Muscogee Nation to buy former Cancer Treatment Centers of America facility



OKMULGEE — The Muscogee Nation National Council voted 12-0 Thursday evening to purchase the former Cancer Treatment Centers of America facility in south Tulsa.

Addressing the council, Muscogee Nation Secretary of Health Shawn Terry said the property will offer both inpatient and outpatient services, with the latter potentially starting as soon as early July.

The facility will be open to the public, similar to the tribe’s hospitals in Okemah and Okmulgee. Rather than be used exclusively for cancer treatments, the inpatient specialties will be areas identified as current expansion needs from the Muscogee Nation Department of Health, including post-stroke care, neurology and cardiology.

“We don’t offer oncology, but we did have all of this need,” Terry said. “We knew we needed a Tulsa campus and we think this is just a nice fit.”


https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/muscogee-nation-to-buy-former-cancer-treatment-centers-of-america-facility/article_bf46587c-ca13-11eb-b6e4-b3a04adf8d12.html#tracking-source=home-breaking

Muscogee Nation to buy former Cancer Treatment Centers of America facility



https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/muscogee-nation-to-buy-former-cancer-treatment-centers-of-america-facility/article_bf46587c-ca13-11eb-b6e4-b3a04adf8d12.html#tracking-source=home-breaking

Did Covid kill that business? We were getting adds in Denver for it until maybe year ago.

Did Covid kill that business? We were getting adds in Denver for it until maybe year ago.

I think it was an insurance dispute with BCBS. They also closed the Philadelphia location. I thought OU would want to expand their Tulsa presence but this is a good alternative. OU likely has its eyes on Hillcrest anyway, from what I’ve heard.

New name is Council Oak Comprehensive Healthcare:

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/watch-now-muscogee-nation-unveils-name-of-new-health-facility-at-former-cancer-treatment-centers/article_b9ac748a-f143-11eb-bcfa-977905933f49.html

Well i can't say im surprised that BCBS helped do them in. BCBS has had disputes with so many facilities around the country because the providers keep wanting more and more, and BCBS keeps pushing back. It's not often that I side with an insurance company, but really they have the better argument lately.

For CTCA, they are the start of the show in terms of For Profit hospitals. Question 1 on patient in take, how are you going to pay for this? And forget it if you were a Medicaid patient. They grossly inflated their charges. BCBS only paid the portion they were going to pay, so the rest fell to the patient. And in OK, we do not have "surprise bill legislation" so I can let you guess how many cancer patients were in financial disarray because of their treatment from this place. It's unfortunate when you have someone save your physical life, only to ruin the emotional and financial life and pushing people to bankruptcy.

Their commercials did make them look great. But inside the health industry, they are not looked upon as a patient-centric operation. Sort of like how MD Anderson is very famous, but tends to shy away from the really difficult cases because it makes their numbers skew the wrong way. Can't make cancer "history" if you aren't supposedly putting a high percentage in remission.

Anyway, im wondering if the facility will still treat cancer patients or if they will treat a more broad spectrum. The accelerator of course in single purpose, but the other things like MRI/Xray/etc are versatile to other fields. And of course chemo treatment spaces are flexible to really anything.

. Sort of like how MD Anderson is very famous, but tends to shy away from the really difficult cases because it makes their numbers skew the wrong way. Can't make cancer "history" if you aren't supposedly putting a high percentage in remission.

Not sure why you took a shot at MD Anderson. I know several people treated there after very grim prognosis from OU Stephenson, and all are now clear. Very tricky and difficult cancers that frankly were treated without the radical surgeries suggested elsewhere. They not only take hard cases but have a really high success rates. Every single person I know that went there are big disciples now and highly thankful they went there. Problem is they have more people wanting in than they can handle. There are volume limits.

Sort of like how MD Anderson is very famous, but tends to shy away from the really difficult cases because it makes their numbers skew the wrong way. Can't make cancer "history" if you aren't supposedly putting a high percentage in remission.

This is false and I'm not sure where you got it, but it sounds like conspiracy theory. MD Anderson does not shy away from really difficult cases. They are one of the premier cancer treatment centers in part because of their experience treating really difficult cases and conducting high quality clinical trials on difficult to treat cancers.

This is false and I'm not sure where you got it, but it sounds like conspiracy theory. MD Anderson does not shy away from really difficult cases. They are one of the premier cancer treatment centers in part because of their experience treating really difficult cases and conducting high quality clinical trials on difficult to treat cancers.

And, they invest in the latest and best technology/equipment for diagnosing. I have one family member that was facing very disfiguring, painful, and debilitating surgery at OU med that was the safe and normal procedure at most very good cancer centers, but MDA found a way to treat without surgery and now they are cancer free and leading a pretty normal life. OU Stephenson is top tier, but MDA is just the top. Both are way better than most any for profit private "cancer centers".

Its not conspiracy, its based on their patient intake types. It's also pretty well known fact in the industry. It is a very well known name, but they do stay away from patients that have to travel and have very complicated cases (in general...and especially true for the older patients). A lot of people think of them as the end-all for cancer care and its just not the case. Great marketing at play, but you'll find care here in town that's equal or even better in some areas. I'm not saying its not a great facility, im just saying that it's not God in the cancer world like people try to make it out to be. I'm sure we can all come up with personal examples in either direction, but that's not what I'm basing my statement on.

But back to the topic, is there any indication that the converted facility here will be open to the public or is this tribal? I don't recall if the press release mentioned that one way or the other. They could just as easily open it to the public as a profit venture. With hospital de-regulation, came the effect of having facilities really close to one another. Hillcrest South and St Francis are what, 2 miles away? And they are across the highway from one another.

Its not conspiracy, its based on their patient intake types. It's also pretty well known fact in the industry. It is a very well known name, but they do stay away from patients that have to travel and have very complicated cases (in general...and especially true for the older patients). A lot of people think of them as the end-all for cancer care and its just not the case. Great marketing at play, but you'll find care here in town that's equal or even better in some areas. I'm not saying its not a great facility, im just saying that it's not God in the cancer world like people try to make it out to be. I'm sure we can all come up with personal examples in either direction, but that's not what I'm basing my statement on.

But back to the topic, is there any indication that the converted facility here will be open to the public or is this tribal? I don't recall if the press release mentioned that one way or the other. They could just as easily open it to the public as a profit venture. With hospital de-regulation, came the effect of having facilities really close to one another. Hillcrest South and St Francis are what, 2 miles away? And they are across the highway from one another.
I believe this take on MD Anderson is woefully uninformed and totally misleading. They can’t and don’t take everyone and everyone doesn’t choose to go there, and they don’t cure 100%. If that’s your standard of a cancer center then you don’t know much about them. I must only assume you know someone who couldn’t be treated there.

Its not conspiracy, its based on their patient intake types. It's also pretty well known fact in the industry. It is a very well known name, but they do stay away from patients that have to travel and have very complicated cases (in general...and especially true for the older patients). A lot of people think of them as the end-all for cancer care and its just not the case. Great marketing at play, but you'll find care here in town that's equal or even better in some areas. I'm not saying its not a great facility, im just saying that it's not God in the cancer world like people try to make it out to be. I'm sure we can all come up with personal examples in either direction, but that's not what I'm basing my statement on.


This is simply false and you have no factual basis for saying this. I am in "the industry" and this is not a "well known fact." If you have evidence of this, provide it. Otherwise, stop spreading misinformation about these health facilities that may unnecessarily dissuade people from seeking available treatment options.

Its not conspiracy, its based on their patient intake types. It's also pretty well known fact in the industry. It is a very well known name, but they do stay away from patients that have to travel and have very complicated cases (in general...and especially true for the older patients).

BTW, I personally have had a family member that is 82 years old who was diagnosed with a severe and advanced case of cancer (originally diagnosed by Stephenson Cancer Center). They chose MDA and did have to travel there for treatments. Their treatment created a cure beyond what Stephenson was projecting and did it without the disfiguring surgery usually recommended. MDA coordinated with their travel and were excellent in the logistics as well as treatment. They were excellent in their coordination with Medicare and the insurance company so there were no suprise charges. They helped arrange discounted lodging during treatment and for the follow up trips for check-ups. So, this personal anecdote seems to blow up your notion of turning away older and travelers. Oh, they went their after significant research and referral, and personal referrals from other cancer patients.

Also, three years ago I had a dear personal friend from OKC with a similar situation who was in his late 70's. He also credits MDA with saving his life when others weren't so optimistic. Older traveler treated and now cancer free.

https://muskogeenow.com/muscogee-nation-opens-monoclonal-antibody-center-for-covid

Facility already being used for all Tulsans to help combat Covid. Awesome.