Cherokee Nation proposes revamp of aging Claremore Indian Health hospital

Written By:  Katie Hallum (ᏧᏟ) 

(CLAREMORE, Okla.) The Claremore Indian Hospital has served northeastern tribal patients since 1930. Now, the Cherokee Nation is proposing a $255.5 million investment to replace its aging facilities.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner unveiled the proposal as part of the tribe’s plan to assume operations of the facility from IHS October 1. Currently, the hospital is the only federally run facility within the Cherokee Nation reservation.

According to Warner, the proposal is part of the tribe’s ongoing evaluation of the facility's current needs.

“Our team has spent the past eight months not only negotiating with IHS but examining operations and the state of the facility at a depth that was previously inaccessible to us,” said Warner in a press release. “The conclusion is inescapable: we must build a new state-of-the-art facility if we are going to deliver health care that meets our high standards of care.”

Under the new plan, inpatient facilities would be relocated to regional locations and the Claremore hospital would focus on specialty and emergency care. Federal employees would be offered positions within the Cherokee Nation.

Hoskin said the tribe has a responsibility to raise the quality of care for its citizens, where the federal government cannot.

“The Cherokee people and other Native Americans deserve a state-of-the-art health facility in Claremore, one not only owned and operated by the Cherokee Nation, but designed by the Cherokee Nation to meet the highest standards,” Hoskin said. “We have the resources and capacity to not only assume operations of the Claremore Service Unit from IHS, we can also replace a federal facility that is far past its useful life and was, frankly, neglected for decades by the federal government.”

The proposal is set to be reviewed for consideration June 26.