OKLAHOMA CITY — Hospitals throughout Oklahoma are set to benefit from more than $21.9 million in new funding awarded to the Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) through the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust’s (TSET) first-ever Legacy Grant program. These transformative investments will help hospitals significantly expand tobacco cessation services, prevent and reduce the burden of lung cancer diagnoses, improve rural stroke and cardiovascular outcomes, and advance community specific health priorities. OHA was granted $3.2 million for the Healthy Oklahoma Communities Initiative (HOC) and $18.6 million for HOPE – Helping Oklahomans with Prevention and Early Detection. The HOC Initiative addresses youth tobacco cessation, health-related social needs (HRSN), weight management, community health priorities, and stroke treatment. This investment will allow hospitals to employ community health workers to help Oklahoma’s most vulnerable patients with essential needs such as food and safety. The grant also provides support to build desperately needed stroke treatment infrastructure in rural Oklahoma. With Oklahoma ranked 48th nationally in stroke outcomes, this historic investment will transform community health and stroke outcomes and save lives across the state. The HOPE Initiative will expand preventive lung cancer screening, increase tobacco cessation services, launch public awareness campaigns, offer individual patient navigation, and improve coordination across health systems. HOPE will be implemented in partnership with the Oklahoma Lung Cancer Roundtable, a statewide collaboration aligning health systems, public health professionals, and advocates to improve lung cancer prevention, early detection, and outcomes across Oklahoma. Currently, Oklahoma is ranked 50th in lung cancer screening and second to last in lung cancer survival. This historic grant will provide the resources to better screen, prevent, diagnose, and treat lung cancer, ultimately saving Oklahoma lives.
“This is a landmark moment for OHA, our mission, our hospital partners, and Oklahoma communities. These historic grants make it possible to integrate community health workers, strengthen community-healthcare relationships, and serve high-risk Oklahomans eligible for lung cancer screening but not receiving it,” said Kelly Willingham, director of health improvement initiatives, Oklahoma Hospital Association. OHA is currently reaching out to hospitals statewide about steps required for participation in the grants. “We look forward to working with TSET and our hospital partners to transform health in Oklahoma. TSET has been a tremendous partner to OHA for many years in helping to improve the health and lives of Oklahomans,” said Eric Finley, executive director of OHA’s Foundation for a Healthy Oklahoma. “We’re excited to hear from our hospital partners about their support and vision for these desperately needed services. Together we can create a legacy of health and wellbeing in Oklahoma.”
The Oklahoma Hospital Association is the voice of hospitals in Oklahoma. OHA’s primary objective is to promote the health and welfare of all Oklahomans by leading and assisting its member organizations in providing high quality, safe and valued healthcare services to their communities. The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust is building a healthier future for all Oklahomans. As a state grantmaking entity, TSET supports community programs, public health initiatives and research to prevent the leading causes of chronic disease. TSET grants and partnerships help to reduce tobacco use, improve nutrition, advance medicine and increase access to active, healthy living.