TULSA, Okla. — Leaders from the Cherokee Nation and the City of Tulsa Office of Health and Wellbeing signed a strategic partnership agreement Wednesday to collaborate on improving health outcomes in Tulsa.
Under the agreement, Cherokee Nation Health Services will provide $375,000 over three years, with $125,000 allocated annually, to support the Office of Health and Wellbeing’s community health programs. The partnership aims to improve health outcomes such as maternal health, mental health access and chronic disease prevention for residents of Tulsa.
Cherokee Nation has 28,000 Cherokee Nation citizens who live in the City of Tulsa and 54,000 who live in Metro Tulsa.
“Cherokee Nation has always believed that healthy communities extend beyond our reservation boundaries,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “By partnering with the City of Tulsa’s Office of Health and Wellbeing, we are investing in the wellbeing of all the people who call this region home, including the many Cherokee citizens who live and work in Tulsa.”
As part of the agreement, Cherokee Nation Health Services and the Office of Health and Wellbeing will collaborate to launch a culturally relevant lung cancer screening initiative.
Cherokee Nation Health Services will also provide leadership engagement, input and data to help define program priorities, and subject matter experts on Cherokee language and culture to support co-branding, signage and displays.
“This partnership represents what’s possible when we come together to improve health outcomes in our city,” Mayor Monroe Nichols said. “By working alongside Cherokee Nation, we’re expanding access to preventive health care and addressing longstanding disparities across Tulsa. I’m grateful for Cherokee Nation’s partnership as we continue building a city where every resident has the opportunity to thrive.”
The Office of Health and Wellbeing will use the funding to support salaries for program operations, a Community Health Worker for outreach, education and navigation, program implementation, and marketing and outreach through culturally tailored materials, among other uses.
The Office of Health and Wellbeing was created to improve health outcomes across Tulsa by aligning resources, sharing data and fostering collaboration among healthcare providers, public health agencies and community organizations. The office has grown from a single staff member to what will be a team of eight by the end of the summer.
“This partnership reflects the kind of intergovernmental cooperation that produces real results for the people we serve,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner. “When tribal and city governments work together with a shared purpose, we can reach families and communities who need these health services the most.”
The office is led by Dr. Jabraan Pasha, a Cherokee Nation citizen, who also oversees the Mayor’s Health Coalition, a partnership between the City of Tulsa and the Office of Health and Wellbeing that brings together healthcare leaders, community organizations and residents to improve the overall health and quality of life for all Tulsans.
Cherokee Nation Health Services has been an active participant in the coalition, which is intended to coordinate health efforts across the city and create a space where advocacy, collaboration and community voices guide how Tulsa organizes its health strategies and funding.
Since standing up the coalition, the Office of Health and Wellbeing has set mental health, housing and maternal and child health outcomes as its priorities. The office is also working with the city’s planning office and data partners to build a neighborhood conditions index, a neighborhood-based data system to track health outcomes at the neighborhood level.
The Office of Health and Wellbeing has also been awarded a $17.3 million grant from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust to fund community health work in North Tulsa, including healthcare access, mental health services, a sports complex, a biking and hiking trail, an urban farm and a teaching kitchen.