BYLAS, AZ — Willmeng Construction recently celebrated the completion of the new Clarence Wesley Health Center in Bylas, Arizona, a 33,000-square-foot health care facility that will serve the San Carlos Apache Tribe’s Bylas community.
The Clarence Wesley Health Center (CWHC) provides the San Carlos Apache community with a modern medical facility that can host a broader range of health care offerings. This new facility replaces the former, smaller building, which had limited space and services and was damaged by shifting soils. The larger facility gives San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation (SCAHC) the opportunity to expand and upgrade services, including the expansion of dental, pharmacy, and optometry, as well as the addition of imaging services.
"The success of sovereignty through the San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation shows that the San Carlos Apache tribe will no longer accept marginal health care, but instead we will lead, innovate, and redefine what healing means for our people,” said Isaiah Belknap, the Deputy CEO of SCAHC and Executive Director of the CWHC. “This new facility is more than a clinic. It is a living prayer, a promise that our people will thrive, that our traditions will guide us, and that no community member will walk the path of healing alone.”
The facility offers comprehensive medical services, including physical therapy, imaging, laboratory, and pharmacy services. The medical wing includes two nurse stations, 13 exam rooms, one exam bay, an imaging room, and an ultrasound room. The dental area is equipped with five dental chairs and its own dedicated imaging services. The pharmacy features a drive-through window. Beyond medical services, the facility includes conference rooms, a small café, and a healing garden.
The new CWHC, designed by Cuningham Architects, utilizes an Exterior Insulation Finishing System (EIFS), providing added energy efficiency. The facility is also equipped with a backup electrical system that can power it for 96 hours. It is located next to the Mt. Turnbull Elementary School, 5 miles south of Bylas, and is one of the central pieces of the new master-planned community the tribe is developing in the Rising Sun area south of Bylas.
| Your local Volvo Construction Equipment dealer |
|---|
| Faris Machinery |
"It's one thing to have a strong vision, but it's another thing to have the caliber of people, the caliber of leadership with the courage to bring it to life, and this is an absolutely world-class facility in the most beautiful location that we've ever been afforded the opportunity to build,” said James Murphy, CEO of Willmeng. “We are very thankful for the leadership of this community, the vision of the San Carlos [Apache] Healthcare Corporation, and grateful that you entrusted us this opportunity. We're in it for the long haul, and we will continue to support this community into perpetuity."
The design prioritized patient privacy, comfort, and natural light. Cultural elements are woven throughout the design, such as the building's radial planning inspired by the sacred circle, abalone at the welcome desk, rain chains honoring water struggles, and entrances aligned to the east following the Apache way. The design also includes a mural of Mount Turnbull.
