MARTHA’S VINEYARD, Mass. – Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. participated in a historic signing ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 23, with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to formally acknowledge the transfer of operations of the Claremore Indian Hospital from the Indian Health Service to Cherokee Nation, effective Oct. 1, 2025.
The ceremonial signing took place at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, while both parties were attending an HHS Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee meeting, marking a significant milestone in tribal self-determination and health care sovereignty.
“This is more than a transfer of management. It is a moment in which decisions about health care are being placed directly into the hands of the Cherokee and Native people, the very ones who rely on this hospital most,” Hoskin said. “Secretary Kennedy’s presence today demonstrates that Cherokee Nation’s effort to build a world class system of wellness has the support at the highest levels of the federal government. Today’s transfer is a powerful example of how tribal self-governance continues to transform not only Cherokee Nation, but Indian Country.”…