Stories

Physician and Former Cookeville Mayor Fears Hospital “may have some very tough days” as COVID spreads

November 23, 2020

My name is Dr. Charles Womack and I’m a retired physician in Cookeville, TN.  I grew up in the Mississippi Delta.  After coming to camp in Tennessee as a teenager, I fell in love with this state.  I attended college at Vanderbilt and medical school in New Orleans at Tulane.  During that time, I met…

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Veteran teacher implores Governor Lee to issue a statewide mask mandate

November 9, 2020

For the sake of my family, my students, and my community, and as someone who voted for you, I implore you to have some political courage. Use your power as the leader of our state to issue a statewide mask mandate.

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Critical care physician Dr. Benjamin Ferrell pleads with Gov. Lee for statewide mask mandate

October 23, 2020

As Nashville hospital bed capacity drops to critical level at 5% My name is Dr. Benjamin Ferrell.  I live in Nashville and am a specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine.  I came to Nashville for my residency in internal medicine in 2008, stayed for specialty training in pulmonary and critical care, and then joined…

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Tennessee Ill-prepared for Coming Flu Season Complicated by COVID-19

September 8, 2020

As primary care providers on the front lines, we are still not equipped to do what is required to address this public health crisis.

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“Mask Breaks” Are a Danger to Everyone!

September 3, 2020

My name is Alaina Snider.  I’m an 11th grade student at Brighton High School in Tipton County.  I have lived in this small, rural community all of my life, and look forward to continuing my studies in forensic science after I graduate from high school.  At the moment, I am a distance learner, but I…

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Wearing masks saves lives – my family wants Governor Lee to know and to LEAD!

August 21, 2020

My name is Beverly Smith and I want to share my story with you about why I’m asking my fellow Tennesseans to take coronavirus seriously and protect each other by wearing a mask, staying six feet apart and washing your hands.  My family has been personally impacted by the spread of this disease. Last January,…

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Why are we rushing to reopen schools without getting COVID-19 under control?

August 15, 2020

My name is Kristen Morjal and I am speaking as a concerned teacher, parent and wife.  I speak also as an individual who is in the at-risk group for severe complications should I contract COVID-19.  My husband, son, and I have self- isolated since March. We have  all three, including our four year old son,…

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Reopening in-person classes with a 10.2% positivity rate – this is crazy!

August 14, 2020

My name is Kathryn Vaughn and I teach art to about 800 elementary school students in Tipton County, which is the next county north of Memphis and Shelby County.  My husband, a combat veteran, and I moved to TN in 2001 and I have taught in the school system since 2006. I knew from the…

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Governor Lee and Mayor Ogles must listen to health experts – masks save lives

August 13, 2020

Several months ago, I was alerted by my 92-year-old mother that Dr. Aaron Milstone, my late husband’s pulmonologist, was speaking out publicly about the rapidly growing spread of the coronavirus in Tennessee, and the disastrous consequences for our state if Gov. Bill Lee did not immediately issue a stay at home order to mitigate the…

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My brother died of COVID – Governor Lee’s failure to lead and protect Tennesseans

August 4, 2020

Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Daphne Foust. I have been a physician assistant since 1988. I was raised in a very small town in western Tennessee and I have one sibling, Brett Tracy, who is 4 years older than I. We grew up like most kids in a small town with…

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