SAPULPA – Mvskoke citizens in and around the city of Sapulpa will soon have a brand new medical facility on Highway 117, as the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and its Department of Health broke ground on the facility’s construction in a ceremony on Jan. 16.
According to Secretary of Health Shawn Terry, the new facility will be roughly double the size of the old facility in terms of space and staff. “We outgrew this clinic many years ago. Over the years, we’ve had to rent space downtown in different buildings,” Terry said.
“We’ve annexed a couple of different buildings, and this building, which I believe was built sometime in the early 70s, has 22 exam rooms. So as we build this new facility, it’s gonna more than double our capacity with exam rooms.”
Terry explained that the building’s scale provides more space for health workers and patients. “We’re going to 54 exam rooms, and that’s gonna give us a lot more space to be able to put more doctors, more nurses, and all of the staff that we’re gonna need to take care of patients. This facility is also gonna be a two-story facility, and it’ll be almost 150,000 square feet. So, it’s going to be a really, really large building,” Terry said.
Mvskoke language and culture are at the forefront of the building’s design, according to Terry. “As we started to figure out what we wanted to do here, we wanted to have a purpose. If you’re gonna put up a wall, you also have a chance to tell the story behind it,” Terry explained.
“Furthering this mission, you’re going to see Mvskoke healing words on the exterior of the building, in the artwork inside, and the entire theme of this clinic will be a remembrance and a reminder of our Mvskoke language and who we are as a people.”
MCN leadership, Sapulpa city officials, and Sapulpa medical staff at the current facility attended the groundbreaking. MCN leadership attending the ceremony included Secretary Terry, MCN Sapulpa Health Administrator Becky Moore, National Council Second Speaker Thomasene Yahola Osborn, and Representatives William Lowe, Charles McHenry, Darrell Proctor, Dode Barnett, Laura Harjo King, and Cody Phillips, as well as Principal Chief David Hill and Press Secretary Jason Salsman.
During his talk, Principal Chief Hill explained the significance of MCN Health’s work and the need to build facilities like this on the reservation, “Providing effective health is all about people. Top to bottom, both patients and providers, it’s not only about the care folks you see here in our facility, but in the manner in which it’s provided.”
Chief Hill reaffirmed that the Muscogee Nation and its Department of Health will continue to work to make Indian Country better for everyone. “I wanted to assure you all here today that we will continue to do just that, and we will continue to grow and stand together, making sure that the future of Indian Country’s number one health service is brighter and brighter for our people, for our community, and for our future,” Principal Chief Hill added.For those interested in learning more about the MCN Department of Health, its facilities, and the work they do, visit their website at https://www.creekhealth.org/
