HOLDENVILLE – Muscogee (Creek) Nation Press Secretary Jason Salsman described the past few years as “one of the most aggressive eras of Mvskoke expansion in history.” The most recent chapter in that expansion was the groundbreaking ceremony for the Holdenville Health Center on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Tribal leadership and Muscogee Department of Health leaders gathered for the opening of a healthcare facility that will serve Tribal citizens in an area without easily accessible healthcare options.
According to a release from the MCN Health Department, the clinic is part of a $185 million BOK financial package that will construct two state-of-the-art facilities in Holdenville and Sapulpa. The 67,000-square-foot facility will include primary care, dental, behavioral health, and optometry services. It will also have outdoor wellness spaces to encourage long-term healthy living, including basketball, volleyball, and pickleball courts. The facility was designed by James R. Childers Architect Inc. The facility will be located at 3311 N. 370 Rd, just south of the Holdenville Regional Office.
“As Muscogee people, we’ve always understood that health goes beyond medicine. It’s about community, connection, and caring for one another. This clinic will be a place where those values continue, where people feel welcomed, respected, and supported. Today we’re not just turning dirt, we’re planting seeds.”
– Randall Hicks
Tribal leadership acknowledged the gaps in healthcare services in the southern region during opening remarks. According to MCN Principal Chief David Hill, this is another step in the Nation’s vision of providing healthcare in every corner of the Reservation.
“This is another step forward in keeping our promise of aggressive expansion in healthcare,” Principal Chief Hill said. “We know how important it is to invest in the entirety of our Reservation from border to border, from rural to cities. We have to meet every need exactly where it’s at.”
For MCN National Council Speaker Randall Hicks, the clinic’s groundbreaking represented something more than just turning dirt. It means that no matter where Tribal citizens live on the Mvskoke Reservation, they will have consistent, nearby access to Tribal health services.
“Today marks the beginning of something important. Not just the start of construction, but the strengthening of health, opportunity, and care for our people,” Speaker Hicks said. “This project represents commitment to accessibility healthcare, to the well-being of our citizens, and to building a healthier future for generations to come.”
Tukvpvtce District Representative Anna Marshall serves the Holdenville community. She knows firsthand the unique struggles her district faces. During her remarks, Rep. Marshall shared that the new facility will be built on the Jacobs family allotment- she grew up around the original allottee owners, who have now passed on. According to Rep. Marshall, they would be proud to know that their allotment was being used to serve fellow Tribal citizens.
“As all those elders and ancestors have prayed for us, and here we are today because of those prayers. We stand on those strong ancestors,” Rep. Marshall said. “When we say ‘What can we be?’, let’s be healthier, let’s be more resilient.”
Secretary of Health Shawn Terry said that over $100 million has been invested in communities in the southern region over the past eight years. He described the Health Department’s investment as “grassroots prevention.” According to Terry, the Holdenville Health Center will solve a major problem plaguing patients in the region: contract health.
“Today, in most of our facilities, 85% of all these referrals get approved within about the first two hours of when the physician writes that referral. It should be that easy here (Holdenville) as well. We’re committed to making that happen,” Terry said.
According to Terry, more construction projects are planned for MCN Healthcare facilities on the reservation.
