VINITA, Okla. — Cherokee Nation leaders held a ribbon cutting Tuesday to celebrate the transfer of the tribe’s mobile MRI unit to the Vinita Health Center.
The mobile MRI unit, which was purchased for the old Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah in 2022 for $2 million, moved to Vinita in October to shorten wait times for patients and to make it easier for patients to be seen and cared for without having to travel to Tahlequah or elsewhere for an MRI.
Because the new Hastings Hospital is equipped with an MRI on site, placing the mobile MRI unit back into service at Vinita expands over MRI access across the entire Cherokee Nation health system.
“This mobile MRI unit is the result of us listening to our citizens and our patients,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “Our brand new, state-of-the-art W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah was built with on-site MRI capabilities, so we decided to move this mobile MRI unit up to Vinita. This means shorter commute times for our citizens and patients living in the Vinita area. They can come here to the Vinita Health Center without having to travel all the way to Tahlequah. This is about our tribe, our Health system, filling a need and bringing this service straight to our patients.”
Since October 19, 159 MRIs have been administered in Vinita as a result of the mobile MRI unit being transferred to the Vinita Health Center.
“I’m just thinking about our citizens, and how this will impact so many people in this region,” Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. “I’m thinking about those wait times, I’m thinking about some folks who struggle with transportation and won’t have to call around and find a ride to Tahlequah for this critical service. We’ve brought this right to their community. What a blessing. This is already helping so many people, and I’m already hearing from citizens out in the community about the impact of this mobile MRI.”
When this mobile MRI unit was purchased in 2022 for the old W.W. Hastings Hospital, it was part of an overall investment in diagnostic imaging totaling more than $6 million across the tribe’s Health Services system.
Cherokee Nation Health Services is continually growing, currently hosting 3 million patient visits every year. Bringing services like this to other communities outside of Tahlequah helps meet Cherokee Nation citizens and patients where they are to provide critical care across the tribe’s 7,000-square-mile reservation.
“This is another point of our promise to improve access,” said Dr. R. Stephen Jones, CEO of Cherokee Nation Health Services. “We’re bringing these services to the communities and meeting people where they are. This area is in need, and a lot of people are having to travel for these services, so we’re bringing this unit right here where the need is high.”
The mobile MRI system is quieter than a traditional MRI, operates faster, and is more comfortable for patients compared to traditional MRI technology often used in on-site health facilities. The artificial intelligence software engine, which the system operates, allows for such advancements, Dr. Jones said.
Patients will be given the choice to scan either head first or feet first for each scan to help mitigate any problems with claustrophobia, Dr. Jones added. The quieter operation and larger size of the mobile MRI system can ease the apprehension often felt by many of patients.
“The Cherokee Nation built this beautiful facility here in Vinita about 14 years ago, and this mobile MRI unit is another part of our continued commitment to this area,” said District 11 Councilor Kendra McGeady, whose district includes Vinita and the surrounding communities. “This is going to cut down on travel time and wait time, and the constant barrier that some of our citizens face, which is transportation.”
Under the Hoskin/Warner administration, the tribe has invested approximately $1.12 billion in healthcare facilities and equipment.