Central Oklahoma Turning Point is a health initiative that connects individuals and communities to work together to improve the health of central Oklahomans through education, planning, and action.
How and Why Central Oklahoma Turning Point Started:
During the 1990’s, only three places in the world experienced a decline in the health of its citizens—the former Soviet Union, sub-saharan African, and Oklahoma. In 1990, we ranked 34th in the nation in overall health. By 2002, the United Health Foundation ranked Oklahoma 46th in the nation in health, a dramatic and disturbing drop. Factors such as high numbers of uninsured, problems with health care access and cost, as well as bad personal choices had resulted in this poor health report.
These and other similar statistics caught the attention of a group of community and health leaders. They knew Oklahomans’ poor health was negatively affecting the economy and businesses; putting a strain on the budgets of governmental agencies; and sending the costs of good health insurance and health care beyond the reach of many. Of course, the emotional cost to individuals and to families was tremendous. These leaders decided that a new approach to these issues was overdue. Something had to be done!
The Process:
During the next year, more than 200 people became “stakeholders” in the Central Oklahoma Turning Point (COTP) process. They met sixteen times over nine months in intensive evening sessions, learning all they could about the “chain of bad health” that contributes to our poor health statistics. The stakeholders made huge commitments of time and resources to participate, and we have their dedication to thank for the quality of the plan created. They also conducted numerous “listening sessions” to engage as many people as possible in the dialogue, and more than 1,000 people participated.
The Results:
In June, 2004, an extensive report was presented to the public, which outlined their findings and the nine steps they proposed to take to begin to reverse this trend.
- Identify and implement incentives for providers, employers, businesses and individuals to promote and support wellness and prevention.
- Do further research to define the health care system, identify gaps, connections and links, and possible future collaborations.
- Adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention school health model as the standard for central Oklahoma schools.
- Urge all central Oklahoma school districts to ban tobacco 24/7.
- Promote the Oklahoma Turning Point Walk This Weigh program in central Oklahoma
- Plan and facilitate health symposia to educate our community on ways to enhance healthy lifestyles.
- Launch “Healthy Sundays” to provide health information to the public on a regular basis, which has now become Oklahoma Wellness Week.
- Develop and implement a facilitated community engagement process that solicits information from the community on its needs, assets and barriers to good health.
- Team up with the Oklahoma State Turning Point Council to share ideas and “best practices” for health promotion and training. As arduous as this process was, that was the easy part.
What has happened since?
We began implementing the plan in September, 2004. First, we created a Consortium which operates as the guiding body for all Central Oklahoma Turning
Point activities and initiatives. Then Jackie L. Jones was hired as our Executive Director, and United Way of Central Oklahoma adopted COTP as one of their in-house initiatives. They generously provide office space, equipment, and support services for Central Oklahoma Turning Point.
We formed six primary committees to address the nine strategies from the plan, and all of those committees are actively working to accomplish those strategies. These include
- Community Education
- Community Engagement
- Health Care Systems
- State Policy
- Tobacco Use Prevention
We have presented health seminars for businesses and specific communities, helped to organize neighborhood health fairs, sponsored Walk This Weigh events twice each year, and worked with schools such as Millwood and Mark Twain to address their health concerns. Six school districts in Oklahoma County now prohibit tobacco on their campuses 24/7. We have created partnerships with many groups and organizations to strengthen the work that each does rather than duplicating.
COTP is one of almost 50 Oklahoma Turning Points, which are referred to as “partnerships” because they are made up of people and organizations from all sectors of the community, and that term describes the unique nature of these initiatives. Individuals from health organizations, both public and private, join with business, education, faith and government representatives to work toward better health for the members of their communities.