JOHNSON CITY (November 26, 2012) – Faculty members from the East Tennessee State University Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology have begun seeing patients at the new Johnson City Community Health Center (JCCHC).

The JCCHC opened in October and replaced the Johnson City Downtown Clinic, which served the primary health care needs of patients throughout the region for more than 20 years. The new clinic not only offers primary health care but also a wide complement of additional services – such as speech-language pathology and audiology – through a partnership between the ETSU College of Nursing and the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences.

Ashley Rice, a clinical supervisor with the ETSU Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, said she and her colleagues look forward to providing services at the new clinic.

“We’re excited to collaborate with other health care providers under one roof,” Rice said. “The JCCHC presents a unique opportunity for us to serve the community better. It can be challenging for patients to seek primary care in one location and then be referred for other care they need at a different facility.

“This also allows our faculty to learn first-hand what happens on the primary care side, while offering the primary care team the chance to learn more about the services we provide.”

ETSU speech-language pathologists and audiologists will see adults and children for evaluation and treatment of a wide range of speech-language and hearing issues.

New clients may schedule an appointment by calling (423) 926-2500. Patients who visit the clinic for primary health care may also be referred for speech-language and audiology services at the JCCHC.

The clinic is located at 2151 Century Lane, behind Woodridge Hospital and across from Johnson City Medical Center on North State of Franklin Road.

To learn more about the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, visit" class='calendartext' onmouseover=this.className='calendartexthilite' onmouseout=this.className='calendartext' target="blank">http://www.etsu.edu/crhs/aslp/"> http://www.etsu.edu/crhs/aslp.