Texas Native Health expands facility to better serve the state's Indigenous community
A North Texas non-profit organization is renovating its building and expanding it by 400% to provide healthcare and social services to the state's Indigenous community.
Texas Native Health provides services for free to those it serves.
"We used to have six exam rooms, and now, in the brand-new center, we have 15," Adam Shorter said.
Shorter is the chief operating officer for Texas Native Health and said the new building allows more space for additional dental, behavioral health and substance abuse services.
"Our brand-new facility is 27,000 feet, a big change from our last facility that was roughly around 6,000 feet," Shorter said.
Texas Native Health has an on-site pharmacy that helps about 30 to 50 patients a day and fills more than 12,000 prescriptions a year.
The non-profit is also an Urban Indian Organization under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which provides free care and programs for Texas' growing Indigenous population.
"Based on research that we've done with the U.S. census of 2020, 220,000 people identified as Native American or other in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, while there are 800,000 through the State of Texas," Shorter said.
Education is another big component starting off with programs in kindergarten and continuing through higher education.
"It helps college students pay their tuition. It helps with, if somebody is trying to get a certain certification for their job, we'll help them pay for that and achieve that goal," Shorter said.
Construction is underway right now for a 3,000-square-foot cultural center that is slated to open in December.
"Our main space is for dance classes, dance troupes, events, meeting spaces, and the whole nine yards," Shorter said.
The non-profit opened its doors in 1971 and leaders hope the building expansion can bring care into the 21st Century.
"It's important to have a facility like this for the community members so that they can have and get the care that they need, tying in with cultural events and being able to tie the cultural aspect to their care," Shorter said.
Texas Native Health would like to expand in the future and open up facilities in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.