Hannahville Indian Community begin construction on a Governmental Services and Health Clinic Building, leaders of the community initiated the process with a groundbreaking ceremony.

WILSON, Mich. (WLUC) - The Hannahville Indian Community has begun the construction of a Governmental Services and Health Clinic Building.

The new building will be located east of the Potawatomi Heritage Center. The leaders of the community initiated the process with a groundbreaking ceremony.

Tribal Chairperson Kenneth Meshigaud said it took 20 years to get to this moment.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, with the project that we’ve had over the years, the other projects set priority over this,” Kenneth Meshigaud said. “But now we’re glad to say that we have a lot of success with our other operations, so we felt the time now to construct this new building.”

Director of Health and Human Services, Susie Meshigaud, said the lack of medical services is a problem in the community.

“We refer a lot of things outside to our local providers and sometimes it’s really hard to get our people there or maybe we don’t have the programs around here,” Susie Meshigaud said. “And we’re referring out to Marquette or Green Bay so we’re hoping to bring some of that closer to home and within our community.”

The 60,000-square-foot building will include tribal courts, a food pantry, tribal government offices, and a health, dental and vision center.

“Currently we offer an array of services like dental, behavioral health, medical, community health, pharmacy, which is off site, and acute care center,” Susie Meshigaud said. “With the new center we’re hoping to offer maybe some pediatric dental services for our patients, maybe X-ray and mammogram, and also maybe podiatry.”

The building is expected to be completed in November 2024.

Copyright 2023 WLUC. All rights reserved.