Community leaders gathered to help officially open the Morgan County Health Department’s new home Wednesday. An official ribbon cutting was held at noon Wednesday to mark the health department having settled into its new space at the corner of South Clay and East State Streets.
Morgan County Health Department Administrator Dale Bainter says the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce’s official ribbon cutting puts an exclamation point at the end of the sentence on the long-planned move of the health department.
Morgan County Commissioner Chair Bradley Zeller says the board couldn’t be more excited about the new facility. “This is our first time here too and we’re just excited and thrilled to see this building and the size and the space that the health department has needed for many many years.
So we’re very fortunate to have this building. The unfortunate circumstance of MacMurray College turned into a very fortunate circumstance for ourselves and we couldn’t be prouder of this building.”
The 20,000-square-foot facility was previously home to the Putnam-Springer Building on the former MacMurray campus.
Bainter says the public can see the new facility during an open house planned for next month.
“August 18th we plan to have an open house late that afternoon from 4:30 to 6:30. We are going to invite the entire community. So anyone that wants to come and check out the new building, please come out that day and look at what all the hard work has gone into.”
He says with the newer and larger facility comes the opportunity to offer even more services to the community. “So we’re expanding services and always looking into more expanded services. Our partner, SIU Center for Family Medicine Jacksonville is here and they are always looking to expand and ramp up anything we can provide to the community.
And you know, really that’s the goal here is just to be a resource for the community and provide for all of their public health needs and health care needs that we can.”
The Morgan County Health Department’s open house will be held on Thursday, August 18th from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. For more information on services offered by the health department, log on to morgan HD dot com, or call them at 217-245-5111.