TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Health Department’s Pathways to Health (P2H) partnership is hosting a free community block party on Monday, June 2nd, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Collinsville Library, 1223 West Main Street, Collinsville.
The interactive and family-friendly event will include fun games, blood pressure screenings, health insurance information, WIC information, on-site enrollment in SoonerCare, story time, snacks and fun for all ages. The event is the sixth 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 (CHNA). The CHNA found that poor diet and inactivity are the top health concerns of residents in north Tulsa County, and 43 percent of residents do not get enough physical activity. The block party at the Collinsville Library is intended to help residents connect to resources they may not be aware of, while having fun at the same time.
The block party 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, Marshall Elementary for the Central West region, Northwoods Fine Arts Academy for the West region, and the Bixby Northeast Elementary and Intermediate School for the South region.
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 organizations for the block party include:
- · BeCovered Oklahoma
- · Collinsville Fire Department
- · Community of Excellence Tobacco Prevention
- · PAWS for Reading
- · Reasor’s
- · Saint Francis Health Zone
- · St. John Health System
- · Tulsa City-County Library
- · Tulsa Health Department
- · Tulsa Healthcare Coverage Project
- · WIC
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.
