PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Nansemond Indian Nation Tribal Chief Keith Anderson recalled walking into this facility as a teenager.
“I frequented here as a patient because this was a hub of orthopedics,” he said.
Now, the site on London Boulevard in Portsmouth has a new purpose, bringing better access to health care to residents in Hampton Roads.
“This is probably one of, if not, the biggest tribal endeavor we’ve had.”
Monday morning, the Nansemond Tribe opened Fishing Point Healthcare.
“The vision for Fishing Point Healthcare was not to take care of tribal citizens but to take care of other people in our community in our ancestral land that has been similarly disadvantaged over time,” said David Darling, the chairman of Fishing Point Healthcare Board.
Darling said the team wanted to create a one-stop shop for patients.
“They could get their pharmacy filled," he said. "They can see a doctor. They can see a dentist. They can get an X-ray. They can get labs done.”
They’ve even partnered with organizations like ForKids to better understand the challenges within the community.
“They actually came to us at ForKids and asked us what it is that our families need,” said Lexy Maratellos, the family wellness coordinator for ForKids.
Nurse practitioner Sherry Johnson said she looked forward to bringing collaborative care to her patients.
“We can take our time and see the patients holistically and approach things in a systematic manner without feeling like we’re rushed,” she said.
Clinic leaders said three exam rooms are open right now. There will be a total of 18 inside the facility once construction is complete.
Only part of the facility is complete. Clinic managers say phase two of the project includes dentistry, physical therapy, lab and radiology. That’s set to open in June.
Darling said they're working on expanding healthcare efforts. He said an addiction recovery center recently opened in Chesapeake. Darling added they've leased another building in Newport News with plans to open another clinic. It's expected to open next year.