Pediatrician Dr. Megan Hall, right, and CHET COO Penny Etter, were guest speakers at Tuesday’s South Campbell County Rotary Club meeting.

By Charlotte Underwood 

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Community Health of East Tennessee (CHET) Chief Operating Officer Penny Etter and CHET’S new Pediatrician Dr. Megan Hall guest spoke at Tuesday’s South Campbell County Rotary Club luncheon. This week CHET is celebrating National Health Center Week.

Etter discussed the history of the health center and what it does in the community. 

The clinic first began in 1981 as the Tennessee Respiratory Clinic, then it became REACHS, and is now known as Community Health of East Tennessee (CHET). It became a federally qualified health center in 2002. 

According to Etter, last year CHET served about 5,000 patients with 16,000 visits providing medical care, mental health care, pediatric care, patient referrals and more. The “grassroots” non-profit also provides education, as well as social and community services for Campbell and Surrounding counties. 

Rotarian Logan Hickman pins a Rotary pin on newest member Zane Joyeuse while South Campbell County Rotary Club President David Hickman, left, looks on.

They accept most insurance, offer sliding pay scales, do their own billing in house, lab work in house and x-rays, as well as have their own referral staff and medical records staff. CHET is currently accepting new patients and recently hired a new pediatrician.

CHET still houses the only Blacklung clinic in East Tennessee and serves 20 to 30 miners a month from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia.

“We help people, and it’s nice to be a part of that,” Etter said.

Dr. Megan Hall is the new pediatrician at CHET.

Etter introduced Dr. Megan Hall, who started working at CHET in March. Hall, who is originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, said she was excited to be a part of Community Health of East Tennessee. She said with school starting back, she was currently focusing on “well child checkups.”

“We check the child for mental health, physical health and general hygiene,” Hall said. She spoke about the need for a pediatric dentist at the clinic as well. 

Rotarian Lynn Ray, left, pins a Rotary pin on new member Kaleb Leach at Tuesday’s Rotary Club luncheon.

For more information about Community Health of East Tennessee or to make an appointment, call 423.562.1705, or visit their website at chetn.org. CHET is located at 130 Independence Lane, LaFollette TN,  behind CVS. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/10/2022-6AM)