Building with Purpose: How Brown Construction Uplifts the Communities We Call Home

“We at Brown Construction are first and foremost members of our community,” says Ron Brown, President & CEO. “It is this mindset that drives us to enhance the communities in which we work and live.”

That mindset is at the heart of Wihne da Puchuma da Kewe (Capay Valley Health and Community Center)—a newly completed 28,000-square-foot health and community center in Esparto, California, that is fundamentally reshaping healthcare and community services in western Yolo County.

The name Wihne da Puchuma da Kewe, which means “Medicine and Healing House” in the native Patwin language of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, reflects the center’s purpose: bringing essential healthcare and community services together in one place. The facility includes an 11,000-square-foot OSHPD Level III clinic operated by Winters Healthcare, offering primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services — resources that were previously inaccessible to many in the region. In addition, 13,000 square feet of the building is dedicated to community use, with programs and resources provided by RISE, Inc., a local nonprofit that delivers social services, youth and senior programming, and community support.

But this project wasn’t just about what we built — it was about why we built it.

For years, people in rural western Yolo County faced challenges accessing healthcare, often traveling long distances for even basic services. Wihne da Puchuma da Kewe helps change that by providing the community with equitable access to quality healthcare and essential resources, ensuring residents can get the care and support they need closer to home.

This commitment to the community aligns deeply with the values that guide our work.

Each year, Brown Construction selects one community-focused project to support through our Build It Forward program — an initiative where we waive all profits on one community-focused project each year, with Wihne da Puchuma da Kewe being selected. The projects may vary, but the goal is always the same: to build facilities that create stronger communities.

From day one, it was clear this was more than just another job site — it was a chance to help solve a real problem and support a community that had long been underserved. Wihne da Puchuma da Kewe exemplifies the core mission of the Build It Forward program, reshaping not only the community’s physical environment but also profoundly improving the lives of the people it serves.

Projects like Wihne da Puchuma da Kewe remind us of what’s possible when people come together to invest in the well-being of the communities we call home. And for us, at Brown Construction, it stands as a proud example of why we do what we do.