Pellissippi State and Kim Health hold groundbreaking for new healthcare facility
The clinic at Pellissippi State's Magnolia Avenue Campus will open in 2026 to all uninsured students and the uninsured community at large.
Pellissippi State Community College and Kim Health Center (KHC) on Monday hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking to celebrate their new partnership to provide affordable, community-based primary healthcare services to uninsured students and the East Knoxville community with a dedicated clinic at the college’s Magnolia Avenue campus.
KHC is a primary care and dental care clinic for the uninsured serving the greater Knox County and East Tennessee region. The clinic location at Pellissippi State is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to all uninsured students, and the uninsured community at large.
“We’re very excited about this novel partnership that is built on community and serving the community,” said Erica Lyon, Executive Director at KHC, “which is what Pellissippi does and what Kim Health does.”
The new clinic, which builds on the success of KHC’s existing location on Chapman Highway in South Knoxville, is the result of data showing a high proportion of young students and young individuals seeking its health care, Lyon said at Monday’s event.
Pellissippi President L. Anthony Wise Jr. said KHC’s work aligns with Pellissippi State’s new five-year strategic plan, and its goal of becoming a “career immersion college.”
“What we mean by that is, we want every student to have a clear academic pathway. We want every student to have the holistic support they need in order to be successful on that pathway,” Wise said. “And this partnership really ties into that as we think about the mental and physical well-being of our students as they pursue their educational goals.”
It also exposes students to great career opportunities in the community, said Wise, who emphasized that the clinic is open to all Pellissippi students – not just those at the Magnolia Avenue campus.
Lyon thanked Trinity Health Foundation, UT Medical Center, the Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation, the Lawson Family Foundation, Rogers Foundation, Monday Foundation, and the Rotary Club for their contributions to the new clinic.
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!