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

ແຜນຍຸດທະສາດ THD: 2016-2020