TULSA, OK [April 28, 2014] – The Tulsa Health Department’s Pathways to Health (P2H) partnership is hosting a free community block party in Sand Springs on Tuesday, April 29th, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Northwoods Fine Arts Academy, 1691 East Old North Road, Sand Springs, Okla.
The interactive and family-friendly event will include a nature hike, scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, blood pressure screenings, health insurance information, on-site enrollment in SoonerCare, snacks and fun for all ages. The event is the fourth 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, and Marshall Elementary for the Central West region. Additional block parties will be held this spring in the South and North regions of Tulsa County.
The idea for the block parties came from the Community Health Improvement Plan, released in 2013, 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 Northwoods Fine Arts Academy include:
American Therapeutic Riding Center
Be Covered Oklahoma
Tulsa Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Daybreak Family Services
Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma
Northwoods Fine Arts Academy
OU Heart Improvement Project
Saint Francis Health Zone
Sand Springs Parks & Recreation
TCC West Campus
Tulsa City-County Library
Tulsa Health Department
Tulsa Healthcare Coverage Project
Community Health Improvement Plan
The Tulsa County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), released in 2013, 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.
