Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton
Tulsa World Reporter
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After a year of negotiations, the federal government has transferred operations of the Claremore Indian Hospital to the Cherokee Nation.
Officials with the Cherokee Nation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that the Indian Health Service has officially handed over operations of the Claremore Indian Hospital to the Tahlequah-based tribe effective Wednesday.
Tuesday’s transfer comes more than a year after Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin first announced the tribe’s intent to assume operations of the federally-run facility during his 2024 State of the Nation address.
However, surgery and inpatient services will no longer be offered at Claremore Indian Hospital and will instead be contracted out to other health care providers. Those services accounted for 13% of the site’s revenue.
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council approved a multimillion-dollar appropriation in June to build a new $244 million outpatient facility that is slated to open in 2027 that will replace the current building. The new facility’s location has not been announced.
The measure also included $11 million to address the current building’s immediate needs. During the course of negotiations with the Indian Health Service, which owns the hospital, it was determined that it would cost more than $100 million to address the 47-year-old building’s deferred maintenance costs and needed upgrades, including an estimated $55 million to $58 million just for the inpatient wing.
“From the elected legislative branch of the Cherokee Nation, I want to underscore the Council’s support for advancing self-determination and expanding health care access,” Cherokee Nation Tribal Council Speaker Johnny Jack Kidwell said. “This represents the collective effort between tribal leadership, citizens, and federal partners working together toward better health outcomes for our people.”
lenzy.krehbiel-burton@tulsaworld.com
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Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton
Tulsa World Reporter
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