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Cherokee Nation health services report: 455 provider contracts, Claremore takeover, vaccination clinics and new wastewater lab
Summary
At the Cherokee Nation health meeting, Dr. Jones reported a record 455 provider contracts, preparations for Claremore facility onboarding and employee orientations, vaccine clinics and expectations for COVID and flu shots, and Lisa Pivik described high use at new wellness centers and a wastewater surveillance lab coming online.
Dr. Jones, reporting for the Claremore service unit and Cherokee Nation Health Services, told the council the health system closed a record 455 provider contracts for the coming fiscal year and is preparing vaccine clinics and staff orientations ahead of an October 1 operational change.
"This year, we have we do all of our provider contracts, and this year's a record year. 455 provider contracts," Dr. Jones said. He told the council the figure is up from about 412 last year and reflects growth in service lines and contracted providers.
Dr. Jones said vaccine clinics will start next week and run through Oct. 15, with employee vaccination efforts also beginning. He said the COVID vaccine shipment was expected "sometime between today and Wednesday." He added that last year the system delivered about 34,000 vaccines when flu and COVID clinics were combined.
The doctor also briefed the council on the ongoing process to take over the Claremore facility. He said a funding agreement is in hand and that contract support cost discussions with the Indian Health Service are at an "agreement in principle" stage and awaiting documentation and signature. As part of onboarding, he described staff orientations taking place this week and next; the sessions are for employees who were given an exclusive opportunity to move into the system in this first round.
On hiring and vacancy questions, Dr. Jones said the second round of hiring remains in process because advertised positions require set posting and panel interviews; he did not provide current vacancy‑rate numbers.
Public Health official Lisa Pivik reported on community health operations and prevention programs. She said the Mary L. Carson wellness facility in Stillwell opened in August and has "a little over 3,400 members right now" with an average of about 500 daily visits and busy days topping roughly 600 visits. Pivik said the Celina facility has 788 members and averages about 150 walk‑in visits per day.
Pivik said the health department is partnering with Cherokee Nation Health Services on community vaccination events and currently has about 140 events scheduled with schools, Cherokee community organizations and other community meetings. "We're really excited to be able to offer this," she said.
She also said the wastewater surveillance laboratory the department has been developing is now built to specifications and was placed in its location; the lab should be operational within about a month. Pivik urged councilors and citizens to receive flu and COVID vaccines as they become available.
Dr. Jones invited councilors to attend one of the Claremore orientation sessions scheduled this week and next; he said the sessions include senior leadership meet‑and‑greets, facility tours and light refreshments and asked councilors to sign up so planners can manage tour groups and staffing.
The meeting closed with a note that the next health meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m.
