TULSA, OK – [November 6, 2013] – The Tulsa Health Department’s Pathways to Health (P2H) partnership is hosting a free community block party on Thursday, November 7th from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Marshall Elementary School, 1142 E. 56 St.
The interactive and family-friendly event will include games, health screenings, health insurance information, walking tours, snacks and fun for all ages. The event is the third in a series of block parties in six regions across Tulsa County hosted by the P2H partnership to improve health in Tulsa County.
The geographic regions are based off of the recent Community Health Needs Assessment. The series kicked off in September with an event at Hicks Park for the East region, followed by an event at Cooper Elementary School for the Central East region. Additional block parties will be held in the spring in the North, South and West regions.
The idea for the block parties came from the recently released Community Health Improvement Plan, which sets goals to improve the health of Tulsa County residents in six priority areas identified by community residents – poor diet and inactivity, obesity, alcohol and drug abuse, chronic disease, access to healthcare, and tobacco use.
“There are so many agencies, coalitions and organizations working to improve the health of residents across Tulsa County,” said Dr. Bruce Dart, Tulsa Health Department director. “We’re coming to your neighborhood so everyone has the opportunity to learn about resources available in your own backyard.”
Participating organization for the block party at Marshall Elementary include:
OU Community Health and Environmental Design Studio
Tulsa Public Schools Child Nutrition Department
Be Covered Oklahoma
Community Health Connection
Ocean Dental
Tulsa Health Department It’s All About Kids Program
Saint Francis ShapeDown
St. John Health System
Tulsa County Wellness Partnership
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Tulsa Health Department CX Tobacco Prevention and Control
Tulsa City-County Library
Tulsa Health Department Working For Balance
Southwood Farm & Market
Community Service Council 211
Ascension Lutheran Church
Tulsa Health Department Family Planning
Tulsa Health Department Maternal Child Health Initiative
Tulsa Health Department SoonerCare Applications
OSU Extension
Shortline Dental
Community Health Improvement Plan
The Tulsa County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is a comprehensive plan produced by Pathways to Health that sets goals to improve the health of Tulsa County residents. The Tulsa County CHIP was developed through 18 months of research, including a phone survey that asked thousands of Tulsans what health issues mattered most to them.
The plan establishes measureable goals and objectives for six priority areas identified by community residents – poor diet and inactivity, obesity, alcohol and drug abuse, chronic disease, access to healthcare, and tobacco use – and includes strategies to achieve these goals. The plan takes into account the unique social and economic demographics of Tulsa County. Additionally, the Tulsa County CHIP will be updated every three years to reflect the progress and improvements made within each objective. Progress reports will be released every July.
Pathways to Health
The Tulsa Health Department’s Pathways to Health (P2H) partnership was formed in 2008 to unite community partners working to improve the health of Tulsa County. P2H brings together more than 40 local agencies, organizations, corporations and health systems working toward health improvement. The partnership serves as the hub to connect community health leaders and provide them with the latest health research and data available for our community, including the Tulsa County CHIP which is updated every three years. No single organization has the necessary depth of resources to improve community health, but P2H and the Tulsa County CHIP demonstrate the impact possible when everyone works toward the same goals.
