its epidemiological efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our

Governor Lee mandates action by healthcare professionals on elective/non-urgent procedures and PPE. Read the full executive order for details and requirements.

Hamilton County has initiated a COVID-19 drive-through testing service for private physician practices. This letter from the Health Department explains the procedures and provides links for necessary documentation.

Individuals who are concerned about the coronavirus can now use a simple online assessment tool developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Microsoft to get some guidance.  The self-testing ‘bot’ (interactive software tool) asks users a series of questions to determine whether or not their symptoms merit further assessment for the virus.  (Read the full press release by clicking link)

The Centers for Disease Control and Microsoft have teamed up to create a self-checker testing tool people can use to determine if they should be

We understand there is a lot of information circulating, which can be confusing. We want to provide a targeted resource for physicians who are faced with testing and diagnosing COVID-19. 

For Physicians: Click here for a one page guide to telehealth COVID-19 diagnosing and new payer coding. 

For Patients: Click here for an information sheet to share with patients.

It is critically important to manage health system resources to ensure Tennesseans’ health and continue to flatten the curve as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. TMA is following the CDC and President Trump’s direction in promoting the use of telehealth as the best tool to triage, diagnose, and ultimately treat COVID-19. We encourage all TMA member physicians to employ telehealth in efforts to clear waiting rooms, keep open vital ER beds and manage patients at the lowest possible risk and offer the following resources to help our members navigate telehealth use and payment.

Get the latest testing guidelines for COVID-19 from County Health Department Health Officer, Dr. Paul Hendricks

Morgan McDonald, MD, FAAP, FACP is the Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health. In this statement, she shares the State’s guidance for providers on protocols for collecting COVID-19 specimens for testing, as well as precautionary steps that practices can take to keep their patients safe, as well as themselves.

HAMILTON COUNTY, TN – The Hamilton County Health Department asks that all residents cooperate fully with public health investigations and restricted movement orders that are being issued. Read the full press release for complete details . . .

In this COVID-19 update, The Tennessee Department of Health shares important Hotline phone numbers on COVID-19 for health care professionals, provides updates to case management policies, and presents guidance on PPE usage for health care facilities. Read the full article for complete information.

This update includes important COVID-19 Hotline telephone numbers; links to updated CDC and TN Department of Health websites for patients, physicians and health care professionals; and access to patient-friendly printable flyers on COVID-19 prevention.