06/10/2026
Last week we continued our 50 Years of Care celebration with a special community event. We had the honor of gathering with Tribal members, patients, current staff, former staff, and community members to reflect on the journey that has brought us to where we are today.
The celebration was led by Connie McCloud, Heritage Division Manager and one of PTHA’s very first employees, who began her work in Women’s Health in 1976. The event opened with our Honor Song and a blessing through the building, just as was done many years ago.
Connie shared memories from PTHA’s earliest days and reminded us just how far we have come. She spoke of a time when healthcare services were limited to a small dental trailer that visited every few months, parked in the cemetery at the top of a muddy dirt road. Accessing care looked very different then, but the need was clear. Community leaders and advocates recognized that our people deserved better access to care, laying the foundation for what would eventually become PTHA.
We were also honored to welcome Jason Pavel, nephew of Bruce Miller, who gifted our Honor Song to PTHA. Alongside members of the Culture Department, he helped perform the song and led us through the buildings to bless them and continue our story.
Many others came to share stories, included Don Downing, PTHA’s first pharmacist and longtime Pharmacy Director, and Dr. Alan Shelton, who jokingly referred to himself as one of the “young ones,” having joined PTHA in 1984.
Tribal members, longtime patients, current staff, and former employees shared stories that were funny, heartfelt, and deeply personal. Many spoke about their first days at PTHA, memories of receiving care, lifelong friendships formed within these walls, and the generations of families whose lives have been touched by PTHA.
For 50 years, PTHA has been more than a healthcare organization. It has been a place of healing, connection, resilience, and community. As we honor our past, celebrate our people, and inspire our future, we carry these stories with us and remain grateful to everyone who has helped shape the last five decades of care.
Thank you to all who joined us and shared your memories. Your stories are an important part of our history and will help guide us into the next 50 years.
