MEDIC says East Tennessee blood shelves are stable even as the Red Cross declared a national emergency; local centers still urge donors to give to keep supplies ready.

About half a dozen former patients settled over Mycobacterium fortuitum infections from 2023 surgeries at a West Knoxville center, while other claims and regulatory actions remain active.

Inspectors found raw meats stored too warm and a filthy can opener at La Loteria in Tellico Plains; corrections raised the follow‑up score to 89.

A Knoxville widower says his wife's death was linked to mitragynine toxicity and urges caution as Tennessee's new kratom law takes effect July 1.

Tennessee will pay family doctors up to $200,000 for five‑year rural commitments as part of a push to shore up shrinking primary care in small towns.

Covenant Health says contract talks with UnitedHealthcare have stalled and warns United members they could lose in‑network access at Covenant Medical Group on July 1.

A new HHS OIG audit finds widespread generator and maintenance failures at U.S. nursing homes and places Tennessee in a medium‑risk category. Families and regulators face fresh questions about enforcement and readiness.

Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital will pause its developmental‑behavioral pediatrics clinic on June 29, 2026, prompting worry from families who rely on long‑wait specialty care.

The USDA will scatter edible rabies‑vaccine baits across East Tennessee and nearby states in mid‑April; residents may see low‑flying aircraft and matchbox‑sized packets on the ground.

Volunteer-run RAM clinics delivered free dental, vision, and basic medical care to hundreds in Knoxville, where patients slept in their cars to get in line. The weekend underscored gaps in U.S. coverage.

Knox County’s forensic center says infant sleep-related deaths jumped and is teaming with health partners to share daily safe-sleep tips and crib resources.

Tennessee poison‑control officials report a steep rise in exposures to semaglutide and tirzepatide, driven by dosing errors and unregulated products. Calls climbed sharply from 2021 to 2025.

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and Cigna reached a deal Friday that keeps the Knoxville hospital in‑network, averting a March 1 coverage split and easing parents’ concerns.