Fentress Health Department Renovations On The Way

Remodeling and expansion projects are expected to begin soon at the Fentress County Health Department.

Fentress County Executive Jimmy Johnson said former Health Department Director Andy Langford spearheaded plans for the project before retiring in January. He said additions to the south end of the facility would include a storm shelter and a walkway connecting the area to other sections of the campus.

“They’re doing an abundance of services for Fentress County, as all your health departments do for our state of Tennessee,” Johnson said. “And so of course, yes, they’re getting more pedestrian passage through there that are getting help from the health department. So, it’s going to be a plus for them. We’ll add more work space and such for them.”

Johnson said a new generator and an HVAC replacement are included in the plans as well. He said the generator would be strong enough to operate the entire existing portion of the building, as well as the looming additional sections.

Johnson said the department will begin bidding out projects soon and hit the ground running on an improved, more spacious facility.

“It’s going to be a really great upgrade for our health department here in Fentress County,” Johnson said. “They have already done quite a bit up there. They actually, a couple of years ago, remodeled the whole inside, and they have done some exterior work also, but it’s just, anytime you can get help from the state doing things like this, it’s just really great.”

He said with a growing Fentress County population and greater need for care, the projects will open up the department to new heights in service quality, and give a wider population access to treatment.

“Of course, it will have restrooms involved in it also,” Johnson said. “It will be a room that, hopefully, if we have some storms or something that come through and the power’s off, we’ll be able to, hopefully, maybe put some people up there until the storm blows past.”