Chickasaw Nation Breaks Ground on Large Native American Hospital in Oklahoma

The Chickasaw Nation, led by Governor Chris Anoatubby, held a groundbreaking ceremony on July 31 for the Chickasaw Nation Health Newcastle Medical Center in Newcastle, Oklahoma. The 160‑acre campus will initially include 12 buildings with 50 inpatient beds, an emergency department, surgical suites, labor and delivery, family medicine, pediatrics, specialty clinics, behavioral health, dental services, a pharmacy and the start of a research program.

When fully built, the facility is planned to expand to about 2.5 million square feet, 140 inpatient beds and a staff of more than 5,500, serving over 100,000 First Americans in the Oklahoma City region. It will be one of the largest Native‑American‑owned hospitals in the United States and will feature a tribal‑owned research center, reflecting the Chickasaw Nation’s effort to improve health outcomes for Indigenous communities amid chronic‑disease disparities and limited Indian Health Service resources.