A new satellite office in Pekin would allow the Tazewell County Health Department to make some of its services more accessible for Tazewell County residents, and restore dental services that had been suspended.

The Tazewell County Board approved an initial study for Farnsworth Group to work with the Health Department to determine space needs and review the selected site to ensure it would be adequate, according to Tazewell County Administrator Mike Delahury.

“We are currently in the preliminary stages of the project," Delahury said. "A more detailed timeline will be created as the project progresses.”

Tazewell County Health Department is located at 21306 Illinois Route 9, Tremont.

The potential site for the satellite office is in downtown Pekin, at the corner of Fourth Street and St. Mary Street. Delahury estimated the project will cost between $5 million and $6.5 million. The funds will come from a $25.6 million federal grant the county was awarded through a program that was part of the American Rescue Plan. The county must expend the funds by the end of 2026, Delahury said.

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“Prior to the pandemic, dental services were provided for those who were uninsured or who used a state sponsored insurance in a North Pekin office,” TCHD Director Amy Fox said. “TCHD Dental was providing over 14,000 services to 5,216 patients per year on average in a six-chair facility. A recent survey found that 21% of respondents do not having access to dental care in Tazewell County. This building would allow TCHD to restart this service in a proposed five-chair dental office.”

Fox added that moving Women’s Infants and Children (WIC) and Clinic services to Pekin will make those services more convenient for area residents. Clinic services include preventive care and early detection services, while WIC is geared toward protecting the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious food, information, screening and referrals to health care.

Services that will remain at the Tremont campus include environmental health, landfill oversight, and other administrative and grant services, said Delahury. More information is available at tazewellhealth.org.