Iwas told last week that the Newcastle Pacer has too much Chickasaw Nation news amongst its pages.
My heart sank, my pulse quickened. I nearly fell over.
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby had just completed a visit to Newcastle the previous month to announce the finalization of plans for a new Indian hospital in collaboration with the federal government’s Indian Nation Health Services.
This hospital, upon completion, is projected to provide upwards of 7,500 new high-paying jobs and about $1.5 billion into the local economy. Wow! if that’s not news, I don’t know what is. By the way, Phase 1 will be open in four years, according to Newcastle Mayor Karl Nail.
Along with the hospital comes big planning and expenditures by the City of Newcastle, much of which is already underway. As well, there will be ancillary businesses needed to serve the hospital, its employees, those seeking hospital services, and the families moving to Newcastle.
Nail said when complete, they anticipate having 900 examination rooms in their clinic portion with 600 doctors working out of the clinics. He said if there are 10 appointments in each of those rooms every day, that’s 9,000 people coming to Newcastle to see the doctor every day. That doesn’t count the more than 1,600 births they anticipate having in the facility annually, and it’s not counting the people coming for the other care that will be provided.
There will be dentistry and all types of health services available, as well.
The mayor assures Newcastle residents that they have been meeting with the Chickasaw Nation for the past two years, working on water, sewer and other infrastructure. Over the next year the City’s needs will be finalized, Nail said.
He mentioned that Newcastle “doesn’t have enough hotels, restaurants, or anything to serve the people coming to our community.”
We’ve got to be ready to provide what is needed and then service these businesses when they come.
The Mayor said this will change the face of Newcastle and the expense and planning our city government will need is immense. Thank goodness it is underway and the public is provided this information through the reporting in the Newcastle Pacer.
The planning involves not only our city government and the Chickasaw Nation, but also the federal government. We are preparing to see ancillary businesses necessary to the construction of the hospital, more housing construction, and a continual increase in population.
Nail said, “It will be amazing — life changing for this community.” But hey … that’s not news.
— Mark Codner
