Key
missions of this section are teaching,
performing research and conducting outreach activities that promote and enhance
the health of animals, humans and their shared environment.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Veterinary
public health focuses its teaching and research on various aspects of One
Health, the link between human, animal and ecosystem health. Public
health practitioners play an integral role in food safety, disease prevention
in both humans and animals, and the promotion of the human animal bond.
Faculty are responsible for teaching as well as advising students in the
professional DVM program, the MPH (veterinary public health concentration)program, and the CEM program.
OUTREACH
This
One Health program unites veterinary medicine and social work. The UT
Veterinary Social Work program offers direct service and education for clients
and professionals alike.
We
focus on animal-related grief and bereavement, the link between human and
animal violence, animal assisted interactions, and compassion fatigue and
conflict management.
Contact us by phone (865-755-8839) or email vetsocialwork@utk.edu.
HABIT
is a non-profit outreach program that promotes the benefits of the human-animal
bond through animal-assisted interactions in facilities throughout east
TN. Volunteer teams of a human and a dog visit nursing homes, elementary
schools, outpatient care centers, and rehabilitation centers just to name a
few. HABIT is also actively involved in evaluating the effects of
animal-assisted interaction on the health and happiness of both the humans and
dogs involved.
We are dedicated to protecting and enhancing public
health, food safety and agriculture through investigation and research. We provide high quality educational and
training programs. CAFSP combines the expertise of University of Tennessee
faculty, other research institutions, and experts across the country to address
current issues in food defense, food safety, foreign animal diseases, emergency
preparedness, public health, and more. CAFSP serves as a focal point for key
national initiatives to protect agriculture, the food supply and public health
and to promote safer food production and processing practices. CAFSP
receives major funding from the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of
Homeland Security, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part
of the Tennessee Integrated
Food Safety Center of Excellence.
Under the authority of the Food Safety Modernization Act, the Tennessee
State Health Department and the University of Tennessee comprise this COE,
which identifies and evaluates best practices for foodborne disease
surveillance and outbreak investigation then shares this knowledge with
others. Dr. Thompson is a Co-Director of
the COE.