New Online Tool Provides Access to Nashville’s Health Data

NashvilleHealth and the Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) have launched a first-of-its-kind interactive website that allows residents, community and business leaders and media to explore recent findings from the Nashville Community Health + Well-being Survey. The website – nashvillehealth.org/survey – provides an in-depth look at survey data searchable by health topic, geographic location, and demographics. Users can also request the full data set by completing an online agreement. Comprised of more than 100 health-related questions, the Nashville Community Health + Well-being Survey is the first county-wide health assessment in nearly 20 years.

State Legislators Work to Prevent Next Generation of Nicotine Addicts

NashvilleHealth joins more than 25 partner organizations from across the state in support of legislation that seeks to prevent the next generation of nicotine addicts in Tennessee.The bill (SB 2079/HB 2114), sponsored by State Senator Shane Reeves and House Chairman Robin Smith, intends to bring state law into compliance with federal law setting the purchase age for tobacco and e-cigarettes at 21 and strengthening enforcement.

“I am pleased that our federal Congressional leadership has made the critically-important move to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco and e-cigarette products from 18 to 21,” said NashvilleHealth Founder and Board Chair Sen. Bill Frist, M.D. “Now, I encourage our state’s leaders to take the necessary steps to smartly implement this federal law and protect Tennessee’s youth.”

Speakers Series Shines Spotlight on Nashville’s Mental Health

Recently-released findings from the Nashville Community Health + Well-being Survey show Davidson County residents report having 5.3 poor mental health days in a 30-day period. This is a full day more than Nashville’s peer cities – Austin, TX (3.3 days) and Charlotte, NC (3.4 days) – and outpaces the state and national average. To better understand Nashville’s mental health needs and existing collaborations for care, NashvilleHealth and MPHD hosted national and local leaders for a community-wide conversation. Speakers included Paul Gionfriddo, CEO of Mental Health America, Amanda Bracht, SVP of Clinical Services at the Mental Health Cooperative, Todd Henry, Deputy Chief of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and Dr. Greg James, Ascension Saint Thomas Chief Clinical Officer and Dean of the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center Nashville campus. The Tennessean’s David Plazas served as moderator.

Special thanks to Cigna for their sponsorship of this event.

Target:BP Enters Year Three with Reach of Nearly One Million Patients

The Target:BP city-wide collaborative is entering its third year with 19 clinics participating in the initiative representing a reach of nearly one million patients. Clinicians recently gathered to review initiative goals and protocols. Attendees also began developing a training plan to uniquely meet our community’s needs. According to the Nashville Community Health + Well-being Survey 30 percent of Nashvillians have been diagnosed with hypertension. Target:BP, led by the American Heart Association (AHA) and NashvilleHealth, in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA), is working to reduce the number of citizens in Middle Tennessee who have uncontrolled high blood pressure.