Tribal/Rural Health Track

The OMECO/OSU Pediatrics Residency Tribal/Rural Health Track is based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, at the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Care Center and W.W. Hastings Hospital. This program focuses on training pediatricians to address the unique healthcare needs of American Indian/Indigenous children and those living in rural areas. The track immerses residents in the diverse experiences of practicing within a tribal healthcare system and rural communities, helping them develop skills in culturally competent care and understand the health disparities faced by Native and rural populations. 

 

W.W. Hastings Hospital and the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center share their campus with the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation. 

 

Applications are accepted via ERAS. The track-designated positions are filled via NRMP with a separate match ID.

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Clinical Sites

 

W.W. Hastings Hospital

100 S. Bliss Ave.

Tahlequah, OK 74464

 

The hospital hosts rotations in acute care, newborn nursery, inpatient pediatrics, and emergency department consultation. Originally an Indian Health Service facility, the hospital moved to its current location in 1984 and has expanded to serve an increasing number of patients. It is now a 180,000-square-foot facility with 56 beds, managing around 50,000 patient visits annually. In 2008, the Cherokee Nation took over operations, and in 2023, construction began on a new six-story, $400 million hospital to replace the current facility. The new hospital will feature 127 patient beds, a neonatal ICU, a surgery center, and hospice care.

 

 

Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Care Center (CNOHC)

19600 E Ross St.

Tahlequah, OK 74464

 

This 469,000-square-foot, four-story facility, the largest operated by the Cherokee Nation, serves as the primary site for the pediatric resident continuity clinic and several outpatient rotations, including behavioral health, pediatrics, dental care, sports medicine, and subspecialties. Opened in 2019, it is a LEED Silver-certified facility reflecting the tribe’s commitment to sustainable development. 

 

 

Saint Francis Children's Hospital

6161 S. Yale Ave.

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136

 

Saint Francis Hospital, a 1,112-bed tertiary center and Tulsa's leading trauma and emergency center, also includes the region's only children's hospital. Saint Francis Children’s Hospital provides comprehensive pediatric care to kids in eastern Oklahoma including specialty care with medical and surgical services, pediatric intensive care, a level IV NICU, St. Jude Affiliate Clinic and Cystic Fibrosis Care Center.

 

 

Track Curriculum

Residents in the Tribal/Rural track will complete the first 15 months of the program in Tulsa at Saint Francis Children’s Hospital, excluding a Cherokee Nation immersion month, bimonthly clinic days and occasional call.  The remainder of their residency training will be based in Tahlequah.  Residents are eligible to receive financial support to assist with relocation to Tahlequah during their PGY-2 year.  

 

 

 

 

About Tahlequah

Tahlequah is the capital of the Cherokee Nation and home to Northeastern State University. The town is growing, especially with the addition of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, which opened in 2020.

 

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