PRIORITIZING HEALTH

Well-being of Cherokee families a foundation of tribe’s historic healthcare expansion

By Arielle Barnett

M artha Zimmerman thought she was only having migraines. The headaches were severe, and she had been dealing with dizziness for a while.

“I had a really bad dizzy spell, and it lasted about six weeks,” she said. “The room was spinning, and I couldn’t open my eyes.”

Because of her symptoms, Zimmerman - who lives in Missouri but drives to Oklahoma to receive care at the tribe’s Sam Hider Health Center in Jay - was referred to Neurology Services at Cherokee Nation’s Outpatient Health Center in Tahlequah. Health Services partners with the Regional Brain Institute for both inpatient and outpatient neurology services and the tribes W.W. Hastings Hosptial is now Primary Stroke Center Certified.

“They did all these tests to figure out what was causing it, and they found the strokes,” Zimmerman said. Cherokee Nation’s historic efforts to expand and increase access to health care are driven by a mission to help Cherokee citizens like Zimmerman.

Along with its partnership with the Regional Brain Institute for stroke care, Cherokee Nation Health Services has also created other partnerships to improve the quality of life and health of its patients. These include cardiology services at the Three Rivers Health Center through Northeast Oklahoma Heart Center and gastrointestinal care through a partnership with Adult Gastroenterology Associates.

Almost two years after discovering her strokes, Zimmerman still requires treatment for stroke prevention and travels to Tahlequah for follow-ups with the Regional Brain Institute.

“I’ve had somewhere between 30 to 40 strokes, and they’re on the inside of the brain, which is cognitive, which makes memory difficult,” Zimmerman said. “I still am functioning well, and I don’t have any physical issues. I never knew I had a stroke. Never knew I had one, let alone over 30 until they found them on an MRI.”

Zimmerman is thankful for the Cherokee Nation health system.

“They’re a major blessing to me in my life, and I’m very grateful for it,” she said. “I am also going to get hearing aids. It’s going to be so much easier for me.”

Barbara Parris and Maggie Oaks, both residents of Muskogee, receive care from the Three Rivers Health Center and take full advantage of the recently expanded imaging services. Parris has utilized health services in Muskogee since the health center’s expansion efforts and now benefits from the tribe’s continued investments.

“They take good care of you here,” she said. Oaks has relied on her local health center for a bone density test, which is now possible due to the imaging expansion in Muskogee.

“My bones are pretty bad and if they didn’t have this here, I’d have to go to Tahlequah. I think it’s great,” Oaks said. “They also mail my medications, especially when it’s snowing and icy, so I don’t have to get out. I’d like to thank the tribe for offering this and improving all the time.”

Cherokee Nation’s investments into health care across the reservation continues: Cherokee Nation Health Services will replace its flagship facility, W.W. Hastings Hospital, with a new $400 million, 380,000-square-foot hospital, and other construction projects include building a new Salina outpatient health center and more health center expansions for additional service lines across the reservation.

The tribe operates nine outpatient health centers throughout its reservation, along with one outpatient health center for employees and the W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah.

Dr. Roger Montgomery, Cherokee Nation Health Services’ Executive Medical Director, is passionate about the tribe’s growth and understands the impact the team of professionals has on the services offered.

“The importance of our brick-and-mortar expansion over the past several years cannot be overemphasized, but the building of new, larger centers also requires increased staffing with people dedicated to the provision of quality health services,” Montgomery said. “This is what I am most proud of: the people who come to work every day to help other people.”

By prioritizing the well-being of its citizens, Cherokee Nation is setting a standard of excellence in rural and tribal health care.

“Cherokees are experiencing better care and better health outcomes than ever before. We value service above all else and increasing access allows us to deliver the best care possible,” Montgomery said.