News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Putnam County Health Department and the town of Monterey announced that the department will return to provide healthcare services to the surrounding area.
Mayor Alex Garcia said the department will visit the town once a week. Garcia said he and Putnam County Health Department Director Lisa Bumbalough had a mutual interest in bringing the department back to Monterey.
“It’s a hot spot where they don’t get a lot of returns,” Garcia said. “So they get there the first appointment and then they can’t come back cause they don’t have a ride or don’t have a car or whatever reason. Not only Monterey but the surrounding area of Monterey.”
The health department will be offering services at Monterey’s farmers market. Garcia said the department will begin setting up the location on November 1st and an opening date is still to be determined.
“I think it’s a huge opportunity,” Garcia said. “I think that we are going to see that it is going to be a quick one-day-a-week to three days a week with a necessity that we have. They did have a location here in Monterey many moons ago and they are hoping to have another one again.”
Garcia said the layout of how the services would work is still to be determined. Garcia said he is glad to be a part of bringing needed services to the people of the surrounding area.
“We are going to serve not only Monterey,” Garcia said. “The 38574 zip code touches five counties and that’s what we think this health department is going to serve.”
Monterey will spend $1,000 to provide power and security cameras for the location. Garcia said the department will have a temporary location but in the three to five-year plan that is in place a permanent facility will be provided.
