NEWCASTLE, Okla. — Chickasaw Nation Governor Chris Anoatubby led groundbreaking ceremonies July 31 for the Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center, marking a significant investment in First American healthcare access in the Oklahoma City area.
When complete, the 160-acre Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center campus, located at the intersection of Southwest 16th Street and U.S. Highway 62, will contain 12 buildings, including a hospital, outpatient clinic and more than 23 medical specialties. It will be one of the largest and most comprehensive First American hospitals in the United States.
“Today is the next step in our journey to provide quality, accessible healthcare,” Governor Anoatubby said. “This will be more than just a hospital, this campus will propel healthcare forward.”
Governor Anoatubby said the medical center is another step in meeting the mission of the Chickasaw Nation, “to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people.”
“Once again, the mission extends to the community and other First Americans we will serve right here in Newcastle. When Chickasaws first arrived in this territory, they built schools, churches and hospitals so the generations coming after them would persevere and have even more,” Governor Anoatubby said. “Today, we do the same. We build for families and communities today and for a bright future for the generations that will follow.”
The July 31 groundbreaking signified the beginning of the first phase of construction, consisting of about 700,000 square feet of facilities which includes: 50 inpatient beds, an emergency department, surgical suites, labor and delivery, family medicine, pediatrics, specialty clinics, behavioral health, dental clinics, a full pharmacy, and the beginnings of a research program.
Upon completion, the facility will grow to include a nearly 2.5 million-square-foot medical campus with 140 inpatient beds and will employ more than 5,500 staff. It is expected to serve more than 100,000 First Americans in the region.
“This campus will do things most hospitals cannot. We are building medical residencies, training the next generation of doctors right here in Oklahoma, and in Newcastle,” Governor Anoatubby said. “We are building a First American research center owned and operated by a tribal nation, the first of its kind anywhere in the country.”
The Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center, located minutes from Interstates 35 and 44, will deliver world-class healthcare to Chickasaws and First American families in Newcastle, the greater Oklahoma City metro area, and beyond.
This project is a collaboration between the Chickasaw Nation and the Indian Health Service (IHS) Joint Venture Program. Through the program, the Chickasaw Nation finances the design and construction of the facility, and IHS commits to fund a portion of staffing and operational costs. This partnership brings healthcare resources and jobs into Oklahoma as well as building much-needed infrastructure.
U.S. Congressman Tom Cole, a Chickasaw citizen, said the Newcastle facility is the result of the Chickasaw Nation and the federal government working together to empower and improve the lives of First Americans.
“This (medical campus) is an example of that. Chickasaw vision, Chickasaw resources but federal vision and federal resources. A great partnership. And it will not just benefit Native people, and certainly the Chickasaw people; it will benefit this entire area and every citizen in it.”
Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center will deliver high-quality healthcare to rural America. “When you build a 140-bed hospital, there are all kinds of opportunities to transform what people expect in this part of the country.”
Governor Anoatubby was joined by several federal, state, community and Chickasaw Nation officials in the groundbreaking ceremonies. Approximately 600 people attended the event.