Cherokee Nation celebrates placement of final steel beam on new W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - Cherokee Nation leaders gathered Thursday to hold a topping-out ceremony in celebration of the placement of the final steel beam for the future, state-of-the-art W.W. Hastings Hospital.

The new hospital, a $470 million investment authorized under the tribe's Respond, Recover and Rebuild plan, will span 400,000 square feet. The six-story structure will have 127 beds, a rooftop helipad, and will allow for expanded services for Cherokee and Native citizens. The facility will replace the existing Hastings Hospital that was built in the mid-1980s and spans 180,000 square feet.

The new hospital is projected to be completed and operational as soon as 2026.

"Today marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing world-class healthcare to Cherokee citizens and Native people in the region. Once complete, this new hospital will save countless Cherokee lives and heal and comfort our sick in their most critical time of need. This is an historic and defining moment in the Cherokee Nation," said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. "The new W.W. Hastings Hospital will represent not just a building, but a beacon of hope and healing for generations to come."

The new hospital will connect to the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center via a bridge, allowing easy access for Cherokee citizens and staff across the medical campus in Tahlequah. The new Hastings Hospital will offer a wide range of services, including an Emergency Room, surgery facilities, an Intensive Care Unit, and imaging services. The building will also feature a pharmacy, laboratory, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and hospice care. Additionally, it will provide dietary services, acute care, and other medical offerings to serve the community's healthcare needs.

"This state-of-the-art facility will dramatically expand our capacity to serve our citizens with the highest quality healthcare," Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. "It's an investment in our future, ensuring that we can meet the growing healthcare needs of our community for decades to come."

The existing W.W. Hastings Hospital employs more than 500 health care staff.

"Today represents the culmination of vision, hard work, and dedication from across the Cherokee Nation. We're fortunate to have the resources, leadership, and committed staff to bring this crucial facility to life for our citizens," said Council of the Cherokee Nation Speaker Mike Shambaugh. "This project showcases what we can achieve when our administration, Council, and healthcare team collaborate with a shared goal of serving our people. It's a proud moment that reflects our tribe's strength and our unwavering commitment to the well-being of every Cherokee citizen."

Executive Director of Cherokee Nation Health Services Dr. R. Stephen Jones said the W.W. Hastings Hospital staff have worked diligently to serve the Cherokee people with limited space and resources in the 40-year-old existing facility. As Cherokee Nation Health Services continues to add more healthcare professionals, providing staff and future employees with a state-of-the-art facility will only strengthen the workforce and healthcare services provided.

"Despite space and facility limitations, we have achieved a primary stroke center certification, become a baby-friendly hospital, and created additional jobs in our community," Jones said. "This milestone toward progress for our hospital family and our patients furthers our mission to ensure that the story of the Cherokee Nation continues and to improve our health and quality of life."

Cherokee Nation is developing plans for the repurposing of the existing W.W. Hastings Hospital facility to support the tribe's historic behavioral health initiatives.

Childers Architects and Foreman Manhattan Construction are overseeing the construction project of the new hospital, which broke ground in April 2023.

As the largest tribe in the United States, the Cherokee Nation operates the largest tribal health system with more than 2 million patient visits annually. The Cherokee Nation operates nine health centers and one hospital in northeast Oklahoma.

In addition to the construction of the new hospital in the capital of the Cherokee Nation, the Cherokee Nation has broken ground on a 106,000-square-foot health center in Salina while adding, expanding, and/or updating services at other health centers across the reservation in recent years.

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