TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – As a young man, Dr. Vince Kirk saw firsthand the importance of filling the language gap when it came to the medical field. He, along with family members, often accompanied his grandmother, who for the most part only spoke Cherokee, to doctor visits to interpret.

Kirk, from Marble City, got his first degree in psychology with the thought of helping bridge the cultural differences to patients needing counseling. However, as he was called upon to help his grandmother with her doctor visits, his interests turned more to the physical side of the medical field.

Elders often say they understand when really they don’t. When my grandma got sick with cancer, we would go to the doctor with her because she didn’t speak very much English,” Kirk said. “She did not like going to the doctor because there were no Indian doctors. As her treatment progressed, I became more interested in medicine and I saw the need of having Indian doctors who spoke Cherokee.”

With the help of the Cherokee Nation and IHS, Kirk enrolled at the Oklahoma State University College of Medicine. Over the years he learned a lot about the medical field, including having the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C., as part of the President’s Cancer Panel and spending a month doing medical care in the rural villages of India.

The journey, while a good one, wasn’t easy. The entire process took about 12 years to complete. However, he continued through the trials with a strong commitment to work in rural health care, particularly among Native Americans. Over the years, he worked closely with Dr. Gloria Grim, medical director for the Cherokee Nation, who offered advice and encouragement along the way.

“After medical school, I took some time off to spend with my family, particularly my uncle who was an elderly storyteller. I knew he would not be with us much longer, and sure enough he passed away within a few months. Then, I went to Arkansas to do my residency training,” Kirk said.

Hospital employees say they enjoy having him as part of the Hastings team, and that they have noticed the sense of ease his patients have knowing he is their doctor.

“He really works well with the patients,” said Margarett Parker, R.N. “It’s fun to be with him because he calls patients to his office in Cherokee and if the patient is a Cherokee speaker, he will conduct the entire office visit in Cherokee. He’s great and we love him here.”

Currently, Kirk works in the Adult Clinic and in the Emergency Room. He said speaking Cherokee has at times really helped the patients who come in, especially the ones coming in for a regular visit in the clinic.

“Most patients don’t talk much, but when they find out I am a local person and a Cherokee speaker, they seem to be more at ease and they talk more. I think it helps,” he said.

Mostly, however, Kirk said he is exactly where he wants to be – practicing rural medicine helping Indian people here in the heart of the Cherokee Nation.

“It’s been a fun journey, but I’m really happy to be home.”