Jackson County Health Dept. moves to new location

Published on June 23, 2023

After 89 years in the same building, the Jackson County Health Department has a new home.

The Jackson County Health Department was established in 1925 and has been in the same building at 313 S. Liberty Street in Independence since 1934. The current office closed June 16 and will reopen at 3651 NE Ralph Powell Rd in Lee’s Summit on Monday, June 26.

The new, more centralized location will allow the department to offer the same great services to the residents of Eastern Jackson County, in a more accessible setting. Since the city of Independence re-established their own health department during the pandemic, the move to Lee’s Summit will allow the department to provide services more effectively to residents of Jackson County.

“We’re excited about this move as it signifies our commitment to the residents of Jackson County,” said JCPH Health Director Bridgette Shaffer. “The new space will ensure residents experience modern and quality facilities that match the level of superior customer service we have provided nor nearly 98 years.”

The new location offers several improvements for clients:

• Expanded waiting and registration areas.
• Lactation rooms for nursing mothers.
• Two large public meeting spaces.
• More than double the number of modern clinical rooms that are ADA complaint.

The new building will also provide a home for Jackson County’s Environmental Health Department and WIC program, bringing all three county divisions under the same roof for the first time. The three departments work closely together. The health department often gets requests for food permits or restaurant inspections. Also, services offered by the department to Eastern Jackson County mothers and families go hand in hand with the programs WIC offers. It will be a great resource to have everyone together in the same building.  

Along with the new home comes a new name.

“In addition to moving, we are also rebranding ourselves as Jackson County Public Health. The rebrand comes after three years of leading the charge against the COVID-19 pandemic in our community,” Shaffer said. “We envision a community where all people can live their healthiest lives. That vision starts with establishing a physical and digital presence that best matches our mission and the needs of our community. We’ll continue to offer the same great services at our new location off I-470 and Woods Chapel Road, at 3651 NE Ralph Powell Road.”

Since 2020, the health department has seen more than 12,300 clients and given out more than 16,000 immunizations. For more information visit jcph.org.