Eureka Health Village Makes a Splash in Eureka with the Opening of Two Brand New Clinics

UIHS CommunicationsAll News, Featured, Improvement Projects, Medical

December 9, 2024 marked a period of new growth for UIHS and its clients. This day saw the ribbon cutting for the brand-new Eureka Health Village, unveiling the new facilities to the public. With an open house celebration, including opening prayers, live music, things to eat and people to meet, UIHS and its Board Of Directors hosted not only clients, but also the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, as well as local government, tribal dignitaries, and the media. 

The Eureka Health village is made up of two clinics, located close together on 7th Street in downtown Eureka. The medical clinic, named Jaroujiji, meaning “where you sit and rest,” and also the Wiyot name for the land Eureka sits on, is a newly remodeled, two-story building. It offers medical services on the first floor, and other services, such as WIC, Tribal Public Health, Behavioral Health and Vision Services on the second floor. 

Sitting across the street is a new, state-of-the-art dental clinic named Da’bouruk. Its name means, “I smile,” and it is an impressive facility in an extensively remodeled building, with brand 

new equipment, and cabinetry specifically designed for dental offices. 

Visitors were invited to tour both clinics, with the UIHS Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team on hand to act as guides and answer questions. As guests walked about Jaroujiji, acoustic flute, drum, and guitar filled the rooms as musicians Goodshield Aguilar and Mignon Geli brightened the happy occasion even more. 

The opening of Jaroujiji and Da’bouruk is the result of years of planning and preparation by UIHS, and should have a great impact in providing health care to it’s clients. 

“We have outgrown Potawot in Arcata,” Carol Larson, a UIHS Board Member told a TV news reporter during the event. “We were in Arcata since 2001, and at that time we were overloaded. We needed more room, more space.” 

Downstairs at Jaroujiji, clients will find nine medical exam rooms staffed by three providers, a major improvement from the previous facility, which only had two exam rooms and room for one provider. 

Across the street at the Da’bouruk Dental Clinic, another major improvement awaits UIHS clients. Seven “operatories” (the rooms your dentist treats you in) with new, state of the art equipment, and staffed by three providers. 

“There’s all sorts of things that are unique and innovative about that building,” said Dr. Christopher Myers, Chief Clinical Officer at UIHS. He mentioned the air, water and vacuum pumps which dentists use, are all tucked out of the way, beneath the floor, eliminating the need to step over them. 

The new clinics are the answer to a great need of UIHS, in that not only do they add more space for providers, but these additional spaces will be more accessible to clients who live in the southern part of UIHS’s range. 

“We know that the highest concentration of our client population is in Southern Humboldt,” explained Dr. Myers. “We’ve been trying to expand (toward the south) and both these buildings were big opportunities.” 

“We are very excited to offer services here in Eureka,” said UIHS Chief Executive Officer Liz Lara. “It’s the first time that we’ve ever been able to offer such a broad range of services.” 

As guests of the open house mingled around Jaroujiji, touring the new exam rooms downstairs and enjoying snacks and live music upstairs, we were told that it would soon be time to gather for the opening blessing, which was given by Marian Seidner. Everyone gathered in the downstairs hallway as the blessing was given. 

An hour later all the attendees gathered outside to watch as members of the Board of Directors, surrounded by the Chamber, tribal members, Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel, and others ceremoniously cut the ribbon to officially open the clinic. 

The busy Board of Directors performed another ribbon cutting ceremony an hour later at Da’bouruk, as Dental Services Manager Carla Creason was on hand to answer questions and showcase the clinic. 

Da’bouruk, an Art Deco building built in 1936, was stylish, but needed extensive renovation. “When we started getting measurements, and doing the conceptual designs, we had the option of putting in very few operatories. It wouldn’t even have made the building make sense.” Dr. Chris Myers explained. He said that by orientating the rooms the correct way, they were able to fit an impressive seven rooms in. A major obstacle though, was they had to extend the side of the building several feet. With added windows and cutting-edge equipment, the clinic has a welcoming friendliness to it. 

“The way you feel when you walk into a clinical building, it should feel healing in a way. It should look good. It should have nice finishing touches. You should feel good to be there. So, I think that we really hit the mark with Jaroujiji and Da’bouruk.” 

Now that Jaroujiji and Da’bouruk are completely built and staffed, they still need one important finishing touch. That’s you! If you haven’t had a chance to visit them and take a look for yourself, we invite you to do so as soon as possible.