Cherokee Nation leaders propose $30M nursing school partnership with OU

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. –Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner have proposed legislation to dedicate $30 million for a University of Oklahoma nursing school satellite campus in Tahlequah, part of a broader plan to expand health education and workforce development in the tribe and rural Oklahoma.

The initiative, called the “21st Century Cherokee Healthcare Workforce” plan, would repurpose the tribe’s former W.W. Hastings Hospital building into the “Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Education Center.” The proposal also includes ongoing funding for scholarships and career training for health professionals.

Under the plan:

• $30 million would go toward remodeling the old W.W. Hastings facility for the OU College of Nursing satellite campus. A new Cherokee Nation hospital is expected to open on the same campus in mid-2026.
• More than $5 million would be added to a Cherokee Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship endowment to provide student aid for Cherokee citizens, with preference for those pursuing careers in the tribe’s health system.
• $1 million annually would fund new college scholarships and youth career exploration programs through the Cherokee Nation Education Services Department.
• $1 million annually would support non-degree health career training through the tribe’s Career Services Department.

The proposed Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Education Center and Endowment Act would authorize the tribe to partner with a third-party provider, such as OU, to operate the center.

Eligibility for scholarships would extend to Cherokees nationwide, though students planning to join the tribe’s health workforce would receive preference.

Funding would include $2 million annually from the tribe’s Public Health and Wellness Fund Act to support health career education and training. Amendments to the Comprehensive Scholarship Act and Career Readiness Act would allow the tribe to provide additional scholarships, grants, and career services without limiting services to reservation residents.

The new funding builds on existing investments by the Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Foundation. Last year, the tribe’s primary scholarship fund awarded nearly $25 million, Career Services provided over $12 million in training support, and the Cherokee Nation Foundation contributed $550,000 in scholarships.

If approved, work to remodel the W.W. Hastings facility will begin after current hospital operations transfer to the new $450 million Cherokee Nation hospital in the summer of 2026.

OU plans to begin classes online in the fall of 2026, with the renovated campus expected to open in 2027.

The Cherokee Nation operates the largest health system in Indian Country, serving members of every federally recognized tribe with more than 3 million patient visits annually.

The Cherokee Nation Council is expected to review the legislation later in January.