The Jefferson County Health Department unveiled a $9.7 million clinic and administrative headquarters on Wednesday after moving out of a nearly 70-year-old location nearby.
The new building, just under the Hillsboro water tower on Peach Tree Plaza Court, clocks in at around 20,000 square feet.
“It brings us into a more modern state,” said Melissa Parmeley, the county’s clinical services director. “Our clinic space is specifically designed to be clinic space. The rooms are bigger than they were in the old building. The electronic medical record systems that we're using are accessible in the clinic rooms.”
The facility, which still smells like fresh paint and new building materials, has several exam and consultation rooms, labs for clinical and environmental work and a drive-through section that allows people to get tested for strep throat and other illnesses without leaving their vehicle.
The building also places patient services in a separate wing from administrative offices to protect patient privacy, an update from the old location, Parmeley said.
The work of health departments has changed significantly since the mid-20th century, when the old headquarters was built, said county Health Director Steve Sikes.
“When that [old building] was first built, the clinical aspect was the main thing of public health,” he said. “We've grown so much. We still do clinical services and environmental, but we have a lot of other programs as well that weren't there back in the '50s when that building was open.”
During an open house at the new building Wednesday, county health workers hosted visitors and talked about their jobs, demonstrating the department does more than serve as a place to find birth and death records.
A science fair-style setup in a large conference room allowed county experts to talk about tuberculosis testing, sexual health care and other fields in which they specialize.
Visitors were also able to see the health department’s two large vans – a mobile dental unit and a mobile health center. The mobile clinics are vital to reach parts of Jefferson County where people don’t have easy access to transportation or health services, Parmeley said.
The Jefferson County Health Department offers patients dental care, family planning and wellness check-ups and inspects hotels, restaurants and day care facilities for health violations. It also keeps track of vector-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus and communicable diseases that could be spreading.
Building trust
The department’s investment comes as trust in such agencies has decreased.
According to a recent KFF poll, the number of people who trusted local and state health departments to make the “right recommendations when it comes to health issues” dropped 10 percentage points, to 54%, between 2023 and 2025.
Even so, Parmeley said she hopes residents will come in to see what the Health Department has to offer.
“The space is built to be inviting. It's clean, it's open, it's designed so that it's available in the community for the public,” she said. “So we really do hope that folks come in, they see it, they check on our services, they see how wonderful our staff are and their commitment to do positive things in our community.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, Jefferson County officials, residents and business owners disagreed about mask mandates and other control measures, and health workers struggled to vaccinate residents in the majority-Republican voting county.
“I think if you believe in what you do and you're doing things for the right [reason], it's easier to talk with people and to educate them,” Sikes said. “I think if you walk around today and meet our staff, you'll find that they are extremely professional, very willing to speak to anybody, and they have a powerful message to give.”
