Health Department holds ribbon-cutting

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last week for the new DeKalb County Health Department. Local and state officials attended the event at the new facility at 286 Tiger Drive. The groundbreaking for the new 9,860-square-foot building was held on July 30, 2025. The Health Department opened its new location in a limited capacity on Monday, August 10, 2026, and held the ribbon-cutting on Thursday, September 3. AEI of Cookeville was the architect for the project, while Sain Construction of Manchester served as the contractor. The new health department was constructed using state and local allocations of federal ARP funds (American Rescue Plan Funds), including $4,300,500 in state support (previously committed federal ARP funds coming through the state) and the remaining $398,000 in local matching funds (previously committed ARP funds). Health Department Director Michael Railling said at the ceremony that the new complex, larger than the old 8,470-square-foot building, will offer 10 clinic rooms instead of six at the former facility. The department will continue offering primary care services as a federally designated site, which includes treatment of acute illness and chronic disease management provided by a nurse practitioner or physician. Services can also include telehealth, wellness exams, laboratory tests, and health education. 'We couldn't ask for any better location for our new complex,' Railing said. 'It's ideal right next door to where we were, and we won't have a problem with people knowing where to find us. We are established here and have been since 1971 right next to the high school and middle school. We do a lot of programs in the school system, so that also makes our location convenient.' Tennessee provides primary care at its local health departments, according to Dave Harrell, Director of Special Projects for the Tennessee Department of Health. 'Tennessee is the only state in the union that provides primary care in our health departments. That's unusual, but it's a great blessing, and part of what this new building will do is allow us to do that more efficiently and more safely if God forbid there is another pandemic. The whole purpose of these (ARP) funds (used to build the new health department) is to make sure we are better prepared for the next pandemic than we were for COVID. This staff worked very hard during COVID, and they will have to work hard during the next pandemic also, but hopefully they will be able to work smarter and safer. That's what these funds are for and what the new building will accomplish here,' said Harrell. As a federally designated site in a medically underserved community, Director Railling said the DeKalb County Health Department will be poised to increase access to affordable primary care services for patients who are uninsured, underinsured, and privately insured.