In Charts: Drug, opioid, fentanyl + heroin overdoses in Tennessee

The number of Tennesseans who died from drug overdoses hit another record high in 2017, continuing a troubling trend that’s plagued the state for nearly a decade.

Measures to reduce the number of opioid prescriptions, such as hydrocodone and oxycontin, have started to take hold across the state, as illustrated above in an analysis from the Sycamore Institute.

But, the number of people who died from opioid overdoses jumped year over year, in part from a surge in deaths from illicit drugs, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

With primaries in the rearview, health care leaders wait for details to emerge from Dean and Lee

This is the first in an on-going series that will look at a wide range of issues, including the economy, infrastructure and manufacturing, facing Tennessee’s next governor.

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Blockchain, journalism and the tension between search and quality

How people use the internet — particularly search — fundamentally upended the ways journalism travels to readers. New ideas, courage and patience are needed.
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Cash is king in opioid treatment centers, new Vanderbilt policy center finds

The debut pilot study from the new Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy spotlighted the challenge in finding an opioid use disorder treatment that doesn’t require self-pay in four states, including Tennessee, particularly for pregnant women.

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Competition, questions shape Tennessee’s political landscape in pivotal election year

Tennessee lost its reputation as a pragmatic battleground state years ago (in fact, newcomers may not know its history) but this election could put it back into play.
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Get Covered Tennessee braces for ‘huge impact,’ possible layoffs as HHS cuts navigator funds

Family and Children’s Service is expecting an estimated $1.1 million cut in federal funding to operate its statewide health insurance enrollment network, according to a program director.

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At a glance: Tennessee’s 2019 ACA premiums, risk adjustment impact

Some health insurance shoppers in Tennessee will see pre-subsidy premiums fall even as insurers plan for fewer healthy people to enroll.

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Podcast: Holly talks what puts health care on edge + why politicians, execs need to answer hard questions

Health:Further’s David Shifrin invited me on ‘The Future of Health’ podcast to talk about the BirdDog experiment and Nashville’s health care industry from an observer’s perspective.

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Nashville imports Seattle tech training model to ease tight labor market

Programs that expand the size of the workforce will be critical to sustain Nashville’s growth, particularly as the health care sector tries to establish itself as a health tech leader. 

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Anesthesia group, BCBST quarrel puts Middle Tennessee hospitals in limbo

The row could mean more surprise bills for patients. Mid-state hospitals “find themselves between a rock and a hard place.” Balance billing is a tough health care problem to fix.

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