Nearly three years after an arson attack destroyed its facility, Planned Parenthood in Knoxville celebrated the official reopening of its clinic on Thursday. The new facility marks a fresh beginning for the organization that has served East Tennessee with reproductive health services for more than two decades.
A fire destroyed the original Knoxville Planned Parenthood almost three years ago, and weeks before it was set to reopen after a multimillion dollar renovation.
Ashley Coffield, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, said that providers at the new Knoxville office have seen more than 300 patients since reopening in October.
“We are ecstatic to be back,” Coffield said. “In light of the election last week, this new health center holds even deeper meaning for me, as it is physical proof of our resilience even when all seems lost.”