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Cherokee Nation opens new Hastings hospital; ER moved in coordinated overnight transfer, officials say
Summary
Dr. Jones told the Cherokee Nation Council the health system completed a weekend move into its new Hastings hospital, closing the old ER at 5:59 a.m. and opening the new ER at 6 a.m.; final patient transfers finished around 10 a.m., and staff planned debriefings to identify improvements.
Dr. Jones, representing Cherokee Nation Health Services, told the council the health system completed a planned weekend move into its new Hastings hospital and opened the new emergency department in a tightly coordinated overnight transfer.
"We started our morning, Saturday morning at 5:00 a.m. to get ready, and we closed the ER at 5:59 and opened the new ER at 6 a.m.," Dr. Jones said, describing teams that closed units at the old site and simultaneously opened services in the new building. He said crews finished the last patient transfer at about 10 a.m. that day and that the first baby in the new hospital was born at roughly 1:15 p.m.
The move followed months of planning, Dr. Jones said, and was emotionally significant for long-tenured staff. "We have so much longevity in our workforce that there was a lot of emotions," he said, adding that leadership plans debriefings this week to identify any process improvements.
The chair praised staff and noted the facility's redesignation as "baby friendly," referencing the initial designation in 2015 and commending the teams who completed the redesignation process. Counselor Danny Callison and Counselor Lisa Hall both thanked Dr. Jones and his staff for the effort; Callison highlighted recent openings in his district, including the Claremore Indian Hospital, and Hall said staff appeared relieved after the transition.
Councilors asked operational questions after the presentation. When asked about the Claremore groundbreaking date, Dr. Jones said he was "not at liberty to say" and that the chief's office would announce final dates. He also said phone numbers for the Hastings site should roll over to the new building but that a few transfers (handled by AT&T) were still being resolved.
Counselor Clifton Hughes noted the old Hastings building will be renovated for training and a new nursing school rather than demolished; Dr. Jones confirmed contractors had begun site work and core drilling at the old campus.
The move, Dr. Jones said, "will serve generations to come" and is expected to change health care access across the reservation.
The council recorded no formal vote on the hospital report; the meeting proceeded to other departmental updates before adjourning.
