Cherokee Nation To Break Ground On New Washington County Health Center

The Cherokee Nation breaks ground Friday on its Cooweescoowee Health Center in Ochelata.

The 28,000-square-foot facility will replace the tribe's current 5,000-square-foot health center in Bartlesville.

In March, the Cherokee Nation announced it would be investing $100 million to expand its existing health facilities and build several new ones, including the $9 million center in Ochelata.

3/28/2013 Related Story: Cherokee Nation Announces Plans To Invest $100 Million In Health System

The Cherokee Nation operates the largest tribal health system in the United States, which supported 1.2 million patient visits in 2012.