Credit: Submitted

MOUNT VERNON β€” Mount Vernon Health Center had its ribbon cutting Thursday.

The health center is another step in bringing accessible healthcare to where it’s needed, a message echoed by Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr and county Health Commissioner Zach Green.

“We get to meet the community where they are,” Green said.

The facility includes nine medical treatment rooms and two behavioral health counseling offices. The building has telehealth privacy capabilities and five additional exam rooms to increase patient care. This marks the sixth facility in the Knox Public Health family.

The health center opened its doors Jan. 26, after receiving a $150,000 grant from the Knox County Foundation.

Community Health Center Director/CEO Lane Belangia said he’s seen patient numbers increase since the opening of the new health center.

“That’s the goal,” Belangia said.

This independent, local reporting provided by our Report for America Corps members is brought to you in part by the generous support of the Knox County Foundation and Kokosing.

I am a Report For America corps member at Knox Pages. I report on public education in the county as well as workforce development. I first landed at Knox Pages in June 2022.