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  • By becoming a Certified Healthy recipient, you will receive recognition as a community that goes “above and beyond” to create a healthy, nurturing environment.

  • Certified Healthy Communities have the opportunity to apply for an incentive grant.

  • Certified Healthy Community award recipients are invited to professional development opportunities to grow in their wellness efforts.

  • Investing in wellness will enhance your community’s image. 

  • Certified Healthy Communities are able to utilize their wellness achievements and certification to recruit businesses, residents, and visitors.

  • As a Certified Healthy Community, you can raise awareness about being healthier and support residents that are working towards healthier lifestyles.

    Certified Healthy Communities 2021 Map

Communities that are an incorporated city, town, or municipality in Oklahoma that has a governing body that allows it to make decisions and set ordinances are encouraged to apply to become a Certified Healthy Community. If a city administrative office within a municipality wishes to become a Certified Healthy Business, the city office may apply as one single entity.

Communities will be certified in the following categories based on size:

  • Sub-Rural: Less than 500

  • Rural: 501 – 4,300

  • Small: 4,300 – 13,999

  • Medium: 14,000 – 29,999

  • Large: 30,000 – 79,999

  • Metro: 80,000+

Smokefree/Tobacco-free

  • As a reminder, a Smoke-Free (prohibiting the use of smoking) policy is required for Basic, Smoke-Free indoor and outdoor for Merit, and a tobacco-free policy, submitted with the application, is required for Excellence. Tobacco-Free (prohibiting the use of all tobacco and vapor products) policy must include covering All Products, and your smoke-free policy should prohibit use of any products including commercial tobacco products as well as vapes and e-cigarettes. Your policy may also prohibit smoking marijuana if you wish. 
    • All People: Your smoke-free policy should be applicable to anyone who may be on the property including employees, students, volunteers, guests, residents, and others as needed.
    • All Property: Your smoke-free policy should prohibit use on any of your property, indoor and outdoor, whether owned or leased and should include organization owned or leased vehicles.
    • All Times: Your smoke-free policy should prohibit use 24/7 so there is no exception allowing smoking or other tobacco use at specific times. 
  • All policies must be submitted at the time of application submission. All policies must include the name of their organization, be codified, signed, and/or show proof it is part of the agency handbook. No handwritten, signage, video, or screen shot of a sample policy found online will be accepted for Excellence Certification. For assistance with developing or edit a tobacco policy please visit Breathe Easy or e-mail OnlyAir@health.ok.gov.
  • Note: The OSDH acknowledges the traditional and sacred use of tobacco among American Indian people living in Oklahoma. Whenever the word tobacco is referenced it refers to the use of commercial tobacco.

Communities are scored according to the population size of the community, with six categories ranging from Sub-Rural (population less than 500) up to Metro (population of 80,000 and over) and the number of points received per section. There are four primary sections of the Communities application: (1) Tobacco and Alcohol; (2) Nutrition and Physical Activity; (3) Community Resources; and (4) Education/Awareness. There are 83 total criteria. Each criterion selected is worth one point, with the exception of the criteria that specifies “check one”. In those cases, the first option (i.e. “none”) is scored as 0 points, second option (i.e. “some”) as 1 point, and third option (i.e. “all”) as 2 points. The ability to achieve Basic or Excellence status requires that specific criteria listed below are selected as part of meeting the minimum number of points within each section. Communities will be required to upload documentation for their tobacco-free ordinance.

Prerequisite for BASIC/MERIT:

  • As a reminder, a Smoke-Free (prohibiting the use of smoking) policy is required for Basic, Smoke-Free indoor and outdoor for Merit, and a tobacco-free policy, submitted with the application, is required for Excellence. Tobacco-Free (prohibiting the use of all tobacco and vapor products) policy must include covering All Products, and your smoke-free policy should prohibit use of any products including commercial tobacco products as well as vapes and e-cigarettes. Your policy may also prohibit smoking marijuana if you wish. 
    • All People: Your smoke-free policy should be applicable to anyone who may be on the property including employees, students, volunteers, guests, residents, and others as needed.
    • All Property: Your smoke-free policy should prohibit use on any of your property, indoor and outdoor, whether owned or leased and should include organization owned or leased vehicles.
    • All Times: Your smoke-free policy should prohibit use 24/7 so there is no exception allowing smoking or other tobacco use at specific times. 
  • All policies must be submitted at the time of application submission. All policies must include the name of their organization, be codified, signed, and/or show proof it is part of the agency handbook. No handwritten, signage, video, or screen shot of a sample policy found online will be accepted for Excellence Certification. For assistance with developing or edit a tobacco policy please visit Breathe Easy or e-mail OnlyAir@health.ok.gov.

Prerequisite for EXCELLENCE:

  1. Municipality has adopted and implemented an ordinance that prohibits the use of tobacco and vapor products on all indoor and outdoor city-owned/operated properties (Copy of Ordinance will need to be uploaded as part of the application)
  2. Affordable fresh fruits and vegetables are available within the community
  3. Municipality has conducted a walkability assessment
  4. The municipality and community members are engaged in a local strategic planning process addressing public health needs including assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating public health activities
  5. Safe storage and proper disposal of prescription drugs is promoted within the community according the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines provided on TakeAsPrescribed.org

Community Size

  • Sub-Rural
    • Basic: 7 criteria for each section 
    • Merit: 8 criteria for each section
    • Excellence: 9 criteria for each section
  • Rural
    • Basic: 8 criteria from each section 
    • Merit: 9 criteria from each section 
    • Excellence: 11 criteria from each section 
  • Small
    • Basic: 9 criteria from each section 
    • Merit: 11 criteria from each section 
    • Excellence: 13 criteria from each section 
  • Medium
    • Basic: 10 criteria from each section 
    • Merit: 12 criteria from each section 
    • Excellence: 14 criteria from each section 
  • Large
    • Basic: 11 criteria from each section 
    • Merit: 13 criteria from each section 
    • Excellence: 15 criteria from each section 
  • Metro
    • Basic: 12 criteria from each section 
    • Merit: 14 criteria from each section 
    • Excellence: 16 criteria from each section 

The Oklahoma State Department of Health Center for Certified Healthy Oklahoma Team provides assistance and consultation regarding wellness to any Oklahoma business, health department, state or community agency, organization, association, or coalition. We can provide the following services:

  • Sample policies related to physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco

  • Resources on how to begin or enhance a wellness program, including the adoption of policies related to physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco

  • Content expertise and information regarding best practices.

  • Information and technical assistance – trends, data, and best practices

  • Training, materials, and tool kits

  • Data related to physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco

  • Best practices being implemented and/or suggested by the State of Oklahoma

  • Information or technical assistance regarding the Certified Healthy process

Helpful Documents

What is Certified Healthy Community?

In 2010, Governor Fallin signed into law Oklahoma State statute, 63 O.S. 2060, “Oklahoma Certified Healthy Communities Act”, which established a voluntary certification program for communities that promote wellness, encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors, and establish safe and supportive environments. This annual certification process recognizes Oklahoma communities for their outstanding efforts and achievements in actively creating communities that are a healthy place to live, work, learn, and play. Any incorporated city, town, or municipality in Oklahoma that has a governing body that allows it to make decisions and set ordinances may apply for Certified Healthy Community status.  The program is administered by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Certified Healthy Oklahoma Team.

Why Does Certified Healthy Matter? 

Currently, the major causes of death and disability in Oklahoma are due to chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes, and a significant proportion of these conditions are preventable. By becoming a Certified Healthy Community, you are providing a healthy environment for your residents, thereby supporting better choices and an overall healthier Oklahoma. By meeting most or all of the criteria to become Certified Healthy, communities provide an established environment to foster behavior modification, in addition to ordinance adoption and implementation. Certified Healthy Community provides an opportunity to reach not only the residents of the community, but also those who work, learn and play within the community. Additionally, Certified Healthy Community encourages the implementation of ordinances, policies, programs, and procedures that touch not only community residents, but also employees and visitors to the community. By providing a community environment rooted in evidence-based health and wellness principles, you are contributing to Oklahoma’s future.

The State of Health in Oklahoma 

Oklahoma currently ranks 47 out of 50 on America’s Health Rankings¹. Oklahoma’s biggest challenges are the high premature death rate, high economic hardship index score, and low prevalence of adults meeting the federal physical activity guidelines¹. These challenges can have a lasting impact on current and future generations.

  • Premature deaths in the US overall have increased by 9% between 2020 and 2021. In Oklahoma, 12,764 years are lost before age 75 per 100,000 population2.

  • The leading causes of death in Oklahoma are heart disease,  cancer, and accidents (in that order). In fact, more than 1 in 4 Oklahoma deaths in 2020 were due to heart disease. Oklahoma suffers from a heavy burden of cancer having the 7th highest cancer mortality rate among all states.

  • 7.9% of Oklahoma adults reported being told by a health professional that they have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or chronic bronchitis in 2023. This corresponds to a state ranking of 38 out of 50. Risk factors for COPD include cigarette smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, exposure to smoke from burning fuels, asthma, and long-term exposure to lung irritants. Oklahoma’s smoking rate has continued to decline and is now at 15.8% which is still slightly higher than the national average of 12.1%.

  • In 2023, 12.4% of Oklahoma adults had been diagnosed with diabetes.  This is higher than the US total of 10.3%  (see Table 1 from BRFSS 2023). 

Chronic disease is often preventable, but Oklahomans’ health behaviors are contributing to the state’s chronic disease morbidity and mortality. It is especially worth noting that four behaviors (poor diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol) contribute to most chronic diseases. Heart disease and cancer are the number one and two causes of death in OK (CDC; 2022). Chronic lower respiratory diseases are the 5th leading cause of death, and diabetes is the 8th leading cause of death.

In 2023, only 3.8% of Oklahoma adults reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables daily. 14.3% of households in Oklahoma were unable to provide adequate food for one or more household members due to lack of resources. In 2023, 29.5% or less than 1 in 3 Oklahoma adults reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days.2

Communities that are Certified Healthy see a return on their investment via healthier residents, staff and visitors. By contributing to the wellness of those in your community, you are helping to create a better, brighter Oklahoma. Communities that advocate for health are recognized as leaders in Oklahoma! 

References

  1. United Health Foundation. America’s Health Ranking 2024 Annual Report. Available at: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/learn/reports/2024-annual-report/state-summaries-oklahoma
  2. United Health Foundation. America’s Health Ranking 2023 Annual Report. Available at: https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/app/uploads/allstatesummaries-ahr23.pdf 
  3. CDC – National Center for Health Statistics. Leading causes of death in Oklahoma: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/oklahoma/ok.htm
  4. Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH): Heart disease. (https://oklahoma.gov/health/health-education/chronic-disease-prevention/heart-disease-and-stroke.html ).
  5. OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center: Cancer Issues in Oklahoma. https://www.ouhealth.com/stephenson-cancer-center/community-outreach-and-engagement/cancer-issues-in-oklahoma/
  6. United Health Foundation. America’s Health Rankings: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Oklahoma. https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/COPD/OK
  7. United Health Foundation. America’s Health Rankings: Smoking in Oklahoma (2023 BRFSS data). https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/Smoking/OK. 
  8. CDC – Preventing Chronic Disease. Trends in Multiple Chronic Conditions Among US Adults, By Life Stage, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2013-2023. https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2025/24_0539.htm#:~:text=Among%20midlife%20adults%2C%20trends%20increased,of%20this%20figure%20is%20available.%5D
  9. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The burden of chronic disease. https://www.mcpiqojournal.org/article/S2542-4548(23)00057-7/fulltext