Healthy Development Coordinators

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) has seven regional positions to promote the development of healthy built environments across the state. These Healthy Development Coordinators (HDCs) serve as external-facing positions that engage in cross-sector collaboration to address the social and environmental determinants of health. Each HDC lives and works in one of the state’s seven health regions, developing relationships and collaborating with a wide range of local stakeholders to prioritize health in decisions related to land use planning, transportation, housing, greenspace, food access, and economic development. The coordinators work primarily in the state’s suburban and rural areas, including small cities and towns. The HDCs have a variety of backgrounds and expertise, including public health, urban and regional planning, and outdoor recreation. The Tennessee Department of Health’s Office of Primary Prevention works alongside the Division of Community Health Services to provide ongoing training and support for the HDC positions. These unique and ground-breaking positions attracted over 400 applicants from 30 states when first created, and over the past four years have established healthy built environments as a core function of the Tennessee Department of Health’s work.​