DETROIT (WXYZ) — Joy Road and the west side of Detroit have seen some hard times but, as we learned today, the opening of a new state-of-the-art health and dental center is a sign of things changing for the better.
“All you ever saw was Detroit on its knuckles. I was born in 1960. I remember when these shops had businesses. So, to see someone come and invest in our community, this beautiful building, it is wonderful,” said Pastor Semmeal Thomas of City Covenant Church.
Pastor Thomas is talking about the brand-new Covenant Community Care Medical and Dental Centeron Joy Road. He’s now a member of the board but he’s also a patient.
“Covenant Community Care saved my life,” said Pastor Thomas.
He says he went to a free clinic for a teeth cleaning.
“In order to get my teeth cleaned, I needed to get my blood pressure taken. So, my blood pressure was abnormally high,” said Pastor Thomas.
He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Now he says the brand new, state-of-the-art facility is breathing new life into the area.
“One of the true indicators of communities coming back is when they start to be empowered. And healthcare is one of those avenues,” said Joslyn Pettway, CEO of Covenant Community Care.
“This is what patients will see when they check in,” said Pettway as she gave Mike Duffy a tour of the new facility. “This is the medical side, and these are the exam rooms.”
The facility cost $10 million and was made possible through several foundation and federal grants.
“We have medical, behavioral health, and dental care here. Being a federal health center means that people can come here regardless of their ability to pay. So, our services are offered on a sliding fee scale,” said Pettway.
“This is the dental suite. There are nine operators here. And dental care is a huge challenge, not just here in Detroit but across our country really,” said Pettway.
She says 48228 is one of the most under-resourced zip codes in the city and she knew the need there was great.
“I know a lot of people feel the recovery of Detroit has been limited to certain areas. But we’re on Joy Road and Southfield Freeway, standing in a beautiful facility. So, it was really important to us that we invest in one of the neighborhoods of Detroit. And we’ve accomplished that,” said Pettway. “And I understand what it means when you see something new come to your neighborhood that was meant for you. That makes a big difference. And so that kept me going the last four to five years working on this project.”
