Ribbon cut on new health department

By COBY LaRUE
Staff

County and town officials gathered at the new Alleghany County Health Center last Friday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new facility.

The center, which is located on Health Services Road near the Adult Developmental Vocational Program center and the New River Behavioral Healthcare office, was first opened for business on July 24 of this year. The center is also accessible via Dan Osborne Road.

The 8,500 square-foot building is larger than the former health department location on Willis Street.

In addition, the new building has an upgraded waiting room, more triage rooms and better parking facilities.

Inside the center, clinical and physician services are available and plans are for dental services to be added in the future. As for now, the center does not have a dentist on staff to offer those services.

Health services staff, along with other county and municipal officials, participate in the ribbon-cutting honors at the new Alleghany County Health Center. Shown are (from left) Lu Ann Tucker, county commissioners Ken Richardson and Charity Gambill, Angelia Miller, Regional Health District Director Danny Staley, commissioners Eldon Edwards and J. Warren Taylor, Eva Wooten, Sparta Mayor John H. Miller, County Manager Don Adams, Carl Tuttle and Debbie Joines.

The new structure also houses the district business and environmental health offices, which opened to the public on July 30.

Debbie Joines, a nurse who served as spokesperson for the department, said that about 100 people showed up for the open house.

"We had a great open house and great food," Joines said. "We had beautiful flowers that were supplied by Sparta Florist that were located throughout the health department."

The reception was prepared by the staff.

"We had pictures on display that were painted by Elizabeth Reeves Lyon, who is the mother of Dr. Beth Lyon-Smith," Joines said. The pictures likely will be displayed for an extended period of time.

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News!

Back