BY JAMI CUSTER
Reporter

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation citizen Dr. Roger Montgomery was recently made Cherokee Nation’s new medical director of Health Services.

According to a CN press release, Montgomery’s role as medical director will be to “ensure the high-quality delivery of clinical services, community services and prevention services” to Cherokees.

“Dr. Montgomery’s talent and experience are a welcome addition,” said Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “The patients and staff at W.W. Hastings are in good hands.”  

Montgomery has a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah and a medical doctorate from Harvard Medical School in Boston.

He performed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Boston City Hospital, and once he became board certified, he worked at the University of Arkansas as an adjunct clinical assistant professor.

Montgomery has also worked as a summer research fellow at the University of Wisconsin and a research assistant at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, according to the release. 

Since 2000, he has been a volunteer medical director for Northwest Arkansas Free Health Center.

Montgomery has been “on the job” for about a month, but he said the CN health system is an “extremely broad and complicated operation.”  

“I plan to visit each outlying clinic, and I plan to meet as many providers as I can. So far I’ve visited the Redbird Smith Health Center, the Sam Hider Health Center and the Will Rogers Health Center. I’ve visited the W.W. Hastings Hospital several times, and I have visited several departments within the hospital but not all of them,” Montgomery said. “Consequently, I haven’t identified areas of service that I would qualify as weaknesses. In all the areas I’ve visited thus far I’ve been impressed by the expertise and commitment of the personnel.”

One of the biggest challenges he said the health system faces is “meeting the demand placed on the health system with an adequate number of personnel.” 

“This is not a challenge that is unique to the Cherokee Nation. Consequently, my focus has in part been determined for me and this focus is to recruit and employ high quality health care providers who will in turn provide much needed services to the Cherokee people,” he said. “My focus will evolve as my knowledge and understanding of the health care system develops.”

 Montgomery said he’s thankful for the opportunity to serve the Cherokee people and that he will work hard to protect health services provided by the tribe.

“Access to good health care is essential to all people, especially Cherokee citizens…and I will work hard to expand those services any way possible.” 

jami-custer@cherokee.org

918-453-5560