Health Care Facility Investments Will Increase Access to Services for Putnam Countians

Tennessee’s Health Commissioner is in Putnam County today to recognize the health care improvement projects planned for the Putnam County Health Department and Cookeville Regional Medical Center as part of the Tennessee Department of Health’s statewide effort to expand Tennessee’s capacity to deliver quality healthcare services.

“Access to quality health care facilities and services is more important than ever in Tennessee’s local communities,” Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP said. “Leadership in both the public and private sectors is exactly how we improve the culture of health and healthcare in Tennessee, and how our state becomes the model in the southeast U.S. for meeting the needs of citizens where they live, work, play, and worship.”

In 2023, the Putnam County Health Department received a $615,000 capital improvement grant to support renovating the existing department’s facilities. Through the funding, the Department will build an additional wing to increase clinic space and access to services.

“The overall health and wellbeing of the families in Putnam County have always been the driving force in our efforts to serve the community,” Putnam County Health Director Lisa Bumbalough said. “Investing in community health and wellness advances health equity, meets the diverse needs of the community, and reflects the impact of performance excellence.”

Cookeville Regional Medical Center, also in 2023, received $9.4 million in grant funding through TDH’s Healthcare Resiliency Program. The grant funding will support CRMC’ will use the HRP funding for a complete demolition and renovation of its fourth- and fifth-floor west medical and surgical wings to improve in-patient services and to increase bed capacity.

“Cookeville Regional is thrilled to be adding additional patient beds to meet the needs of our growing medical center,” Buffy Key, CEO at Cookeville Regional Medical Center said. “The grant funding we are receiving allows us to better meet the healthcare needs of our patients and the community as whole.”

Both grant programs are the result of the Tennessee Resiliency Plan with oversight from the Tennessee Financial Stimulus Accountability Group, a bipartisan legislative and executive branch committee charged with planning the use of federal funding available to states through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Tennessee received $3.9 billion in total ARPA funds, with $230 million committed to TDH for healthcare modernization and transformation projects.