STILWELL, Okla. — Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. recently signed an executive order establishing a task force to study the expansion of wellness centers on the reservation.
“The Cherokee people deserve to live healthier lives, and this task force is our pledge that we are taking that seriously. This task force will do a deep study on where we can expand on our health and wellness initiatives across the reservation, specifically through our wellness centers,” Chief Hoskin said. “By 2036, the Cherokee Nation is committed to ensuring that all Cherokee Nation citizens have access to a wellness center or another type of wellness facility within a 30-minute drive, funded through the Public Health and Wellness Fund Act.”
The Task Force on Wellness Centers will examine the following:
- Defining what a wellness center and wellness space is and their differences.
- Input from citizens on wellness centers.
- Input from elected officials on wellness centers.
- A strategic plan for the expansion of wellness facilities across the reservation
- Co-usage of facilities by Cherokee Nation Health Services for physical therapy, including aqua therapy.
“As a long-time advocate for public health, I’m thrilled as we take this strategic approach of assessing and looking at the effectiveness of how these wellness centers will impact areas across the reservation,” Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. “These wellness centers and wellness spaces are not only helping Cherokees improve their lives in healthier ways, but they are also places where people can fellowship and visit one another, which results in healing in areas other than just physical.”
The seven-person task force includes:
- Canaan Duncan, Cherokee Nation Deputy Secretary of State (task force chair)
- Lisa Pivec, Cherokee Nation Executive Director of Public Health (task force co-chair)
- Dr. Corey Bunch, Cherokee Nation Chief of Staff
- Dr. Pamela Gutman, Cherokee Nation Public Health Administrator
- Dr. David Markes, Medical Director of Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center
- Jon Asbill, Cherokee Nation Senior Construction Administrator
- Dawni Squirrel, Cultural advisor to the Hoskin/Warner administration
“We’ve seen a lot of measurable success with our current wellness centers, so this tasks force’s work will ensure that the Cherokee Nation has an equitable plan to construct wellness centers throughout the reservation, where the need is the most,” Deputy Secretary Duncan said. “We have to be intentional in ensuring that we are prepared to invest in our most vulnerable parts of the reservation.”
The Cherokee Nation currently has a wellness center in Stilwell, Salina and the soon-to-open comprehensive wellness center in Tahlequah. Along with wellness spaces in Kenwood and Marble City. The expanded Claremore Health facility, expected to break ground later this summer, will also include a $25 million wellness center as well.
These projects along with others were funded through the Public Health and Wellness Fund Act of 2021, amended most recently in 2025, which dedicates $100 million in settlement funds from opioid and e-cigarette lawsuits for a variety of public health programs. The act also allocates 10% of revenue generated by the tribe's health system toward public health and wellness programs and services.
The task force will present their findings to Chief Hoskin by Aug. 17, 2026.