NORTH PORT — Sarasota County Health Department officials are advising the public that telephone service is not working at the North Port Health Center today, Friday, Sept. 7.

This follows about a week of intermittent problems with dropped calls. It has been determined that the problem is related to an underground cable maintained by Verizon. At this point, Verizon is working to resolve the issue; however, it is not known how soon the phone lines will be fully operational. Patients who use the North Port Health Center will still be seen for scheduled appointments. Those who are trying to reach the North Port Health Center today to cancel an appointment scheduled for today or Monday are advised to call the Health Department’s main number in Sarasota, 941-861-2900.