(c) 2009 NPT PHOTO BY KATHY HEMSWORTH Ground was broken Tuesday morning for a new 7,200-square-foot Cosby Center for Rural Medical Services, (RMS) Inc. From left are Shirley Fodness, Mary Jane Fodness, and Greg Fodness, the Fodness family donated the property; RMS CFO Frances Shelley; Bertalee Quary, board member; Board President Becky Dance; RMS CEO Larry Stanifer; Linda Wright, Bogard advisory board; Marisol Torres, USDA representative; Kathy Sorrell, FNP, Bogard Center; RMS Medical Director Dr. Deana Brotherton; David Collins and John Tom Payne, of McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects; and Buddy Heins, Merit Construction.

COSBY--Ground was broken Tuesday morning for a new 7,200 square-foot medical facility to be located near the intersection of Wilton Springs Road and Old Cosby Highway. Rural Medical Services, Inc., (RMS) administrators announced the new Cosby Center will replace the Bogard Center.
Russell and Mary Jane Fodness donated the property for construction of the facility. Funding includes a $686,800 loan and a $100,000 grant from the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Program as well as $53,982 in contributions from RMS. Marisol Torres, of USDA, explained the search for additional funds is continuing.
"For years, the providers and support staff at the Bogard Center have provided excellent care in an environment that does not reflect that quality," said RMS Medical Director and Bogard Center family practitioner Dr. Deana Brotherton. "The current building was never designed to be an office and has become impossible to maintain. The new building will allow provision of care to the residents of Cosby and the surrounding areas in an efficient center that the community and staff can be proud of."
The patient load has increasingly become more difficult to handle in the current facility, and with the county's growth, a new facility is a necessity. The new clinic will have 10 examination rooms, an OB-GYN room, a trauma room and will meet handicap accessibility standards.
When plans were initiated to construct the new facility, the RMS staff started a property search for a location to construct the facility. With an interest in the property at the intersection, staff members approached the property owners, Russell and Mary Jane Fodness, who volunteered to donate the land.
"We never thought we'd find property to meet the requirements, and then, when we did, two angels came to our rescue--Russell and Mary Jane Fodness," said RMS Board of Directors President Becky Dance. "They generously donated this property to help their entire community."
John Tom Payne and David Collins from McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects have designed the facility. Merit Construction has been awarded the bid to complete the facility. RMS CEO Larry Stanifer said he hopes to see the project completed within 26 weeks of the construction start date.
USDA Rural Development Area Director Jerry Amonett said, "Access to good healthcare is critical to the economic health and quality of life in rural communities. Thanks to the support of our congressional delegation, Rural Development has the financial resources to make sure the people of Cocke County have local access to quality health care."
The Reverend Jim Loftis, pastor of Fellowship Presbyterian Church where the Fodness family attends church, said, "I wish I had a church full of people just like Russ and Mary Jane. You don't find folks like this everyday, they are few and far between."
"Ground was broken March 13 at the Veterans Cemetery in Johnson City to bury Russ Fodness, and today, we are breaking ground for a building that will serve a need in the community he loved," he said.
He explained Russ and Mary Jane Fodness were living in Minnesota with their three children when frost killed all of Russell's corn crop. A friend had told Russell there was a need for insurance agents in Florida, so he packed up his family and moved without the promise of a job.
Loftis explained Russell and Mary Jane studied diligently, resulting in Russell passing the licensing exam. The next 24 years were spent in a successful insurance career. The Fodness family moved to Cosby after frequently visiting their daughter who had moved to the area.
"This is not about Russ and Mary Jane, nor is it about politics. It is about a man, a woman, and a family who saw a need in their community and they wanted to help," he concluded.
Rural Development's community facilities program uses direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants to provide rural areas with the financial resources to construct or improve essential services like healthcare, education, civic facilities, and first responder protection. The loan-guarantee program encourages private lenders to expand their investment of capital in rural communities. Community facilities programs target rural areas with a population less than 20,000.