By Matthew Holloway |
The Ak-Chin Indian Community has been selected as the only Arizona tribe chosen for the Indian Health Service’s Joint Venture Construction Program (JVCP) for Fiscal Year 2025, a federal partnership that will fund and staff a new comprehensive health center for the community.
The JVCP, launched in 1991 under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, allows tribes to finance and construct healthcare facilities that meet IHS standards. In return, the Indian Health Service requests funding from Congress to staff, equip, and operate the facilities for 20 years under a no-cost lease agreement.
According to an announcement from Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ-02), the Ak-Chin Indian Community, located in northwestern Pinal County within Crane’s district, was selected through a competitive national application process. The Congressman celebrated the decision, calling it “a historic investment in rural healthcare” and noting that the partnership would “expand access to quality care and help close longstanding gaps in Arizona’s Second District.”
A letter from the IHS to Tribal leaders states that participants in the JVCP “acquire, construct, or renovate a health care facility” and that IHS will operate the completed facility for the duration of the lease period. The letter confirms Ak-Chin’s selection among the FY 2025 participants.
Over thirty facilities have been constructed under this program, including both health centers and hospitals, serving more than 25 tribes nationwide, according to the IHS.
Ak-Chin Indian Community Chairman Gabriel Lopez praised the federal decision, saying the partnership “will enable us to replace our current aged and inadequate health clinic to meet the needs of our growing population,” by enabling community members, including elders and those with chronic conditions, to access care closer to home.
Specific service offerings for the new facility will be defined as the project moves forward. Lopez added, “Going forward, this new health center with comprehensive services will ensure high-quality care is available right here and will make a real difference in the quality of life for the Ak-Chin people,” according to Native News Online.
Lopez also thanked Crane and Arizona’s congressional delegation for supporting the tribe’s successful application.
“This healthcare facility would not be possible without our Arizona delegation members, including Congressman Crane. We thank Congressman Crane for his support, which was essential in the success of our application and reflects his steadfast advocacy for the Ak-Chin Indian Community and each of the Tribes within his district,” Lopez said.
The Chairman met with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Scottsdale this week to announce the award for the Joint Venture Construction Program. Kennedy described the existing urgent care facility on Ak Chin tribal land as “essentially a double-wide trailer” in the video message.
In a post to X, HHS stated the funding will “build an approximately 60,000-square-foot health facility to expand access to primary, dental, and radiology care for the Ak-Chin community and neighboring tribes, improving access to care in rural Arizona.”
Thanking the Trump administration and Secretary Kennedy, Lopez said, “This is a tremendous honor, and it’s a tremendous surprise and a blessing for our community. Again, thank you to the Administration, thank you, Secretary.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
