A new emergency room through the Muscogee (Creek) Nation could be in Okmulgee’s future.
That was told to Henryetta Rotary club members Wednesday by Shawn Terry. He is the secretary of health for the Creeks and was the guest speaker for the weekly meeting.
Terry, who has over 25 years in health care, joined the Creek Nation after a stint as vice-president for tribal affairs with Hillcrest Hospitals. He is a member of the Henryetta hospital board and has served on several other rural hospital boards.
He pointed out the tribe took over operations of the Okmulgee hospital several years ago. “It was hemorrhaging money. “We have pretty much balanced it out to where it is break even to stabilize losses.”
Terry said he is in discussions to build a new emergency room that would be located on the north side of Okmulgee on US 75. “It is our hope that highway visibility is important.” No date was set for that work to begin.
He said the hospital under construction at Okemah should be open in mid-November. “We are excited about that. The old hospital opened years ago was badly in need of repairs.”
Currently work is completing on the interior of that building and he is trying to get a new paved road completed from Okemah to the hospital. “I have multi-million pieces of equipment being hauled down a dirt road now.”
He said the emergency rooms are open to both Non-Indian and Native Americans.
The Creek Nation is currently building a 70,000 square feet facility in Eufaula. Terry told Rotarians the steel framework is up and interior work should start soon. When completed that is expected to add 120 jobs.
He went on to say his office has been making an effort to add more physicians. “The Creek Nation recruited one primary care physician in the last three years. In the last three months we have hired three.” He said his philosophy is the medical business, “is about doctors and patients. We will be putting more money toward them.”
That was the basis for his department submitting a $15 million budget to the tribe. It is the largest his department has sent over the years.
Terry said Oklahoma has been desperately needing doctors in the rural areas. “Henryetta has been luck in that they have physicians who are part of the community.” He said he has been working with both OU and OSU medical schools to find a way to get more family practice residents in rural facilities.
The tribal rehabilitation facility in Okmulgee could see some expansion. “Before I got there, the tribe closed the inpatient facility. It was a mistake to do that. When you close it, the state doesn’t come in and relicense it back open. We are one of the few entities that can make money on Medicaid LPAC patients. There is a moratorium with CMS on expanding CPAC beds. That moratorium ends in November. He said he will be applying to expand it to an eight to ten bed unit. Currently the center has a four-bed long term acute care, eight bed skilled nursing and  outpatient rehab.
One of his concerns is the opiod abuse problem.
He wants to do a comprehensive program using rehab, physical therapy and even chiropractic work.
He said he has received complaints from patients who want the narcotics. If you are a patient, your pain is very real. If you are addicted to those, you feel it. They feel like we are uncaring if we don’t dish that out.”
Prior to his talk, outgoing Rotary president Jennifer Shipman received a plaque of appreciation from Terry Thompson.