The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska broke ground today on a $46 million health service facility in Omaha, Neb.
The Tribe purchased the former InfoUSA campus in 2017 and has been working with Indian Health Services to begin construction.
The new 40,000-square-foot facility will expand the reach of the Ponca Health Service with more providers, specialty clinics, and a drive-up pharmacy window for prescription pickup.
The Ponca Tribe’s current health and wellness center has operated since 1997, and the 13,000-square-foot building has been at capacity for several years, according to a press release.
“Our current facility has served us well for nearly 30 years,” Keith Morrow, CEO of Ponca Health Services, said. “but the building is dated, and lacks the space we need to continue to meet the healthcare needs of our growing patient population.”
Morrow added that the new facility will have more than 20 exam rooms, on-site X-rays, and expanded physical therapy services, along with specialty services like orthopedics, podiatry, and cardiology.
In addition to serving the Omaha area through its healthcare facilities in Norfolk and Lincoln, Ponca Health Services provides medical care to members of all federally recognized tribes. It also delivers mobile medical and dental services to Native communities in Niobrara and Sioux City through its Mobile Medical Unit.
The new facility is estimated to be completed in 2028 and is expected to employ 150 staff, with more than half of those positions being new.
The new facility, slated for completion in 2028, is expected to employ more than 150 staff, adding nearly 80 new jobs in the Omaha area.
“This groundbreaking is a monumental day for the Ponca Tribe and for the more than 115 tribal nations whose members walk through our clinic doors,” Ponca Tribe Chairwoman Candace Schmidt said. “This project was years in the making, and despite the unexpected pause brought on by the pandemic, our leadership and team got right back at it. Seeing construction begin is proof of what we can achieve when our staff, tribal council, and local, state, and federal partners pull together for the health and well-being of our Native community.”
