New $58 million medical clinic to open Jan. 22 at Fort Knox

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A state-of-the-art medical clinic is opening at Fort Knox.

The new Ireland Army Health Clinic will start serving patients on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

There was standing-room only inside the lobby Tuesday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"We've been waiting on this for a while. This is going to be a world class facility," said Maj. Gen. John R. Evans, the post's commanding general.

Back in 1957, Ireland Army Community Hospital opened at Fort Knox. In 2016 it became an out-patient clinic, but remained in the same building. Now, the clinic has moved across the parking lot into a brand new, state-of-the-art facility.

It's kept the same name throughout the years, honoring Maj. Gen. Merritte W. Ireland, a former Surgeon General of the Army. His great-great-granddaughter, Kelly Ireland, helped cut the ribbon to the new clinic Tuesday morning.

"It's a very special piece of me that I'll carry with me throughout my life and continue to honor," Ireland said.

The new facility is equipped to provide clinical services like primary care, behavior health, physical therapy, ultrasounds and more. There's also a pharmacy inside.

"We have to make sure we are building and sustaining ready and fit soldiers in the event we have to fight," said Evans. "That's what our job is."

The new clinic is quite a bit smaller than the old building, but those at Fort Knox say this is what is needed here, and they have great partnerships with surrounding hospitals like Hardin Memorial.

"Many of the day to day, routine things that you need to be able to check and ensure the health of our soldiers, we're going to be able to sustain here," Evans said.

New facilities like this, Evans said, are also incentives for people to join the army.

"To be able to join the services as a young man or woman, particularly in the United States Army, and know that your health care is going to be taken care of, that's a pretty significant advantage," he said.

The new Ireland Health Army Clinic is a $58 million project and is more than 100,000-square-feet. Evans said the old hospital building is scheduled to be demolished in late 2020 or early 2021 due to its age.