Press release from the K’ima:w Medical Center:

The Hoopa Valley Tribe’s healthcare entity, K’ima:w Medical Center, has been awarded $2 Million for Clinic expansion and modernization. This award was part of the Indian Health Service total funding of $24 million to 12 tribes and tribal organizations across the nation as part of a competitive Small Ambulatory Program to fund construction, expansion or modernization of small ambulatory health care facilities.

When notified of the award, HVT Chairman Joe Davis said, “The health of our people has always been a priority of the utmost importance to the Hoopa Valley Tribe. Being able to expand our medical center will expand our ability to serve the health needs of our community. We are thankful to IHS and the leadership and staff at K’ima:w Medical Center who made this happen.”

K’ima:w Medical Center, formerly known as Hoopa Health Association, provides health services to the greater Hoopa Valley and has been in operation since 1974. The last major construction of clinical space occurred over 25 years ago. The Project Plan scope for the grant award will be augmented with additional funding to develop a roughly 10,000 square-foot addition to the north side of the existing clinic. The vision is to develop an expanded Pharmacy with drive-up window, add additional provider rooms, expand diabetes and physical therapy services, and provide for a large meeting and training area.

K’ima:w Medical Center Board of Directors Chairman Angela Jarnaghan said, “I am excited to be part of this amazing funding opportunity for our medical center. The pandemic redirected our focus to seek opportunities to expand and revamp. One of our main goals is to facilitate our community’s health care needs in a technologically efficient setting. This has been a long-time goal of KMC’s and we are ecstatic to see it begin.”

Updating and increasing the size of the existing clinic fits into the long-term plans and goals for the K’imaw Medical Center. The newly operational Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program location adjacent to the Clinic is currently undergoing construction upgrades for new parking lots, sidewalks, and other additions.

The Domestic Violence/MMIP Programs are preparing to move into a new office modular to offer expanded services. Grant funding has been obtained for a Mobile Medical Vehicle that should arrive in a few months to help deliver direct services to the community.

California’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round Three funding award of $4.1 million recently received by K’ima:w Medical Center will fund a new Behavioral Health building.

Moreover, the Indian Health Service Quarters Program award of $5 million, a first-time award to any IHS compacted tribe, will allow for construction of housing for health providers. The $2 million small ambulatory program grant award for the clinic expansion will provide a final component for establishing quality and expanded health care for the Hoopa Valley for many decades to come.

Dr. Stephen Stake, CEO, shared, “I’m very thankful for the team leaders we have to move forward on much-needed projects for our community. We trust the efforts by many will yield a lot of fruit here in the valley and the ongoing projects will create an optimal campus for exceptional health services, facilitating patient health and healing.”

HVT Councilmember Jordan Hailey serves as a council liaison to KMC. He said, “Receiving this award is huge for our People and our community. It’s been over 25 years since any addition to the clinic has been done. And, in that 25 years our population has grown exponentially and so has the need for healthcare. Being able to expand and better K’ima:w Medical Center’s services will be a great step in continuing to provide much needed healthcare and a variety of services for the many needs of our patients here in the Valley.

HVT Councilmember Jill Sherman-Warne added, “As one of the only medical facilities in eastern Humboldt County, federal funds are critical to expanding and modernizing K’ima:w to increase patient services to meet goals in addressing diabetes, addiction, and physical therapy within our community.”