TAHLEQUAH — The Cherokee Nation will take over operations at the W.W. Hastings Indian Hospital,which now is run by the federal Indian Health Service. The tribe likely will assume operation of the Tahlequah hospital about Oct. 1, the beginning of the tribe’s fiscal year, said Mike Miller, a communications officer for the Cherokee Nation.

The hospital has an annual federal budget of $25 million. It is funded by the Indian Health Service and third-party sources such as Medicare. “We will create a comprehensive, integrated health system that will provide care for our patients,” Principal Chief Chad Smith said. “Most larger tribes in the Oklahoma area operate the Indian hospitals in their jurisdictional boundaries. This has proven effective for improving patient care and reducing waste and redundancy in the system.”

The Cherokees announced that they were interested in taking over some or all of the operations at the hospital in January after Smith wrote a letter to Robert McSwain, the Indian Health Service’s acting director.

“After months of study and discussion with Indian Health Service, we have decided that the integration of the two systems will provide more funding for health care and ultimately more access to high quality care,” Smith said.

“The comprehensive health system will consist of both inpatient and outpatient services at Hastings and the tribally operated clinics.” Hastings would continue to receive existing Indian Health Service funds, and the hospital would be eligible for grants and joint-venture projects that could bring millions in additional health-care funding in the future, a news release from the tribe stated.

Patient eligibility would not change under the Cherokee Nation’s operation of Hastings, and the tribe wants all Hastings employees to remain at the facility, the release stated. Clifton Adcock 1-918-581-8462 - clifton.adcock@tulsaworld.com