Why are we building a new hospital?
What will the new hospital cost?
Why are we using bonds to pay for construction?
How does the hospital construction affect other tribal services?
Why not just remodel the current facility?
What will the tribe do with the current facilities on the Ada campus?
What will the new hospital provide?
View the Construction Photos
May 2009 | April 2009 | March 2009 | February 2009 | January 2009 | December 2008 | November 2008 | October 2008 | September 2008 | August 2008 | July 2008 | February 2008 | January 2008 | December 2007 | November 2007 | Renderings
Why are we building a new hospital?
We have outgrown the current facilities on the Ada campus.
Chickasaws have repeatedly cited health care as the number one priority among tribal services.
The number of people who use the facility has increased significantly.
Ada campus facilities were built to accommodate 20,500 annual patient visits.
The Ada campus currently accommodates more than 10 times that number each year.
The new facility will enable the tribe to provide the highest quality facilities, medical professionals and patient care far into the future.
We will increase the number of doctors and nurses for many services including:
What will the new hospital cost?
Total cost of the new hospital will be approximately $135 million.
Approximately $90 million of construction costs will be funded by a bond issue.
Tribal businesses are providing the remaining $45 million. Business revenues will also be used to make the principal and interest payments on the bonds.
A bond issue is a common way for governments to finance major projects. As more tribes achieve financial stability, there has been a steady increase in the number of tribes issuing bonds.
Bonds enable governments to pay for important projects over time.
By paying for the hospital over time, we will not take funding away from existing programs.
Why are we using bonds to pay for construction?
Bonds have many of the same advantages of a home mortgage.
Paying over time will preserve funding for existing programs and give us the opportunity to continue expanding programs and services.
The hospital bond issue schedules affordable payments over a 25-year period.
After 10 years, the tribe has the option of paying the remaining principal.
Another advantage of the bond issue is the probability of cost savings on construction.
How does the hospital construction affect other tribal services?
By paying for the hospital over time, we will preserve cash on hand for other tribal projects and services.
Tribal businesses are producing net income (profits) with sufficient income each year. This gives the Chickasaw Nation the ability to fund construction of the hospital while still expanding current services and creating new programs and services.
The new hospital will not take away from existing programs. Instead, this gives us the opportunity to add to them.
Why not just remodel the current facility?
Carl Albert Indian Health facility is approximately 130,000 square feet, while the new hospital will be about 370,000 square feet.
Through a Master Plan exercise, architects demonstrate very little cost difference in remodeling the current facility and investing in a new facility.
There are several advantages to constructing a new facility:
First, building a new facility will allow patient care at CAIHF to proceed without interruption.
Second, constructing a new facility can be accomplished in considerably less time than expanding the current facility.
Third, a new state-of-the art facility will provide long term savings in maintenance, utility and operation costs.
These savings will provide increased opportunities to add and expand programs and services in the future.
What will the tribe do with the current facilities on the Ada campus?
Ada campus facilities will continue in operation until the new facility is completed.
Tribal officials will make an evaluation to determine the most beneficial use of the Ada campus facilities once the new hospital is completed.
What will the new hospital provide?
The 370,000 square foot facility will include:
Outpatient clinics - approx. 140,000 square feet
Bed tower - approx. 60,000 square feet
Hospital services - approx. 149,000 square feet
Centrally located “town center” bridging the centers of patient care - approx. 7,800 square feet
