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Bio

Brandi Payton, MSHCA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She is also of Cheyenne, Arapaho and Hopi descent. She serves as the Clinic Administrator of the Cherokee Nation Cooweescoowee Health Center (CHC) which she helped open in 2015. Before this new facility, American Indian people in this area were commuting over an hour to seek some medical services. She is currently helping oversee a $3.8 million investment, anticipated to be completed in 2022, to the CHC that will expand both primary care and dental services to meet the growth CHC has seen over the last seven years.

In 2019, Brandi completed the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity Program at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In 2016, she completed the Native Graduate Health Fellowship at the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C. focused on formulating and promoting health policies and practices that address the unique needs of American Indians. Brandi is currently working on her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration from Oklahoma State University where she was named the outstanding graduate student in 2017, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma.

Professionally, Brandi is most proud of establishing and promoting strong collegial relationships within her interdisciplinary health center setting, as well as within other professional and community settings. She considers it a privilege to be a part of these teams and enjoys working together to build organizations and communities that are committed to service and health equity. Some of her most proud achievements include:
  • In 2018, Brandi took a team to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama to promote a culture of preparedness and ensure a team that is ready to respond to catastrophic disasters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brandi acted as the Incident Commander for the Cherokee Nation Cooweescoowee Health Center in Ochelata, Oklahoma.
  • In September 2019, Brandi was appointed by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. to serve on the board that governs Cherokee Elder Care (CEC) to help facilitate various Cherokee Nation health care business initiatives, including joint ventures and other business-related health activities. CEC is a Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). And, in March 2022, she was elected to be the chair of CEC.
  • In September 2019, Brandi was appointed to serve on the board of directors for the Sooner Healthcare Executives (SHE), the Oklahoma chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, to represent Indian health, outpatient/medical clinic leadership, as well as to serve her healthcare executive peers across the state of Oklahoma. Most recently, she has been involved in SHE’s Tulsa Planning Council (TPC) to build a stronger healthcare executive/leadership community in the Eastern side of the state of Oklahoma.
  • Brandi has been an active member of the Oklahoma Nurses Association (ONA) for many years, serving in various roles including Membership Development Director and President for ONA Region 2. In 2020, Brandi worked with a team and ONA to begin the first “Oklahoma Indigenous Nurses Association.”
  • Brandi has been an active member of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma (AICCOK) for many years. She is currently serving her third consecutive term as President for the AICCOK Tulsa Chapter (2020-2022) and was elected to the AICCOK State Board for a three year term in 2021. She was also a part of AICCOK Leadership Native Oklahoma Cohort in 2018.
  • In May of 2022, Brandi was commissioned by the Board of County Commissioners as a Commissioner to the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission (GTAIAC). As a Commissioner or as a part of this volunteer citizen group as she prefers to call it, the purpose is to work together to provide thoughtful advice to create policies and develop programs in a way that promotes the welfare and understanding of Indian people.
  • As a Cherokee citizen, Brandi remains active in Cherokee Nation District 13 where she resides. Since 2019, Brandi has worked with Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Joe Deere and other Cherokee citizens to build new Cherokee communities in Cherokee Nation District 13: Owasso Cherokee Organization, North Tulsa Cherokee Community Organization and the Cherokee Community of Catoosa. Brandi is passionate about building Cherokee communities and promoting Cherokee culture.

Professional Interests & Expertise

Advocacy,Community Health,Community Organizing,Community Partnerships,Disaster and Crisis Management,Health Centers,Indigenous Health,Leadership,Nursing,Policy/Advocacy,Primary Care,Public Policy,Rural Health,Tribal Government

Organization

Cherokee Nation Cooweescoowee Health Center

Learn more about Brandi's work:

Video

Oklahoma Indigenous Nurses Association

See All of Brandi's Work
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