Around 60 people met Thursday night to discuss what the health needs of the community are. Those in attendance at the town hall meeting at Knoxville High School included citizens, public officials, and health care providers. In general, the group agreed Knoxville and surrounding rural communities have good physicians that care about the community. They also said the Knoxville Recreation Center provides a number of wellness activities, and the local hospice services are well-received too.
When asked what needs to be worked on locally, mental health was a common theme. Survey data also indicated that family planning services need to be improved, as do nursing home services.
The forum was sponsored by Knoxville Hospital and Clinics and Marion County Public Health. They’ll use the information gathered as they continue to create a Community Health Needs Assessment report.