Newly sworn-in Governor of the Chickasaw Nation Chris Anoatubby stood with a shovel full of dirt in a field in Newcastle, surrounded by other politicians, tribal and healthcare leaders. Among them were Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and U.S. Representative Tom Cole, R-Moore, who is also a member of the Chickasaw Nation.
They, along with more than 300 others in attendance, celebrated the start of construction for a medical center serving more than 100,000 tribal citizens in the region, providing nearly 5,500 jobs.
"When we finished the medical center in 2010, it was a tremendous leap forward for our health system," Anoatubby said. "And today we take another great leap into the future of First American health care."
Anoatubby said the first phase includes 40 inpatient beds, an emergency department, surgical suites, labor and delivery, behavioral health, pediatrics, dental clinics and family medicine. There will also be a dedicated research space and on-site pharmacy.
The Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center will be located close to I-35 and I-44 between Oklahoma City and the tribe's reservation at the intersection of Southwest 16th St. and U.S. Highway 62.
Having close access to healthcare services, such as perinatal care, is important, said Dr. Oz, as well as curiosity, which he noted is at the core of the Make American Healthy Again movement.
"If you're truly curious, you're going to talk about the foods you're eating and the environmental issues, but you're also going to talk about access to care, which comes in many forms," Oz said.
The large-scale project is a collaboration between his tribal nation and the Indian Health Service Joint Venture Program, meaning Chickasaw Nation contributes to funding the center and IHS partially funds the staff.
Rep. Cole said the program shows a part of the federal government's responsibility to honor treaties with tribal nations.
"That trust responsibility does mean you [the federal government] are to work with us," Cole said. "We are to work together to empower and, frankly, improve the lives of Native Americans all across the United States. And again, this is an example of that. It's Chickasaw vision, Chickasaw resources, but federal vision and federal resources, a great partnership."
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
