UT Officials report the new Fentress County ER and Medical Facility has been a success so far.
Centers of Excellence Senior Vice President Lisa Duncan said the opening was part of a strategic plan to give better access northwest of Knoxville. Duncan said staff have responded well. Duncan said the designers took special care to make sure the facility would be easy to work within for staff.
“For instance, we wanted people who had experience in emergency medicine and emergency provision of care to have input into the design of the building,” Duncan said. “And that has helped tremendously because the workflow and how everything is laid out has just worked amazing.”
Duncan said the facility has already seen some 3,000 patents, averaging anywhere between 25 to 30 patients a day. Duncan said while any new project has challenges, the team has been happy with the new facility.
The Jamestown center opened last year after the county’s only hospital closed in 2019. Duncan said the facility has been succeeding in operating independently, providing care many local residents did not have access to.
“The county were very, very motivated for this project to come to fruition,” Duncan said. “They have been supportive from the time we started and continue to be supportive when we need something.”
Duncan said the community around Jamestown has also been supportive of the facility upon its opening.
“We had people from the community literally bringing t-shirts for the team to wear,” Duncan said. “Bringing food, thank you cards, and that level of support has continued and we are all very grateful and so appreciative of that.”
Duncan said other services such as imaging and telehealth were also established in Fentress County to help patients travel time.
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