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Oklahoma
Posted: Jan 05, 2026 9:31 AMUpdated: Jan 05, 2026 10:01 AM
Cherokee Nation Chief and Deputy Chief Propose $30M University of Oklahoma Nursing School Partnership
Tom Davis
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner recently proposed to earmark $30 million for a satellite nursing school campus in Tahlequah through a partnership with the University of Oklahoma.
According to www.anadisgoi.com, the proposed legislation also aims to invest millions of dollars annually to train more nurses and other health professionals for jobs in the Cherokee Nation and rural Oklahoma.
Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner proposed several measures under their “21st Century Cherokee Healthcare Workforce” plan, including:
- $30 million for a new University of Oklahoma College of Nursing satellite campus at the “Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Education Center” through a remodel of the current W.W. Hastings Hospital facility, which will be replaced by a new hospital by mid-2026.
- More than $5 million for a “Cherokee Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship” endowment to fund into perpetuity substantial student aid to Cherokee Nation citizens on a pay back basis through employment in the tribe’s health system.
- $1 million annually for new health field college scholarships and youth career exploration programs through the tribe’s Education Services Department.
- $1 million annually for non-degree health career training grants through the tribe’s Career Services Department.
The Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Education Center and Endowment Act authorizes Cherokee Nation to agree with a third-party provider of collegiate-level education in nursing and other health fields. Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner announced that the tribe is in talks with OU to operate the new center.
The proposed law would provide $5.15 million in an endowment for nursing and allied health education through the tribally affiliated Cherokee Nation Foundation. Eligibility for the scholarships will be open to Cherokees across the United States, but students who aim to join Cherokee Nation’s health workforce will receive a preference.
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