Dec. 30, 2021 - Moore Family Practice, and the Walk-In Clinic, popular medical offices in downtown Mount Vernon, are now part of Knox Public Health and will operate in conjunction with the Knox County Community Health Center.

The medical offices were initially purchased by the Knox County Commissioners, using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, a federal stimulus bill to aid public health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commissioners then assigned operation of the offices to Knox Public Health.

According to Knox County Health Commissioner Julie Miller, combining the medical operations increases access to healthcare, an essential service of public health. “Having access to Health Center services in downtown Mount Vernon has been a goal of Knox Public Health for several years,” she said.

Moore Family Practice and the Walk-In Clinic will continue to operate under the same names and remain in the same locations.  The staff will continue to work at the offices including Nurse Practitioner Simona Moore who started Moore Family Practice seven years ago.

“The move to become part of Knox Public Health was something that we initiated to expand services for our patients,” Moore said in a letter sent to patients. “As a partner of the Community Health Center, we will be able to provide mental health counseling, dental services, immunizations, and tobacco cessation.”

The Knox County Community Health Center is a federally qualified health center that opened in 2017. The Center currently operates inside Knox Public Health located on the far eastside of Mount Vernon. The Center also has satellite offices in Danville.

Lane Belangia, CEO of the Community Health Center, said transportation can be an issue for some patients getting to the Center’s main location. “The addition of the Moore Family Practice and the Walk-In Clinic will bring an entirely new access point to those who could never get to us. Patients will also have access to affordable healthcare through discounts only a federally qualified health center can offer.”

Knox Public Health takes over management of Moore Family Practice and the Walk-In Clinic on Monday, Jan. 3. The offices will be closed Monday morning for a meeting with staff, but will open at 1 p.m.

“We are grateful to the Knox County Commissioners, the Board of Health and the Health Center Co-Applicant Board in supporting this new partnership,” said Miller.

“It will allow our services to be more accessible than ever before.”

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