Cherokee Nation plans $255 million outpatient health center in Claremore

The Cherokee Nation announced a $255 million plan to build a new health care facility in Claremore, replacing the 47-year-old Claremore Indian Hospital, according to Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner in a statement to KTUL. The proposed Cherokee Nation Claremore Outpatient and Emergency Health Center will eliminate inpatient services and focus on outpatient and emergency care, with plans to develop partnerships for inpatient services, according to Cherokee Nation Health System CEO Dr. R. Stephen Jones.

Deputy Chief Warner said in the KTUL report that eight months of negotiations with the Indian Health Service and facility assessments showed that upgrading the existing hospital would exceed $100 million and still fall short of tribal standards. The proposed legislation, the Cherokee Nation Claremore Outpatient and Emergency Health Center Act of 2025, will go before the tribe’s Rules Committee on June 26 for consideration. Completion of the new center is expected by 2027, according to KTUL.