Dearborn - A one-stop medical center in the hub of Dearborn's Arab-American community has opened to help people with cultural, language and transportations barriers obtain treatment.

The East Village Medical Center, an 18,500-square-foot facility on Schaefer near Ford, opened this month, and already has a long list of patients, said Mike Younis, the building's owner. The majority of the physicians at the center are Arab-American, and understand the barriers the community faces, Younis said.

"Most patients that come here will feel very comfortable," said Younis, 51 of Dearborn. "We want Arab Americans to take better care of themselves. We're making it easy by providing everything under one roof." Kawkab Hourani, a new patient at the center, agreed. "I'm very comfortable coming here," said Hourani, 46, of Dearborn Heights. "My doctor speaks Arabic and I have an easier time explaining my problem."

Metro Detroit is home to more than 275,000 Arab Americans. Nearly 70 percent are immigrants. Of that number, nearly 40 percent don't get routine physical check-ups: 30 percent have high cholesterol levels; 31 percent have high blood pressure; 13 percent are diabetic; and 40 percent of women 40 and older have never had a mammogram, according to a primary care and health need assessment survey conducted by the Arab-Community Center for Economic and Social Services, ACCESS.

The medical center is a necessity because the overall health of many Arab Americans in Metro Detroit lags behind the total population, Younis said. He's optimistic the new facility will have an impact on Arab Americans' decision to forgo health care.

The East Village Medical Center took nearly two years to complete and cost more than $2.8 million, Younis said. The two-story facility provides medical services in obstetrics/gynecology, pediatric and internal medicine, general surgery, cardiology and physical therapy. It also includes an in-house lab and pharmacy.

"I come here for everything," said Maha Nasser, 21, of Dearborn. "It's close and convenient. You get all your exams and medicine in one place.