Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan (OHIP)

A host of organizations in Oklahoma are concerned that the health status of Oklahomans ranks near the bottom of all states in the United States. In a significant effort to improve health status, the Oklahoma State Board of Health convened a broadly based group and charged it with developing a statewide health improvement plan.  The Oklahoma State Legislature passed Enrolled Senate Joint Resolution No. 41 on March 11, 2008, requiring the Oklahoma State Board of Health to “prepare and return to the Legislature a health improvement plan for Oklahoma for the general improvement of the physical, social, and mental well-being of all people in Oklahoma through a high functioning public health system.”  The five-year health improvement plan was initially issued in 2010 and updated in 2015.

The purpose of the OHIP is to improve the health of Oklahomans.  It is understood that the health improvement plan is designed to guide investments, define roles of participating organizations, and identify strategies, all to protect and promote the health of Oklahomans, to prevent disease and injury, and to assure the conditions by which Oklahomans can be healthy.

Click the full report or the summary below to explore the Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan.  The OHIP Support Staff is available via email to assist you with any questions you might have about the plan and the partnerships involved.

This is the framework of the OHIP.  There are four flagship issues which reflect the importance of healthy living as a necessary condition to achieving and maintaining a state of wellness.  On the right are the social determinants of health which influence an individual’s ability to practice healthy living.  The health systems on the left assist the population with making good decisions by efficiently providing access to high-quality and affordable health services as well as delivering health education across the lifespan.

Improving the health status of Oklahomans requires coordination and collaboration between several sectors and among a wide range of partners. Collaborative efforts are focused on improving the outcomes of the flagship issues which are hugely impacted by the health systems and social determinants. The OHIP Team is charged with developing workplans to address the flagship issues and health systems as outlined in the OHIP. The team employs evidence-based strategies and brings the necessary partners to the table.  The OHIP Team supports and leverages resources to ensure alignment with the OHIP vision.

Email the OHIP Support Staff to connect with the team.

All Oklahomans are asked to do their part and participate in creating a culture of health through the following actions:

• Adopt recommended healthy lifestyle changes and encourage your friends and family.
• Adopt recommended health policies within businesses, schools, congregations, and communities.
• Get connected with a local Turning Point or other community partnership to plan and implement local community health improvement efforts.
• Encourage local businesses, schools, congregations, and communities to apply for and achieve Certified Healthy Oklahoma recognition.