The Putnam County Health Department celebrated the grand opening ceremony Friday for its new clinic in Monterey, signifying a step toward improving access to underserved areas.
Health Department Director Lisa Bumbalough said opening a clinic in Monterey has been a big step in improving access throughout the county. Bumbalough said since expanding to Monterey last year, over 1,000 people have been assisted.
“Any service that you can receive in Cookeville, the dental, you can receive in Monterey,” Bumbalough said. “So we are very thankful for the facility that the city of Monterey has found for us, and we will continue to provide services there as long as we can.”
Bumbalough said there is still more room to improve access in the county. Bumbalough said the Health Department hopes the Monterey location will expand on services that are already offered.
“Being there, we hope to provide more services, more programs, immunizations, health care screenings, we’ll provide nutrition education, we’ve got some outstanding maternal and childhood health services programs that we can offer,” Bumbalough said. “We just want to make sure good health is not a privilege for those who live in cities, but it’s a right for every person, even right here in Monterey.”
Bumbalough said rural communities often face economic barriers, health care challenges, and high rates of chronic conditions. Bumbalough said improving access is an attempt to fill the gap in Putnam County.
“That limits families from receiving care that they need to improve their health outcomes, and help their families live a healthier life, so we want to do all we can to make things more affordable, to make access easier for families.”
Bumbalough said the clinic has gone from being open one day a week to five days a week.
