Rural Medical Services receives $2 million federal grant

NEWPORT, TN | by Staff Reports | March 19, 2019

Original article can be found at: https://www.citizentribune.com

NEWPORT—Rural Medical Services, Inc., which is based in Cocke County and offers community health services to Cocke and Jefferson Counties, is the recipient of over $2 million in federal funding.

The grant, being funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, totals $2,520,299.

Rural Medical Services is non-profit organization, which operates community health centers in Cocke and Jefferson Counties. Its mission is to provide affordable, accessible patient-centered health care.

The organization operates five primary care clinics, which are located in Newport, Cosby, Parrottsville, Grassy Fork and Chestnut Hill. Its facilities are staffed with board certified family practice physicians and nurse practitioners.

Providers with RMS offer well care and also perform diagnostic students, prescribe medicines and test most illnesses, as well as prenatal care and delivery at Newport Medical Center. RMS also operates a migrant health program, which provides health education and outreach.

U.S. Congressman Dr. Phil Roe, who served as a Johnson City OBGYN before entering politics, issued a statement congratulating Rural Medical Services on the grant award.

“I want to congratulate RMS on receiving an award of over $2.5 million in grant money from HHS. This money will go a long way to help operate community health centers across East Tennessee,” said Roe in the statement. “Community health centers help fill a health care gap in rural America – like the First District – and I am glad to see this money coming to our region. RMS serves many East Tennesseans who are under- or uninsured, and other low-income residents in Cocke and Jefferson Counties. I applaud HHS for awarding this grant funding to RMS and look forward to seeing it used in service of our community.”