Northern Nevada HOPES this week announced the final phase of construction for its new 43,000-square-foot clinic at 1905 E. Fourth St. The clinic, named the Jerry Smith Community Wellness Center, is funded in part by an unexpected $6 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
HOPES officials said the money will help with final construction costs. The new wellness center will offer a wide range of healthcare services ranging from mental health to primary care among other services.
Gov. Joe Lombardo was on hand to help announce the final phase of the $36.6 million facility. Speaking to a crowd of community members, media and elected officials, he said that he could not think of a more important place to be.
“I’m very proud of northern Nevada and their forward thinking,” he said, describing some of the differences between Washoe and Clark counties. “The state is proud to partner with organizations like HOPES, who assist the most vulnerable among us.”
The governor also said he was “confident that the Jerry Smith Community Wellness Center will have a tremendous impact in our community.”
HOPES’s CEO, Sharon Chamberlain, said reaching the $36.6 million goal for the capital campaign is a “significant accomplishment.”
The capital campaign funding “will contribute to the construction, architecture, landscaping, equipment, furnishings, and a parking garage, ensuring a safe and best-in-class healthcare facility,” officials said in a press release.
Chamberlain said the organization’s next goal is to raise $810,000 to cover the first year’s operating costs. She said the importance of “therapy, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral health therapy” provided by the center cannot be overstated.
