Expanded Putnam Health Department Nearing Completion

Putnam County’s expanded Health Department will provide residents with an expanded primary care option with its upcoming completion.

Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said the canopy on the front of the building and some interior finishes are the primary tasks remaining. He said since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have used the Putnam County Health Department as their primary healthcare provider.

“Traffic going in and out of the Health Department increased dramatically,” Porter said. “So, not enough room and not able to take care of everybody, so with the additions to the building, plus the new parking lot that we’ve got under construction in front of it will really alleviate a lot of the issues that they’ve had with overcrowding.”

The addition to the building includes new clinical spaces, isolation-quarantine rooms, new waiting rooms, and expanded storage areas. The county and the state are jointly paying for the expansion.

Porter said there is a statewide shortage of primary care providers, making the need for the new facility even greater. He said the availability of physicians, nurse practitioners, and dentists on staff a the Health Department makes it a convenient means of care for residents.

“You try to find a doctor here to be able to have as your primary care physician is difficult,” Porter said. “So, a lot of those folks, they use the Health Department as their primary care. The Health Department has expanded a lot over the last five years in taking care of those folks. I think it’s a win-win all the way around.”

Porter said he expects the construction company to have the facility up and running in the next couple of months if everything goes to plan.