The Cherokee Nation’s new W.W. Hastings Hospital is now open to patients. The $470 million facility in Tahlequah is more than double the size of the previous building, which was built around four decades ago.
The 400,000-square-foot facility contains 127 beds with several services, including an emergency room, intensive care unit, imaging services, pharmacy, NICU, hospice care and surgical center, according to a news release. It connects to the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center via a second-floor bridge.
The new hospital will add 200 employees in fiscal year 2027 to the hospital’s nearly 700 healthcare staff.
“For years, we envisioned a hospital that was worthy of the staff and the patients they care for, and today that vision is a reality,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “This new hospital stands as a testament to what we can accomplish when we invest in the health and future of our citizens, building towards a world class system of wellness.”
The Cherokee Nation is currently developing plans to remodel the former W.W. Hastings Hospital facility into the Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Education Center.
The $30 million project in partnership with the University of Oklahoma will house an OU College of Nursing satellite campus, which aims to address a projected shortage of nearly 6,000 registered nurses in Oklahoma by 2038. It is scheduled to open next year.
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