Coronavirus in Tennessee: InterFaith Health Clinic relaxes requirements, offering telemedicine option

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Health care professionals across Tennessee are adjusting how they handle everything during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That includes a local nonprofit health care ministry that provides medical, dental and mental health care for the working uninsured.

Officials with Interfaith Health Clinic tell WATE they’re continuing their work to make sure their regular patients are still getting the care they need while welcoming in new patients who may have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus.

“We are relaxing our eligibility requirements right now. We don’t want anyone going without care at this time, and we don’t want anybody being forced to go to the emergency room which is already overrun.”

Melissa Knight – Executive Director of Interfaith Health Clinic

Interfaith tells us they’ve seen an increase in new patients, and a 50% increase in mental health counseling because of the pandemic.

The clinic isn’t set up for testing but offers telemedicine options to help calm people’s fears about the virus.