TUBA CITY, Ariz. — After nearly two decades of planning, residents of the Bodaway-Gap region will soon have access to their own dedicated healthcare center, marking a significant milestone for the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation (TCRHCC). Scheduled to break ground Feb. 16, the new two-story, 123,565 square feet facility is expected to be operational by late fall 2025, following an 18-month construction period.
The upcoming facility, a two-story structure spanning 123,565 square feet, is poised to provide essential outpatient medical services to the underserved region. Anticipated services include a dental clinic, eye clinic, wellness center and a laboratory, and will offer podiatry/specialty care, primary care, mental health services, physical therapy, pharmacy, and other essential healthcare amenities.
The facility will also have a community health representative to provide information and assist with Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) services, health education, special diabetes care, behavioral health, communicable disease management and HIV prevention.
Situated between Page and Tuba City, the Bodaway/Gap community has long grappled with limited healthcare access, necessitating a 35-mile journey for basic medical services to Tuba City. The journey’s burden led to the establishment of a part-time clinic housed in a mobile building in 2018 by TCRHCC.
The initiative for a dedicated health facility in the region traces back to 2002 when Bodaway, Gap, and Kaibeto communities jointly requested such a center. Initial planning was funded by the Indian Health Services, leading to the formation of the Bodaway-Gap Steering Committee under the auspices of Tuba City Hospital, which assumed responsibility due to Bodaway-Gap’s location within TCRHCC’s service area following Tuba City Hospital’s transition to a P.L. 638 health center.
A pivotal milestone was reached Dec. 1, 2023, when the design team presented the proposed facility to the TCRHCC Board of Directors and local chapter officials. The design garnered unanimous approval, marking a significant step forward in the p“They liked the design and expressed their appreciation,” said Chief Operations Officer Julius Young.
CEO Joette Walters hailed the impending construction as a historic event for the surrounding communities, underlining the project’s beginnings in a shared vision to enhance healthcare accessibility.
“TCRHCC is excited for the opportunity to improve access to care for our communities,” Walters said. “Having lived remotely while growing up, there were many things that we often lived without but that should not be the case when it comes to our health and wellness. Our families deserve access to timely and quality care, and as a healthcare organization we are honored to fulfill that mission. We are grateful to have the support of the leaders of our local communities, the IHS and Navajo Nation to turn this vision into a reality.”
As preparations for construction continue, project planners are actively engaged in ancillary activities, including housing initiatives to complement the forthcoming health center.
For further updates and event information, interested parties are encouraged to visit the TCRHCC website at www.tchealth.org.
TUBA CITY, Ariz. — After nearly two decades of planning, residents of the Bodaway-Gap region will soon have access to their own dedicated healthcare center, marking a significant milestone for the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation (TCRHCC). Scheduled to break ground Feb. 16, the new two-story, 123,565 square feet facility is expected to be operational by late fall 2025, following an 18-month construction period.
The upcoming facility, a two-story structure spanning 123,565 square feet, is poised to provide essential outpatient medical services to the underserved region. Anticipated services include a dental clinic, eye clinic, wellness center and a laboratory, and will offer podiatry/specialty care, primary care, mental health services, physical therapy, pharmacy, and other essential healthcare amenities.
The facility will also have a community health representative to provide information and assist with Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) services, health education, special diabetes care, behavioral health, communicable disease management and HIV prevention.
Situated between Page and Tuba City, the Bodaway/Gap community has long grappled with limited healthcare access, necessitating a 35-mile journey for basic medical services to Tuba City. The journey’s burden led to the establishment of a part-time clinic housed in a mobile building in 2018 by TCRHCC.
The initiative for a dedicated health facility in the region traces back to 2002 when Bodaway, Gap, and Kaibeto communities jointly requested such a center. Initial planning was funded by the Indian Health Services, leading to the formation of the Bodaway-Gap Steering Committee under the auspices of Tuba City Hospital, which assumed responsibility due to Bodaway-Gap’s location within TCRHCC’s service area following Tuba City Hospital’s transition to a P.L. 638 health center.
A pivotal milestone was reached Dec. 1, 2023, when the design team presented the proposed facility to the TCRHCC Board of Directors and local chapter officials. The design garnered unanimous approval, marking a significant step forward in the p“They liked the design and expressed their appreciation,” said Chief Operations Officer Julius Young.
CEO Joette Walters hailed the impending construction as a historic event for the surrounding communities, underlining the project’s beginnings in a shared vision to enhance healthcare accessibility.
“TCRHCC is excited for the opportunity to improve access to care for our communities,” Walters said. “Having lived remotely while growing up, there were many things that we often lived without but that should not be the case when it comes to our health and wellness. Our families deserve access to timely and quality care, and as a healthcare organization we are honored to fulfill that mission. We are grateful to have the support of the leaders of our local communities, the IHS and Navajo Nation to turn this vision into a reality.”
As preparations for construction continue, project planners are actively engaged in ancillary activities, including housing initiatives to complement the forthcoming health center.
For further updates and event information, interested parties are encouraged to visit the TCRHCC website at www.tchealth.org.