LOCATION: Oklahoma City, OK, U.S.A.

ORGANIZATION TYPE: Government

FOCUS AREA: Public Health

HEALTH EQUITY INITIATIVES: State health organizations and community leaders have joined forces to shine the light on the glaring socio-economic and racial inequities in health and to search for ways to fight their effects on Oklahomans. Through town hall meetings and media advocacy, we are alerting our state and community leaders about the socio-economic and ethnic inequities in health. Engaging the communities at large in conversation and action to fight the effects of these inequities on Oklahomans. We can no longer assume that all citizens in Oklahoma will have equal opportunities for prevention interventions that lead toward behaviors conducive to health. When health equity through resource opportunities is achieved, then all citizens will be positioned to adopt healthy behaviors, leading toward improved health status for Oklahoma.

We are educating staff internally and working with communities-at-large to raise awareness. Several coalitions, networks and partnerships are working with us in our statewide campaign, the Oklahoma Health Equity Campaign. We are gathering information from our meetings and bringing forward recommendations to the Oklahoma Turning Point Council and other policy making groups. As more of our smaller groups realize our commonalities to expedite base-level changes we hope we can expedite change. Better health for all. Students from the University of Central Oklahoma have developed blog questions for Oklahomans to contemplate: http://okhec.blogspot.com/

ACTIVITIES WITH UNNATURAL CAUSES CAMPAIGN:
- Host a screening event featuring UNNATURAL CAUSES
- Engage in media outreach
- Use the series and materials in trainings or classes
- Post and share information about the series with members and constituents