Strategic Plan

The Tulsa Health Department’s strategic plan is a valuable tool for improving the health of Tulsa County and ensuring that resources are used effectively and efficiently.

About

The Tulsa Health Department (THD) is responsible for protecting and promoting the health of more than 675,000 residents in Tulsa County. Strategic planning requires critical thinking, adaptability and a long-range vision. The THD strategic plan will serve as a guide for the department’s goals. The strategic planning process is guided by the Public Health Accreditation Board Standard and Measures and the National Association of County and City Health Officials guide.

Our 2025-2029 Strategic Plan not only focuses on the public health department’s core activities but also on offering enhanced services to improve the health of Tulsa County residents. The plan is informed first by the Community Health Needs Assessment and then the 2023-2028 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The CHIP gathered stakeholder input to identify the top three health priority areas: Stress and Mental Health, Chronic Disease Risk Factors and Management and Healthy and Affordable Housing.

For plan development, THD offered an opportunity for employees and community members to contribute their expertise and perspectives to the THD strategic planning process. In 2024, THD held a series of nine external listening sessions hosted around Tulsa County to engage in community input toward the strategic plan.

Our Mission

To protect and support Tulsa County communities in pursuit of their health goals.

Our Vision

Tulsa County Communities will meet their health goals.

Our Values

We believe in the value of every person.
We believe every person must be treated equally with dignity and respect.
We believe in giving people resources and opportunities to make informed and healthy choices.
We believe people deserve honesty and trustworthiness in all we do.
We believe every person will experience our services in a safe, caring, trauma-informed and confidential manner.

Our Behaviors

We provide resources and opportunities for people to achieve their health goals.
We strive to provide Tulsa County communities with the conditions and resources to experience their health goals.
We recognize and respect community strengths and cultural differences.
We foster access to health by striving to reduce health disparities.
We actively foster collaboration and engage in partnerships to make Tulsa County a healthier community.
We partner with businesses, organizations, community members, tribes and government agencies. Our partnerships maximize the impact of activities that improve health.
We invite and include feedback and ideas from community representatives in our work. Their contributions help us maximize the positive impact of activities that improve health.
We are accountable to each other and the people we serve.
We treat each other and those we serve with dignity, respect, kindness and empathy.
We encourage innovation and creativity.
We rely on the best available data and research to find practical solutions to problems.
We manage our resources wisely and strategically.
We operate with open communication, timeliness, efficiency and continuous quality improvement.

Strategic Goal #1: Recruit and Retain a Dedicated and Skilled Workforce

Strategic Goal #1: Recruit and retain a dedicated and skilled workforce

To have dedicated and skilled employees who believe in the value of every person, believe every person must be treated equally with dignity and respect, believe in giving people resources and opportunities to make informed and healthy choices, believe people deserve honesty and trustworthiness in all we do, and believe every person will experience our services in a safe, caring, trauma-informed and confidential manner.

How we plan to achieve:

Develop targeted recruitment initiatives tailored to attract talented applicants by leveraging partnerships with educational institutions, professional organizations and community networks.
Implement competitive compensation and benefits packages, including salary adjustments, professional development opportunities and employee wellness programs, to attract and retain top talent in a competitive job market.
Strengthen onboarding processes to provide comprehensive orientation, training and mentorship programs that support new hires in acclimating to their roles, understanding organizational culture and fostering a sense of belonging.
Conduct regular assessments of employee satisfaction, morale and retention drivers through surveys, focus groups and exit interviews to identify areas for improvement and inform targeted interventions.
Develop career advancement pathways, leadership development programs and succession planning strategies to provide growth opportunities and ensure a pipeline of internal talent for key roles within the agency.
Enhance the agency’s employer branding and marketing efforts to demonstrate its mission, values and commitment to employee growth, both internally and externally.
Formalize partnerships with academic institutions, in effort to foster innovation skills, practices or processes as well as serve as a pipeline for qualified new hires.
Develop training programs and resources into the onboarding process and ongoing professional development opportunities for THD staff, emphasizing the importance of improving health outcomes within their work.
Establish mechanisms for collecting and analyzing workforce data to inform targeted strategies for recruitment, retention and advancement.
Evaluate workforce satisfaction, retention rates, employee engagement and organizational outcomes through regular assessments, surveys and performance metrics. Adjust strategies as needed to achieve continuous improvement.
Foster a workplace culture that promotes respectful communication, collaboration and empathy among staff members.
Implement policies and practices to review hiring practices, pay structures and opportunities for career advancement and leadership development.

Strategic Goal #2: Increase Health Access

Strategic Goal #2: To improve health outcomes and achieve health goals.

How we plan to achieve:

Identify Tulsa County communities that experience the greatest health needs through the Community Health Needs Assessment and the Tulsa County Health Status Report.
Guide and support community health workers in the development of strategies/practices that engage community members in decision-making processes. Dedicate staff to long-term community engagement efforts.
Foster partnerships with community partners to establish a THD presence and commitment to improve health outcomes.
Develop relationships internally and externally to mobilize communities and government to improve health outcomes.
Monitor and evaluate programs through data collection, feedback mechanisms and ongoing assessment to ensure effectiveness, sustainability and responsiveness to community needs.

Strategic Goal #3: Increase Life Expectancy

Strategic Goal #3: To increase life expectancy by reducing chronic disease and disability in communities and neighborhoods.

How we plan to achieve:

Conduct research and data analyses to better understand the local burden of chronic disease and disability, identify emerging trends and prioritize shared community health goals.
Enhance screening and early detection programs for chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
Increase access to healthcare services and preventive services.
Improve access to care, education and support services for women and their infants, aiming to improve health outcomes.
Increase the use of effective school-delivered interventions – such as increasing activity among students to promote overall health and well-being and reducing the risk of teen pregnancy through improved self-worth and decision-making skills.
Increase the use of effective community-delivered interventions such as health screenings and substance abuse prevention.
Reduce health-related issues linked to environmental hazards, substandard housing and unsafe food practices in the community.
Promote healthy lifestyles through community outreach, including initiatives targeting the social drivers of health.

Strategic Goal #4: Foster Healing and Resiliency

Strategic Goal #4: To foster healing and resiliency by acknowledging historical, generational and individual trauma.

How we plan to achieve:

Address the intersections of trauma and community health. Acknowledge the compounding impact of trauma and be responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.
Conduct an organizational trauma-informed assessment.
Establish trauma-informed care training programs for community members, organizations and service providers to increase awareness and understanding of trauma's impact and appropriate response strategies.
Administer a resiliency evaluation to enhance programs that support communities, staff and organizations in effectively recovering from public health emergencies and disasters.

Strategic Goal #5: Reduce Health-Related Misinformation and Disinformation

Strategic Goal #5: To reduce the impact of health-related misinformation and disinformation on communities and neighborhoods and amplify voices in those communities and neighborhoods.

How we plan to achieve:

Ensure all THD employees understand the role they play in reducing health misinformation harm and helping individuals, families and communities access credible, trusted sources.
Guide and support community health workers in the development of strategies/practices that engage community members on how to differentiate and evaluate information from disinformation, misinformation and propaganda.
Establish community forums and dialogue sessions to provide safe spaces for individuals to voice their concerns, share experiences and build solidarity.
Mobilize community leaders, advocacy groups and grassroots organizations to build capacity for community partners and residents to access, interpret and use public health data in effective ways.

Tracking and Monitoring Progress

Effective strategic plans are living documents that are updated, monitored and used to drive real action. The Tulsa Health Department tracks progress on every goal, objective and metric in the 2025–2029 Strategic Plan through a performance management system that helps us ensure our commitments translate into measurable improvements for Tulsa County communities. We are committed to transparency and invite the community to follow our progress as we work toward achieving our long-term goals.

Community Progress Update: May 2026

2025–2029 Strategic Plan Community Progress Update: May 2026

The Tulsa Health Department, which serves 675,000+ residents across Tulsa County, shares this update so you can see exactly how we are working on your behalf. This report covers January 2026 through May 2026. Here is what your public health department has been doing, where we stand, and what is coming next.

Plan Progress at a Glance

Overall Plan Completion: 25% complete (up from 22% last month)
Metrics and/or Projects Met Early: 5 (finished ahead of schedule)
Items Off Track: 0 (every metric is on track)
Items On Track: 96 out of 101 total metrics

Progress by Goal

Goal 1 – Workforce: 23% complete Goal 2 – Health Access: 34% complete
Goal 3 – Life Expectancy: 18% complete
Goal 4 – Healing & Resiliency: 0% (work is fully underway; metrics measure outcomes that take time to verify)
Goal 5 – Reduce Misinformation: 50% complete

Progress percentages reflect completed metrics as tracked in our performance management system. A metric at 0% does not mean no work is happening — it means the measurable outcome has not yet been reached. All 96 active metrics are on track.

What This Plan Covers

A Strong Workforce: We are building and supporting a team that can serve Tulsa County effectively; hiring, training, and taking care of the people who take care of you.
Greater Health Access: We are reducing barriers so Tulsa County residents can reach the health services they need, when and where they need them.
Longer, Healthier Lives: We are targeting chronic disease prevention, maternal health, and environmental health so Tulsa County residents live longer, healthier lives.
Healing & Resiliency: We recognize that trauma affects health. We are working to become a trauma-informed organization and to build community resilience.
Fighting Misinformation: We are working to make sure Tulsa County residents have access to credible, trusted health information and can recognize when information may be false.

What We Are Doing

Goal 1: Building Our Workforce

A Day for Our Team. In September 2026, THD is hosting Total Health Day, a full day dedicated to the well-being of our public health workforce. A motivational speaker, breakout sessions on burnout prevention and health awareness, and movement-based activities are all planned. A strong team serves you better.
Training Our People. We are building a series of health literacy training courses so our staff can better explain data, health trends, and disease prevention to the communities they serve. We are also building a leadership program to grow the next generation of public health leaders.
Preparing for Emergencies. Our Emergency Preparedness team completed its readiness plan in February 2026. THD is ready to respond rapidly to public health emergencies affecting Tulsa County residents.
Connecting with Universities. We are building formal partnerships with local universities to create internship pipelines and recruit talented graduates into public health careers in Tulsa County.
Reviewing Our Compensation. A full compensation study is currently underway to make sure THD can attract and keep skilled professionals who are committed to serving our community.

Goal 2: Increasing Health Access

Data You Can Use. Our data team is training program managers to use the Tulsa County Health Status Report so decisions about where services are needed are driven by real community data. That training is scheduled for June 2, 2026.
Community Events. Our data team has been present at two community events this year, bringing health data directly to neighborhoods and listening to what residents say they need most.
Emergency Response Partnerships. We have formalized four new emergency response partnerships with organizations like long-term care facilities and community volunteer groups, so Tulsa County is better connected and prepared when health crises occur.

Goal 3: Increasing Life Expectancy

Breastfeeding Support Is Working. 78.4% of mothers enrolled in WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) began breastfeeding in the first quarter of 2026, up from 75.5% the year before. And 39.6% are continuing at six months. These numbers represent healthier babies and stronger families across Tulsa County.
A State Award for Our WIC Team. Our WIC clinic in Bixby won a statewide award at the Oklahoma WIC Conference in April 2026 for the highest percentage of breastfeeding women at 12 months among all medium-sized clinics in Oklahoma. This is a remarkable achievement.
Youth Health Education. 1,577 young people received health education through our Personal Responsibility Education Program in the first half of 2026, reaching 63% of our annual goal of 2,500 youth.
Mobile Health Clinic. Our mobile clinic is deploying to community events serving neighborhoods most affected by chronic disease. We are also developing Braille screening materials.
Lead Safety in Homes. In the first quarter alone, our Lead Program completed 15 lead abatements and 89 inspections, already reaching 57.75% of our full-year federal target. This work directly protects children from lead exposure in their homes.
Mosquito Control. Environmental Health is deploying larvicide at 105 locations across Tulsa County as mosquito season begins, protecting residents from mosquito-borne illness.
Safer Food. Our food safety team has completed half of its planned training sessions for sanitarians who inspect Tulsa restaurants, schools, and care facilities, improving the safety of the food you eat when dining out.
Community Health Workers. Our Community Health Workers, who connect residents to health and social services, are completing advanced training in chronic disease management so they can better support patients with long-term conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Goal 4: Fostering Healing & Resiliency

This goal recognizes that trauma, including historical trauma, poverty, and systemic barriers, directly affect health outcomes. We are working to address that at every level.

Trauma-Informed Care Training. In June 2026 (the 5th and 11th), THD will deliver community training sessions on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), helping organizations and service providers across Tulsa County better understand and respond to the effects of trauma.
Screening for Social Needs. Our Maternal and Child Health program has implemented screenings for food insecurity and mental health challenges. Mothers who need support are being connected to housing, food, transportation, and utility assistance.
Maternal Mental Health. We are integrating a validated mental health screening tool into prenatal care visits to identify and support mothers who may be struggling because mental health is health.

NOTE: This goal is at 0% in our tracking system because the metrics measure specific outcomes that take time to collect and verify. The work is fully underway.

Goal 5: Reducing Health Misinformation – 50% Complete

Community Data Literacy: Completed. In April 2026, THD facilitated a community data sharing session where organizations across Tulsa County presented their own health data to each other. When communities understand their own health data, they are better equipped to make informed decisions and spot misinformation.
Training for Staff. We are developing a misinformation response training for THD staff in public-facing roles, so the people you talk to at THD can help you find reliable health information.

What is Happening in June 2026

June 2: Tulsa County Health Status Report training, connecting data to decisions
June 5 & 11: ACEs Trauma-Informed Care community training sessions

Previous Strategic Plans

THD Strategic Plan: 2016-2020