Dakotas America is a Community Development Entity (CDE) owned by Dakota Resources and Rural Development Finance Corporation.

A community can only thrive when its people have access to quality healthcare. Unfortunately, in many rural areas, this isn’t the case. But on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in eastern Arizona, two new facilities have opened their doors to provide quality care closer to home for its tribal members: A brand-new health clinic in Bylas and a state-of-the-art IT and warehouse building in Peridot.

These projects are part of the San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation’s (SCAHC) long-term vision to expand and strengthen health services for tribal members. Together, these two new facilities are delivering both quality primary and specialty care directly to patients, while also creating new job opportunities for staff and providers, including tribal members.

Large-scale projects like these don’t happen in isolation. They require vision from local leaders and the right kind of investment to move forward.  Dakotas America, a Community Development Entity (CDE) owned by Dakota Resources and Rural Development Finance Corporation, was one of several CDEs selected by SCAHC to provide New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) financing for these important projects. 

By bringing new resources to the table, Dakotas America helped move the community’s vision for expanded healthcare from paper to reality. Dakotas America ensures that investments like this reach underserved communities where they can make the greatest difference.

“The new Clarence Wesley Health Center in Bylas, which opened in May 2025, has been transformative for our outpatient services,” said Isaiah Belknap, member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and Deputy CEO of SCAHC. “Transitioning from a 5,000-square-foot building to a 33,000-square-foot facility has allowed us to expand patient access, recruit additional providers, and integrate new specialties such as imaging, optometry, and physical therapy.”

A lot of the tribal members can now see specialists closer to home, reducing the need to travel to far-away appointments and sometimes even saving them a trip to the hospital. 

The San Carlos Apache Healthcare facility has expanded healthcare services for tribal members. Pictures above from the Clarence Wesley Health Center include an optometry patient room, the main lobby, a dental clinic, and a primary care patient room. Photos provided by San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation.

However, a large new clinic providing multifaceted services needs great technology, storage, and distribution to support the quality of care provided. Completed in June 2024, the 46,000-square-foot IT equipment and warehouse facility on the Peridot campus has become a core engine of support for SCAHC’s entire healthcare network. It brings IT and supply chain teams together under one roof, dramatically increases storage capacity for both existing and future healthcare services, and centralizes distribution of medical supplies, shortening the time between need and delivery.

“It ensures that our clinical and operational teams across all sites are supported with reliable technology, supply chain logistics, and infrastructure that enhance continuity of care for our patients,” Belknap said. 

For staff, having a state-of-the-art IT system and a well-resourced and managed supply chain has been huge. Supplies are available when they’re needed, inventory is efficiently managed, and staff can focus more of their energy on patients instead of logistics.

According to Hal Fairbanks, Senior Portfolio Manager for Dakotas America, in order to maximize the community impact of its work, DA targets its NMTC investment to rural areas with deep economic distress. 

The SCAHC projects are already demonstrating the kind of community impact this investment was designed to achieve. Families who once had to travel long distances for specialty care now have access in their own community. Staff have the space and tools they need to deliver services efficiently. And the tribe’s healthcare system is better positioned for long-term success.

“These two projects serve as foundational elements for our system’s growth and are also directly supporting the launch of the new Sadie Kniffin Long Term Care and Skilled Nursing Facility, a place where tribal members will be able to receive care as they age without having to leave their community,” Belknap added.

For the San Carlos Apache, these facilities mark a powerful step forward in health, opportunity, and care for its people. Dakotas America and Dakota Resources are honored to have played a role in supporting the tribe’s vision for a stronger, healthier future.