Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, R-Chattanooga, secured $750,000 in federal funding to help make University of Tennessee Medical Center's new specialty clinic in Oneida become reality.
The clinic — initially offering rheumatology and midwife services — opened earlier this year at the medical facility next-door to the Scott County Food Court in south Oneida. UT Medical Center officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning to officially commemorate the opening.
It was in the spring of 2022 that Fleischmann requested a $750,000 earmark for UTMC to open a rural health clinic in Scott County. In a letter dated April 26, 2022, Fleischmann asked the House Appropriations Committee to set aside funds for the renovation and equipment for the medical facility, "as the cornerstone of improving health outcomes among this rural population by developing new or expanding existing primary care sites in these rural communities."
Tammy Merritt, Fleischmann's field representative for the area, who was present at Monday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, said the funds requested by Fleischmann were received in 2023.
At Monday's ceremony, Dr. Keith Gray — president and CEO of UT Medical — said the opening of the clinic is a step toward ensuring that patients receive high-quality care within their community. "Expanding services in Oneida is an important step in delivering on that promise," Gray said.