TULSA, Okla. – Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa (IHCRC) will welcome Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols and Muscogee Nation Second Chief Del Beaver to take part in its 62,000-square-foot facility expansion event 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, at 530 S. Peoria Ave.
Several hundred are expected to attend the celebration, which will officially open the facility to the public that will allow IHCRC to offer occupational, physical, and speech therapy services, as well as expanded health and wellness, dentistry, optometry, and pharmacy services:
- Health and Wellness will have additional workout areas and equipment.
- Dental operatories will expand from four to 10, equipped with state-of-the-art sterilization equipment.
- Optometry will expand from three to six exam rooms, with brand-new equipment, and dedicated rooms for specialized testing.
- Pharmacy expands from two to five drive-through lanes, which opened to patients May 16.
The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will also celebrate Native American culture, including a Cedar Blessing by Bill Wamego, raising the flags outside the facility by Muscogee Nation Women’s Honor Guard, and original artwork displayed throughout the new hallways. The event will be the culmination of more than a decade of planning and construction work that broke ground in June 2023. Expanded space for services will further IHCRC’s Mission: “To empower the American Indian through exceptional healthcare!”
“As we broke ground for our expansion, I was filled with gratitude for our dedicated team and community supporters who have enabled us to grow into the clinic we are today,” said Carmelita Skeeter, IHCRC Chief Executive Officer. “This expansion will further strengthen our ability to provide comprehensive healthcare services, ensuring a brighter and healthier future for our community.”
For more than 25 years, IHCRC has called Fifth Street and Peoria Avenue home, with the original 550 S. Peoria Ave. facility opening in June 1999. The clinic completed its first expansion project in 2011. The latest addition will more than double the size of IHCRC’s facility to help meet the Tulsa area Native American population’s healthcare needs.
IHCRC also celebrates its continued commitment toward the Native American community in 2025, as the organization earned Standards for Excellence recognition through the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits early this year, and seeks reaccreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) this fall. IHCRC first achieved AAAHC recognition in 2001, and had its status renewed every three years since, adding the Medical Home and Dental Home designations in 2013 and 2022.
Two companies with longtime local ties, general contractor Flintco and designer Childers Architect, worked with IHCRC on this expansion project.
