National HealthCare Corporation, Tennova Healthcare, The University of Tennessee Medical Center and Reliant Healthcare Announce State Approval for Behavioral Medicine Facility in Knoxville, Tennessee

National Healthcare Corporation ("NHC”), Tennova Healthcare, The University of Tennessee Medical Center ("UTMC”) and Reliant Healthcare today announced the Health Services and Development Agency of the State of Tennessee has granted Certificate of Need approval for a sixty-four bed psychiatric hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. The facility, Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine, LLC, is the result of a partnership among NHC, Tennova, UTMC and Reliant.

The project will relocate 38 licensed inpatient beds from other Tennova hospitals to the new Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine. The community will also have access to 26 additional beds that will be established for behavioral medicine services. Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine will provide psychiatric services to both adult and geriatric patients at the future site near the corner of Middlebrook Pike and Old Weisgarber Road. The newly constructed facility is projected to open in 2022, subject to necessary regulatory and other approvals.

"We are excited our Certificate of Need was approved to start on the new Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine in Knox County,” said Jay Nason, NHC’s Vice President of NHC’s Eastern Region. "We are thrilled the Agency recognized the great need for psychiatric services in Knox and 15 surrounding counties.

Thank you to all of our community and healthcare supporters that submitted over 100 letters of support to help bring these important services to those in our community.”

"We are pleased to be working together with other reputable healthcare providers to offer compassionate, quality care to adults and seniors in our community who may be experiencing mental or emotional difficulties,” said Tony Benton, Chief Executive Officer of Tennova Healthcare – East Tennessee Market. "We are excited to bring back a much-needed service that was long-established at Physicians Regional Medical Center in Knoxville until the hospital closure 14 months ago. Together, we are able to do what is best for this community.”

"We see a great need for additional behavioral medicine inpatient treatment services in East Tennessee on a regular basis here at The University of Tennessee Medical Center,” said Joe Landsman, President and CEO of The University of Tennessee Medical Center. "This collaborative effort between the medical center, Tennova Healthcare, National Healthcare Corporation, and Reliant Healthcare will bring experienced, high-quality care and will address the need and access issues for many in our 16-county region who are struggling with behavioral medicine related concerns.”

The 55,000-square-foot facility will be adding a projected 100 new jobs to Knox county. Construction is projected to start in 2021.

About National Healthcare Corporation

NHC affiliates operate for themselves and third parties 75 skilled nursing facilities with 9,513 beds. NHC affiliates also operate 25 assisted living communities, five independent living communities, one behavioral health hospital, and 35 homecare programs. NHC’s other services include Alzheimer’s and memory care units, hospice services, pharmacy services, a rehabilitation services company, and providing management and accounting services to third party post-acute operators. For more information visit www.nhccare.com.

About Tennova Healthcare

The Tennova Healthcare network of hospitals in East Tennessee includes Jefferson Memorial Hospital, LaFollette Medical Center, Newport Medical Center, North Knoxville Medical Center and Turkey Creek Medical Center with nearly 16,000 admissions, 410,000 outpatient visits and 125,000 emergency department visits each year. Learn more at www.Tennova.com.

About The University of Tennessee Medical Center

The mission of The University of Tennessee Medical Center, the region’s only hospital to achieve status as a Magnet® recognized organization, is to serve through healing, education and discovery. UT Medical Center, a 685-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee, Southeast Kentucky and Western North Carolina. The medical center, the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. For more information, visit online at www.utmedicalcenter.org.

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