11-03-2025
Lawrence County Health Department moves into new facility
LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. — The Lawrence County Health Department has officially been in its new multi-million dollar facility for about a week.
The 5.3 million dollar building is now open at 1549 Missouri Drive in Mount Vernon.
Staff moved in last Tuesday to the $15,000 square foot facility.
It's a big upgrade from its roots in the basement of the Lawrence County Courthouse when it first began with just 6 rooms and less than a thousand square feet.
It's also a nice upgrade from its prior home since 1995, of a 6-thousand square foot converted grocery store at 105 West North Street.
This new facility is now ADA accessible, includes a community room for a variety of functions, as well as two garage bays for drive-thru clinics and drive-up car seat checks.
'At our old building, we had several rooms that were dual purpose. Like, our exam room was also a finger printing room. And a variety of things like that. And, so, with a new facility, we don't have to plan schedules around those kinds of things. Everything has their own room,' said Janella Spencer, RN, Lawrence Co. Health Dept. Administrator.
Lawrence County broke ground on the facility back in November of 2023, made possible through coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds.
The former building on North Street is still owned by Lawrence County.
Health Department Administrator Janella Spencer tells us the Highway Patrol is expected to move into that space.
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