Cherokee Nation, University of Oklahoma to establish $30M nursing education campus in Tahlequah

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — A new $30 million nursing and allied health education campus will be developed in Tahlequah through a partnership between the Cherokee Nation and the University of Oklahoma, expanding access to nursing education and addressing critical health care workforce shortages in northeastern Oklahoma and Indian Country.

A rendering shows the proposed Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Education Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, which would house a University of Oklahoma satellite nursing campus under a $30 million partnership proposed by tribal leaders. (Courtesy photo)

The initiative establishes the Cherokee Nation Nursing and Allied Health Education Center, a University of Oklahoma College of Nursing satellite campus that will be housed in the current W.W. Hastings Hospital facility. The building will be renovated into a state-of-the-art education center once hospital operations relocate to Cherokee Nation’s new medical campus later this year.

The new campus is designed to meet growing demand for nurses and health professionals as Cherokee Nation prepares to open its new hospital, which will require at least 145 additional registered nurses and nine licensed practical nurses. Statewide, Oklahoma faces a projected shortage of nearly 6,000 registered nurses by 2038, placing it among the states with the most significant nursing workforce gaps.

The project also aims to increase Native American representation in the nursing profession. Native Americans currently account for only about 0.4% of registered nurses nationwide, despite persistent health disparities in tribal communities. Cherokee Nation operates the largest tribal health system in Indian Country, delivering more than 3 million patient services each year.

The University of Oklahoma has made health workforce expansion a priority, particularly in rural and underserved areas. In recent years, the university broadened access to its nursing programs by admitting all qualified applicants without lowering academic standards, a shift that has more than doubled the number of nursing graduates.

Under the approved plan, $30 million will be invested to remodel the Hastings facility into a modern education campus. Additional funding includes a $5.15 million endowment for nursing scholarships, $1 million annually for health-related scholarships and youth career exploration programs, and $1 million annually for non-degree health career training grants.

OU plans to begin offering online nursing courses connected to the Tahlequah campus in fall 2026, with the renovated facility expected to open to students in 2027.

The partnership is expected to strengthen long-term health care capacity across Cherokee Nation and rural Oklahoma by creating local pathways for students to enter nursing and allied health careers close to home.