OCELATA – Brandi Peyton, a Cherokee Nation and clinic administrator at Koowee’s Koowee Health Center, has been named a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in recognition of her accomplishments as a healthcare leader.
Following a rigorous two-year application process with extensive requirements, Peyton’s latest accomplishment follows a year of work in the medical field to transform and improve health care in her community.
“To me, a qualification like this represents a commitment to patients and the community,” Payton said.
To receive Fellow status, candidates must be current ACHE members, hold a master’s or bachelor’s degree, currently hold an executive-level healthcare management position, and have at least five years of healthcare management experience.
Peyton’s first experience in medicine began at Claremore Indian Hospital. Peyton began working for the Cherokee Nation as a quality control nurse at the Will Rogers Health Center in Nowata after being told she could influence further change by working for her tribe. , where I also had the opportunity to support clinic administrators. While she was there, the tribe announced investments in health system expansion, including a new health center in Ochelata, where she has been a member for the past nine years.
“Fortunately, I was appointed clinic manager (at Cooweescoowee Health Center) and was able to experience the entire process from construction to groundbreaking and opening. I was lucky to be a part of it and have been here ever since,” she said.
Another requirement to become a Fellow is to have a recommendation from two existing ACHE Fellows. In her search, she found one fellow from the CN Health Services who she could use as a reference, as well as one Navajo.
“I remember going through a process where, when you have a small number of fellows, it’s difficult to get referrals from other fellows. You network for a long time to find existing peers and so on,” she says. Said. “I hope that one day, as a current fellow, I can give back to someone else, especially an Indigenous woman who may want to pursue this in the future.”
Peyton’s commitment to her field of work led her to become an ACHE Fellow.
“This is not only my commitment to the health profession, but also my commitment to the community. It’s special for me in that I don’t have many peers around the world, and I’m one of them, and I’m an indigenous person. I think it’s even more special for me to be part of the tribe as well,” she said.
In addition to her accomplishments, Peyton plans to earn a doctorate in healthcare management from Oklahoma State University in 2025 to help continue the work she is currently doing.
“It has always been important for me to always try to find ways to continue to improve, evolve, and grow as a leader. My goal is not to try to do anything, but to just continually improve and help the community “It’s about trying to give back,” she said.
For more information, please visit ache.org.
