TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation honored the 2026 graduating classes of the OMECO/Cherokee Nation Family Medicine and OMECO/OSU Pediatrics (Tribal/Rural Health Track) residency programs during a graduation ceremony held Friday, June 26, at the Chota Conference Center in Tahlequah.
In total, 10 physicians were celebrated, including eight graduates from the family medicine residency program and two from the pediatrics residency program.
“These 10 physicians have dedicated years of their lives to serving the Cherokee people and the communities around us, and we are proud to have played a role in their journey,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “The Cherokee Nation’s commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare in our communities depends on physicians like these, and we look forward to seeing the lasting impact they will make on the lives of their patients.”
Graduates of the 2026 OMECO/Cherokee Nation Family Medicine residency included Chief Resident Dr. Summer Morrison of Stilwell, Okla.; Chief Resident Dr. Adam Warren of Webbers Falls, Okla.; Dr. Gregory Blaylock of Wagoner, Okla.; Dr. Evan Garrett of Durant, Okla.; Dr. Joy Miller of Shillong, Meghalaya, India; Dr. Vivek Nair of Sunnyvale, Texas; Dr. Erin Shinn of Claremore, Okla.; and Dr. Skylar Williams of Westville, Okla.
The class included three Cherokee citizens in Dr. Morrison, Dr. Shinn, and Dr. Williams.
“One of the biggest perks of this residency program is that it’s home for me. I’m Cherokee and I’m from this area, so I got to train where I was raised and give back to this community,” said Dr. Morrison, who will remain with the Cherokee Nation in the women’s clinic and in primary care. “Then also, the experience has been phenomenal with other Cherokee citizens training with me. Just giving back to the community that raised me has been a very fulfilling experience.”
The family medicine residency program is an 8-8-8 program affiliated with the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah. The program provides a well-rounded residency training experience with a focus on rural and medically underserved populations, sports medicine, women’s health, and population-based care. Residents train within Cherokee Nation Health Services, the largest tribally operated health system in the United States, which performs more than 3 million patient services annually across all facilities.
“Graduating from a residency program is a tremendous achievement, and completing that training here, within our tribal health system, speaks to the dedication these doctors have to serving rural and underserved communities,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. “We celebrate each of them and wish them every success as they carry forward the skills and experiences they gained here.”
With the 2026 class, the family medicine program has now graduated 51 physicians since its inaugural class in 2013. Approximately 45% of those graduates were initially placed in tribal or Indian Health Service facilities, while 69% were placed in Oklahoma. Approximately 83% were placed in partially rural, rural or medically underserved areas.
“It is an honor to recognize these outstanding physicians and welcome them into the broader community of health care professionals who have trained alongside us,” said Dr. Beth Harp, Executive Medical Director for CNHS. “Their time with our program has prepared them well, and we are confident that wherever their careers take them, they will continue to reflect the values of compassionate, culturally grounded care that define Cherokee Nation Health Services.”
The OMECO/OSU Pediatrics (Tribal/Rural Health Track) residency program honored two physicians from its 2026 graduating class: Chief Resident Dr. Chase Chapman of Omaha, Nebraska, and Dr. Krisha Chowdhury of San Antonio, Texas.
The pediatrics residency program, which celebrated its inaugural graduate class in 2025, has graduated a total of four physicians in the last two years.
“Tahlequah has been a great place to train. It’s a beautiful mix of rural and tribal. We have unique challenges here, but we also have unique benefits,” said Dr. Chapman. “The Cherokee Nation really does provide a lot for its people and tries to make it as easy for us as possible to meet the needs of our patients.”
Based in Tahlequah at the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center and W.W. Hastings Hospital, the OMECO/OSU Pediatrics Tribal/Rural Health Track focuses on training pediatricians to address the unique health care needs of American Indian and Indigenous children and those living in rural areas. The program 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 a deeper understanding of the health disparities faced by Native and rural populations.
W.W. Hastings Hospital and CNOHC share their campus with the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation.
For more information about the Cherokee Nation’s family medicine residency program, visit https://www.cherokee.org/residency-program/.
For more information about the pediatrics residency program, visit https://medicine.okstate.edu/academics/pediatrics/residency/tribal-rural-health-track.