Cherokee Nation building new health center in Jay

JAY, Okla. – Cherokee Nation broke ground Monday on a new health center in Jay. The new 42,000-square-foot facility will replace the existing 26,000-square-foot Sam Hider Health Center that opened nearly three decades ago.

Scheduled to participate in the event were: Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation; Cherokee Nation tribal councilors; Cheryl Cohenour, executive general manager of Cherokee Nation Construction Resources; Connie Davis, executive director of Cherokee Nation Health Services; and Shawn Slaton, CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses.

The new health center will be constructed to accommodate a range of health services, including primary care, dental, optometry, radiology, behavioral health, public health nursing, pharmacy with mail order, laboratory, nutrition, WIC, contract health and diabetes care.

The new facility will be located at Hwy. 59 and East Melton Road in Jay.

This is the third of four health centers slated for expansion or renovation, thanks to a $100 million investment into the tribe's health system by Cherokee Nation Businesses. That investment also includes a new hospital in Tahlequah, with construction expected to start later this year.

Cherokee Nation operates the largest tribal health system in the United States.

About Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. The seat of tribal government is the W.W. Keeler Complex near Tahlequah, Okla., the capital of the Cherokee Nation. With more than 320,000 citizens, 9,000 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma and the largest tribal nation in the United States. Cherokee Nation Businesses is the tribally-owned holding company of the Cherokee Nation. More information is available at www.cherokee.org and www.cherokeenationbusinesses.com.

General News on 01/29/2014