TULSA, OKLA. – Community programs at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa will support local low-income patients and families with health care, nutrition and insurance resources thanks to generous grants from Ascension St. John’s Community Health Equity Catalyst Strategy.
The grants from Ascension St. John in Tulsa will fund the work of the OU Bedlam Clinics, the OU Food First Pharmacy, the Tulsa Healthcare Coverage Program and the Team for Children at Risk, all of which provide services for indigent and underserved residents of the Tulsa area.
Funding is supported by Ascension St. John’s Community Health Equity Catalyst Strategy, which aims to create more equitable health outcomes in the city of Tulsa.
“The support of Ascension St. John with a gift like this allows our students and faculty to do this very important work in our community,” said James Herman, M.D., MSPH, dean of the OU-TU School of Community Medicine. “From the OU Bedlam Clinics for the underserved to our Team for Children at Risk for suspected victims of child abuse, our goal is to meet Tulsans where they are and get them the health care they need. Support from community leaders such as Ascension St. John allows us to do that and to educate our students about the needs of our most vulnerable populations.”
The OU Bedlam Clinics serve uninsured patients in Tulsa who may not otherwise receive health care. The clinics allow OU-TU School of Community Medicine students to gain experience and build relationships with patients, who receive accessible, quality care.
At the OU Food First Pharmacy, patients receive foods tailored to support chronic disease self-management. Students studying medicine, social work and physician assistantship also learn to function as a food insecurity clinical response team.
Uninsured Tulsans also find resources at the Tulsa Healthcare Coverage Program, which aims to determine patients’ health care coverage eligibility and connects them to affordable coverage as well as a medical home.
The Team for Children at Risk offers health care services to children who are victims of abuse or who are at risk for abuse. These services include medical exams of suspected victims, medical care for children with out-of-home placements and civil legal services for pediatric families and guardians.
Ascension St. John’s Community Health Equity Catalyst Strategy allows the health care system to partner with OU’s community leaders and offer free, reliable resources to improve the health of all Tulsans.
