Page 15 - Mission Possible: WHEDA Annual Report 2015

The Center’s unique approach to health care includes cultural services geared speciically towards American Indians such as drum therapy, beading, talking circles and prayer.
WHEDA’s major economic development initiative, Transform Milwaukee, is a comprehensive efort to revitalize the city’s economy. Like all of WHEDA’s endeavors, Transform Milwaukee’s success depends greatly on its many strong partners. The Center is located within this area and
Stimulating the state’s economy and improving the quality of life for Wisconsin residents is at the core of WHEDA’s mission. With its many innovative economic development tools, WHEDA helps spur job growth and business development by investing in projects that are pivotal to a community’s success. The Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center is one such catalytic development that is changing the face of health care for residents living on Milwaukee’s south side.
department store operated for 111 years before closing its doors in 2007. It’s been vacant until now.
The Center serves approximately 7,500 patients, of which 65 percent are American Indians. The center does not turn away any patients and is dedicated to addressing the health care needs for people living in an urban setting. Urban living presents a diferent set of social, educational and employment challenges that may afect a person’s well-being diferently than living in other parts of the state.
The Center’s groundbreaking was in April 2015, and the new clinic is scheduled to be opened for business by the end of 2015.
Dr. Lyle Ignace is the executive director of the Center and also serves on the center’s medical team as a physician. Named after Dr. Ignace’s father, Gerald, the health center provides an integrated approach to wellness by treating the mind, body and spirit of its patients. Health services provided by the center include: health checks, chronic care disease management, infant and well-child health care, itness training, nutrition education, social programs for youth and seniors, family planning and behavioral health services.
The Center expanded to nearly 40,000 square feet compared to the previous 13,000 square feet. The new clinic allows for even more services at the point-of-visit enabling the health center to become a medical one-stop shop. With WHEDA’s support, the Center was able to expand to make its mission possible – ‘to improve the health, peace and welfare of Milwaukee’s urban Indian Community.’
“Traditional customs and beliefs are applied to native people in a way I believe you can’t get anywhere else in Milwaukee,” said Dr. Ignace.
Lyle Ignace says he’s proud to be involved.
It was the health center’s culturally-appropriate support for American Indians along with its openness to help all area residents that required the center to expand. The current location simply wasn’t adequate to meet growing demand.
“We want to be good stewards. We’re doing our part to support Transform Milwaukee.”
The new clinic location is the old Goldmann’s located at the corner of South 10th and Mitchell Streets in Milwaukee. The iconic
With the help of community and lending partners, WHEDA was able to breathe new economic life into the vacant Goldmann’s department store. But more importantly, the impact the new Center ofers to American Indians and other underserved populations is even more beneicial.
In 2015, WHEDA allocated $5.5 million in New Markets Tax Credits to help inance the new health center. In addition, WHEDA also teamed up with Illinois Facilities Fund (IFF) to provide a participation loan of $3.4 million.
“We reached our maximum as far as utilizing our space,” said Dr. Ignace. “Now we don’t have to worry about individuals not getting an appointment or getting the care they want and need.”
“This has been an historic moment for this agency,” said Dr. Ignace. “With the support and contributions WHEDA has provided, the improvement of maintaining and continuing our mission has never been brighter.”
WHEDA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WHEDA ANNUAL REPORT 2015 15