Hamilton County Health Department

11/04/2025

Did you know? The Hamilton County Health Department offers a comprehensive Adult Immunization Clinic, including routine vaccinations such as flu, MMR, and Tdap, as well as specialty travel vaccines. Do you need more information on the required vaccines for your next overseas travel? Call call 423-209-8340 or visit Health.HamiltonTN.org.

11/04/2025

Creative Discovery Museum is committed to making our community the best place for every child to grow up. During challenging times, we want to be a welcoming space where families can find joy, connection, and moments of discovery together.

We are taking extra steps this November to support families across our community:
✨ Free admission for SNAP families (bring your EBT card and matching photo ID)
✨ $5 admission for furloughed federal employees (bring your federal employee ID and matching photo ID)
✨ Food drive benefiting the Chattanooga Area Food Bank — bring a food donation and receive 10% off general admission. Needed items include peanut butter, soup, jams and preserves, boxed dinners, canned fruits and vegetables, cereals and oatmeal, and canned protein.

We're proud to be part of the network of organizations making our community stronger, more connected, and full of joy.

11/04/2025

The Health Department is proud to collaborate with the OPT, as our Navigator will be essential in connecting OPT patients to the necessary resources.

11/04/2025

10/31/2025

Don’t be haunted by the flu!
Our dancing skeleton has a message: roll up your sleeve and get your flu shot!
Flu shots are available at all Health Department locations - including Birchwood, Ooltewah, our Mobile Unit, and 3rd Street. Protect yourself and your boo crew. Prevention is the best protection!

10/31/2025

Did you know that October is National Pedestrian Safety Month? Whether you are taking a stroll through your neighborhood, window shopping, or trick-or-treating on Halloween, we are all pedestrians at some point!
It's essential to keep ourselves and other pedestrians safe whenever our paths may cross with vehicles. Please always use a crosswalk when one is available, stay alert as you cross the road, and make eye contact with drivers to make sure they see you. Drivers can also help reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities by checking for pedestrians or cyclists before turning, looking both ways before backing up, and slowing down at intersections.
We are all pedestrians, so let's help keep each other safe by walking and driving carefully!
For more information on pedestrian safety, check out: https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety

10/30/2025

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
October 30, 2025

Health Department’s Step ONE Program Announces the Ten Organizations Selected for the 2025 - 2026 Teaching Garden Grants

HAMILTON COUNTY, TN – The Hamilton County Health Department’s Step ONE program under the Health & Social Services Division is pleased to announce the ten organizations selected for the 2025 - 2026 Teaching Garden Grants. Step ONE received a remarkable number of applications this year for the ten $1,000 awards. It was a difficult decision, as community organizations presented creative and well-thought-out plans for their garden programs. The Step ONE program selected the ten grantees based on which organizations best fit the criteria, such as the strength of garden vision and design, plans for sustainability, identified leadership, educational goals, creativity, and geographic diversity.

2025-2026 Step ONE Garden Grantees:
1. AIM Center
2. Bayberry Apartments/Wesley Living
3. Bridge Outdoors
4. East Ridge City Library
5. SEED Chattanooga
6. SilverTree Seniors
7. Snow Hill Elementary
8. Special Kids TN
9. STEPS/St. Timothy’s Episcopal Preschool
10. Treehouse Therapy

“Each garden represents more than just plants in the ground – it’s a hands-on investment in the health, education, and resilience of our community. This year’s grantees have crafted incredible, community-driven visions that connect individuals of all ages and abilities to the food they grow and the habits that will nourish them for a lifetime. We’re proud to help bring those visions to life, says Christopher Marinello, Step ONE Public Health Representative.

The Step ONE Teaching Garden Grants Program focuses on creating involvement and awareness of the connection between the quality of diet and the quality of health for children and their families. In addition, teaching gardens offer opportunities to learn valuable skills such as communication, responsibility, teamwork, and leadership. With this year’s grant awards, the Step ONE program has invested in 94 teaching garden programs throughout Hamilton County since its inception in 2004.

Additional resources
• Questions? Call the Health Department’s Step ONE Program at 423-209-8247.
• For Health Department information, visit: Health.HamiltonTN.org
• To read this information in Spanish, visit the Health Department’s Spanish page at https://www.facebook.com/SaludHamiltonTN

10/30/2025

** REMEMBER **

Saturday (11/1/25) night before bed or if you stay up till 2 AM Sunday morning (November 2):

TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK 1 HOUR! This is also a great time to change the batteries in your smoke detector!

10/30/2025

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this year’s national theme is "With Survivors, Always." Survivors deserve safety. Survivors deserve support. Survivors deserve solidarity. For and beyond, we commit to showing up for survivors, always. . If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, you can call the Family Justice Center at (423) 643-7600 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE, or text “START” to 88788.
For more information, visit:
• Family Justice Center at https://fjc.chattanooga.gov/
• Partnerships for Families, Children, and Adults at https://partnershipfca.com/
• National Domestic Violence Hotline at https://www.thehotline.org/

10/29/2025

Between 2018 and 2022, child deaths in Tennessee from fires and burns were 50% higher than the national average. Many of these tragedies are preventable.

Take these simple steps to keep your family safe:
✅ Test your smoke alarms regularly
✅ Review your family’s fire emergency plan
✅ Talk about fire safety practices at home

Smoke alarms save lives! The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Get Alarmed, TN! program provides free smoke alarms to households through local fire departments.

Request a smoke alarm or learn more: https://www.tn.gov/commerce/fire/prevention-education-and-outreach/get-alarmed-tn.html.

10/28/2025

One Voice. Two fights. This October. Join the movement! Wear a little purple with your pink to raise awareness for both breast cancer and domestic violence—two issues that affect millions of women. Together, we can support, educate, and empower one another! Find out more: Health.HamiltonTN.org or 423-209-8050.