TB News and Announcements
World TB Day 2026
World TB Day is March 24. Help raise awareness about the impact of TB. Agencies across the state hold events in recognition of this day:
Fort Bend County Health and Human Services
Serves: Fort Bend County (Region 5/6)
Event: 2026 TB Program Providers Summit (flyer)
Date: Friday, March 20, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Audience: Community Healthcare Providers involved in TB care and prevention efforts, nurses, physicians, TB program staff, public health professionals, clinic and hospital staff
Point of Contact: Karlien.awuku@fortbendcountytx.gov.
Galveston County Health District
Serves: Galveston County
Event: Access Care of Coastal Texas, Inc will host the Galveston County Health District TB department during a client lunch. Staff will draw T-spots and providing tuberculosis education. (flyer)
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Point of Contact: Tom Griffiths, Outreach & Prevention Coordinator at Access Care of Coastal Texas, Inc. tgriffiths@accttexas.org.
Harris County Public Health
Event: World Tuberculosis Day 2026: TB Ends With Us. A free dynamic, collaborative workshop focused on advancing Tuberculosis (TB) Awareness, Prevention, and action in our community. (flyer)
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Register
Heartland National TB Center
Serves: State of Texas
Event: Pathways to Recovery: A Collaborative Approach to Public Health (flyer)
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Heartland National TB Center
Serves: State of Texas
Event: 2026 World TB Day Webcast (flyer)
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 9:05 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Public Health Region 7
Serve: DSHS Public Health Region 7, Milam County Health Department, Williamson County and Cities Health District, Bell County Health District, Waco-McLennan County Health District, Austin Public Health, Brazos County Health District and Hays County Health Department
Event: Yes! We Can End TB! (flyer)
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Point of Contact: Bonnie Gamez, PHR7, bonnie.gamez@dshs.texas.gov and Lori Eitelbach, WCCHD, Lorraine.eitelbach@wilcotx.gov.
TB Standing Delegation Orders and Standing Medical Orders
Standing Delegation Orders and Standing Medical Orders for Tuberculosis Prevention and Care for FY 2026 are now available.
The Standing Delegation Orders (SDOs) and Standing Medical Orders (SMOs) are written instructions, orders, and procedures prepared by the Department of State Health Services Tuberculosis and Hansen’s Disease Unit to promote consistent evaluation and treatment practices for persons with suspected or confirmed TB disease and latent TB infection.
The purpose of this document is to provide authority for specific acts of tuberculosis (TB) clinical services under the authority of Texas Administrative Code Title 22, Part 9, Chapter 169, Delegation.
The intended audience for the SDOs and SMOs includes physicians, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and non-licensed staff working in local health departments with TB programs and DSHS Public Health Regions.
The revised Standing Delegation Orders and Standing Medical Orders for Tuberculosis Prevention and Care are effective September 1, 2025.
DSHS TB Medication Availability Notification
Please adhere to the current medication usage criteria outlined in the below documents until otherwise instructed by the DSHS Tuberculosis and Hansen’s Disease Unit.
- No current TB medication shortages as of April 9, 2025.
Short Course Treatment for Tuberculosis – January 10, 2025
This information is intended for DSHS-supported regional and local health department TB programs.
Dear Colleagues:
On Friday, January 3, 2025, tuberculosis (TB) treatment guidelines were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, “Updates on the Treatment of Drug Susceptible and Drug Resistant Tuberculosis: An Official ATS/CDC/ESR/IDSA Clinical Practice Guidelines.” These guidelines introduce shorter treatment regimens for patients diagnosed with TB disease.
Here are Texas guidelines when considering using any of the following short course regimens to treat patients with TB disease:
- Four-month regimen for drug-susceptible TB using moxifloxacin and rifapentine:
- The TB Unit will be looking at how to implement this regimen.
- Short-course regimen for children with non-severe TB:
- Standing Delegation Orders (SDOs) released September 1, 2024 includes this regimen (see DSHS SDOs, Attachment 7).
- Educational materials are also available from Heartland National TB Center: heartlandntbc.org/training-archives/ (scroll to 2023 Trainings – August 31st).
- Bedaquiline/Pretomanid/Levofloxacin (BPaL) with or without moxifloxacin regimen(s) for patients with rifampin resistant TB:
- These regimen(s) have been implemented in Texas since 2021.
- Medical consultation is required when considering using the regimen.
- Standing Delegation Orders (SDOs) released September 1, 2024 include updates on drugs used in this regimen (DSHS SDOs, Patients with Drug Resistant Tuberculosis [DR-TB], Attachment 8).
Enroll in Medicaid as a TB Medicaid Provider
The DSHS Tuberculosis and Hansen’s Disease Unit encourages local health department TB programs to enroll in Medicaid as a TB Medicaid Provider.
Information on the enrollment process for first-time enrollees can be found on the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) website.
Clinics requesting reimbursement for TB services must also enroll as a TB Medicaid Provider. To enroll, the clinic must apply for a DSHS letter verifying their TB services and may attach the letter to their Medicaid application. To apply for the letter, clinics may fill out the Medicaid Provider Application.