The prognosis of the future of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi is looking healthier than ever.

The local tribe gave members of the general public their first glance of the recently completed Pokagon Health Center Friday morning. More than 100 people attended the grand opening facility inside the atrium of the new medical facility, getting an up-close look at the amenities and services the 35,000 square foot facility will provide to Pokagon and other Native American citizens when it officially opens on Dec. 1.

Under construction for more than a year, the $13.5 million building, located near the tribal headquarters on Sink Road, serves a replace for the tribe’s pair of existing medical facilities, which were located on opposite sides from each other on M-51. In addition to providing space for medical, dental and pharmaceutical services, the facility also houses behavioral health offices and a traditional healing area. It also has an exercise area, with weight benches, treadmills, and even a physical therapy pool for patients in need of rehabilitation.

The facility is the latest expansion of the services the Pokagon Band provides to its citizens in the region. Last year, the tribe added 32 homes to its Pokagonek Edawat housing community.

“What we’re doing here is building a nation where we take care of our children, and we make sure that our elders have a nice safe landing after all the years and work they put into this,” said Pokagon Chair John Warren.

One of the goals of the new building was to not only provide additional space for the 60 staff members in the Pokagon Health Services, but to also provide an area for citizens to improve their wellness. This focus on prevention as well as care is done to help prevent the onset of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, conditions that have plagued Native American populations for generations.

“We don’t say, “will I have diabetes,” we say to each other, ‘someday, I know I’m going to get diabetes,’” Warren said. “We want to change that mentality, we want to change the way we live. That’s why we have this fitness center.”

The aesthetics of the health center closely match those of its neighbor, with the materials and colors used reflecting the tribe’s culture. It was designed by Pokagon-owned 7GenAE, and is expected to be LEED Gold Certified, one of the highest designation of building can get for environment friendliness and efficiency.

“We designed so that we use minimal natural resources, so that we can save those for the future generations,” said Scott Winchester, lead architect for the project.