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- By Chickasaw Nation Media
PURCELL, Okla. – The 20th anniversary of the Chickasaw Nation Purcell Health Clinic will be commemorated during late October festivities.
The event is set for 2:30 p.m., Oct. 31 at the Purcell Area Service Center campus, 1438 Hardcastle Blvd.
The Purcell Health Clinic opened its doors Oct. 6, 2004. The original 10,086-square-foot clinic brought outpatient general and family practice medicine, laboratory testing, pharmacy and ultrasound exams to Chickasaw and First Americans in the Purcell area.
“Quality health care services are provided every day to those we serve,” Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said at the 2004 grand opening. “With the new Purcell clinic, patients will receive quality care while reducing travel time.”
Health care has been a long-standing top priority for the Chickasaw Nation, and opening the health clinic at Purcell in 2004 was part of a strategic plan to build medical facilities every 35 miles within Chickasaw Nation treaty territory.
The Chickasaw Nation also operates health clinics in Ada, Ardmore and Tishomingo.
In 2017, Governor Anoatubby led a ribbon cutting ceremony for a trio of Chickasaw Nation facilities in Purcell – the Chickasaw Nation Wellness Center, Purcell Area Office and a 13,000- square-foot addition to the health clinic.
The clinic expansion was needed to accommodate the growing number of patient visits as well as space to provide new services including medical imaging, pediatrics and physical therapy. Laboratory, pharmacy and primary care services were expanded with the addition. Four new exam rooms and nine new dental operatories, to provide dental services at the Purcell Clinic, were added in the expansion.
“This renovation and addition to the clinic will offer closer access to services for Chickasaw citizens and others who live in this region,” Governor Anoatubby said in 2017.
The Purcell Clinic served more than 10,007 patients in fiscal year 2024, striving to improve the overall health of the area residents.
Governor Anoatubby said the Chickasaw Nation and Purcell have a long history together.
“We still work together today and maintain a great partnership. Services we offer here help us meet our mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people,” he said.
In the past 20 years, Chickasaw Nation programs and services in Purcell have expanded to include a senior center, a wellness center, an area office, nutrition and outpatient services. Growth in services has led to a surge in local employment opportunities, as well.
In 2004, the Purcell Health Clinic employed a staff of 16 including a physician, a registered nurse and a pharmacy clerk. In 2024, the number of employees is 98.
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