OU College of Medicine Honors Chickasaw Nation Medical Center, Family Physician

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine recently honored the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center in Ada and one of its family physicians for excellence in helping train the physicians of tomorrow.

The Chickasaw Nation Medical Center was recognized as an Outstanding Premier Medical Education Hub, and Rikki Scoggin, M.D., was honored as a Distinguished Family Medicine Preceptor. The awards were presented by the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the OU College of Medicine in Oklahoma City. The department is establishing partnerships with Oklahoma community hospitals like the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center to provide third- and fourth-year OU College of Medicine students with patient care experiences in small cities and tribal settings.

“The Chickasaw Nation Medical Center has been an excellent partner and a valuable resource for our students as they learn about family medicine in various parts of the state,” said Jim Barrett, M.D., chair of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. “The Chickasaw Nation Medical Center is the sole provider of healthcare for thousands of tribal members, and the Chickasaw Nation is integral to the people of Ada and beyond. Our students also have gained valuable insight by visiting the Chickasaw Nation Cultural Center in Sulphur and spending time with people who live in and around Ada. We are grateful for our collaboration with the Chickasaw Nation and their desire to help train our future physicians.”

Scoggin was recognized individually for her commitment to outstanding mentorship and clinical training for medical students. “She demonstrated a willingness to connect and care for patients and at the same time valued my learning,” said one medical student of Scoggin.

Community and tribal hospitals and clinics that partner with the OU College of Medicine are called Premier Medical Education Hubs. In addition to providing clinical training, each hub site arranges housing for students during their one-month rotations, develops onboarding protocols, including access to the electronic health record, and provides at least two “immersive” experiences that allow students to learn more about the community.

“During my time at the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center, I learned much about the history and present-day culture of the Chickasaw Nation and experienced firsthand what life is like in rural Oklahoma,” a medical student said. “After my rotation, my preliminary interest transformed into a well-established interest with a real vision for what the future could look like as a community physician serving, partnering and standing in solidarity with tribal, rural and underserved patient populations.”

The partnership with the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center is part of the OU College of Medicine’s TRU-OK initiative — recruiting, mentoring and admitting students from tribal, rural and underserved areas of the state. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Oklahoma ranks 48th in the nation in active physicians per 100,000 people and 46th in the nation in active primary care physicians in the same population. Through partnerships like the Premier Medical Education Hubs, medical students gain a better understanding of the needs of rural and tribal populations and the importance of primary care access. The effort is funded through a multimillion dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.