By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – 364 days after the ribbon was cut on the new Tsali Care Center for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), a topping-off ceremony was held for the facility on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 19.
Officials gathered for the topping-off ceremony at the new Tsali Care Center on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 19. Shown, left to right, are Casey Cooper, Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) chief executive officer; Sonya Wachacha, EBCI Secretary of Public Health and Human Services; EBCI Beloved Woman Dr. Carmaleta Monteith, CIHA Governing Board chairperson; and EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
The new Center, which is located adjacent to the current Cherokee Indian Hospital, will be two levels and will feature 120 private rooms, up from the 72 beds at the current facility, and will be broken into 80 skilled nursing rooms and 40 assisted living and memory care rooms. A dialysis building will be attached to the Center for more convenience for the residents.
During Thursday’s event, EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks thanked all of the people who have worked on this project. “It’s not just about a building. It’s not just about pretty beams and pretty rock work. It really is about community and ‘how can we better serve our people?’.”
“I’ve been a caretaker for a couple years. It’s really hard. It’s really hard work. When you guys are younger…you don’t really think about your responsibility later in life and what that takes. To know that we have a facility that not only, again, gives access to great services, but also puts your parents or your loved ones in places to where you know they’re going to get great care.
“So, when I think about the future of this building and what it means, it kind of hits me heavy in the heart that, again, we’ve got a place that we can truly take care of our people. We can take care of those that are disabled or really can’t move like they used to. We can take care of those that have memory issues. And, that’s really hard.”
Multiple companies have been involved in working on this project including: master planning and architecture – McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, general contractor/building – Robins & Morton, structural/MEP – Ska Consulting Engineers, civil engineer – CDC (Civil Design Concepts, PA), landscape – LandArt Landscape Architecture, and kitchen design – Camacho.
Josh Farr, Robins & Morton superintendent, said during Thursday’s event, “Over time, I have learned and admired the level of importance that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have held and continue to hold for their elders. They are some of the most valuable assets to Cherokee people as they hold the knowledge, experiences, and visions of the past. They are the link to what was and what will be. Nothing shows that respect and that love more than the building that stands behind us today.”
He added, “We’re here to celebrate the topping out of this facility. Topping out is an old tradition that celebrates the last beam or the highest beam being placed on top of the building. This building is a little different….today is a little different. There are no big cranes that are going to raise big beams into place. But, to celebrate where we are here today and to see that those trusses are topped out, some of the ones that we signed are going on the back side of this building – the last and furthest point north.”
Construction progress at the new Tsali Care Center is shown on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 19.
“This has been an extremely complicated structure. It has required many trains to come together along with us to make this happen…you name it, there’s every type of structure system on this building. It took a lot of people to get us to this point today.”
Sonya Wachacha, EBCI Secretary of Public Health and Human Services, told a story to the crowd about three Cherokee boys coming back to the Qualla Boundary, after leaving to get their education, and feeling a sense of home upon their return. “I think that same message is in my mind about what it means to be Cherokee people – to live and breathe and be amongst our people. I think that’s why this building is so much more than just another building that you guys are building here. It’s more than that. It’s very special to our community. Our elders will live here. They will live and they breathe and develop new memories.”
“My hope is that it will bring comfort to the families, and it will bring comfort to the residents that live here because the building is right within the heart of our community. They will see familiar faces and they will know that they’re home.”
Chief Hicks said one large factor he sees in the new facility is the location. “It’s almost like it’s another level of security for the people and the families knowing that the hospital is just adjacent.”
“There’s a connection that you can visually see between the healthcare staff, knowing that they’re communicating. If there’s an emergency issue that occurs here, obviously that’s a direct connection. So, I think that is a comfort that I take and I’m hoping that communities will feel similar.”
He said the entire project is exciting and will have a positive affect on many Cherokee families. “This is really personal for me with my mom being at Tsali Care. I just know the struggles the families have to deal with when it comes to the caretaking responsibilities. It’s extremely difficult. I just know that the programming and services here are just going to be at a higher level.”
