Eli Crane Celebrates Ak-Chin-IHS Partnership for New Healthcare Facility

Rep. Eli Crane

Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) celebrated the recent establishment of a partnership between the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Ak-Chin Indian Community to construct a new healthcare facility.

Part of the IHS is the Joint Venture Construction Program (JVCP), in which Tribes fund the construction of IHS-compliant facilities, and the IHS provides staffing and operation with federal funds on a 20-year lease.

The Ak-Chin, who live in the Pinal County area outside the city of Maricopa, were one of seven Tribes nationwide who secured a place in the program, and the only Tribe in Arizona to do so.

The new facility is expected to be full-service, offering primary care, dental care, behavioral health, specialty care, and other medical services.

"I want to thank the Indian Health Service for its support of the Ak-Chin Indian Community. This is a historic investment in rural healthcare," Rep. Crane said in a statement. "The new facility will provide critical support, expand access to quality care, and help close longstanding gaps in Arizona's Second District."

Ak-Chin Indian Community Chairman Gabriel Lopez extended his gratitude to the IHS and to Rep. Crane for his support, which he said will "improve Ak-Chin healthcare outcomes for generations to come by enabling our Community Members – including our Elders and those who are ailing – to have access to a comprehensive and robust healthcare system without having to travel long distances."

"This new healthcare facility will further our independence and make a real difference in the quality of life for our Community and the surrounding IHS-eligible patient population," Lopez highlighted. "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."

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.