A host of organizations and individuals 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 Department of Health (OSDH) serves as the administrator for the Oklahoma State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). This five-year plan has recently been updated to produce the 2023-2028 Oklahoma SHIP.

The SHIP is for the general improvement of the physical, social, and mental well-being of all people in Oklahoma through a high functioning public health system and is informed by data collected from the public by surveys, listening sessions, focus groups and key informant interviews. This public response data has been captured in the Oklahoma State Health Assessment (SHA) which can be found here.

To see in-depth and up-to-date data for Oklahoma by demographics, health behaviors, and drivers of health, visit the Wellness County Profiles dashboard by clicking here and select the different tabs at the top of the dashboard. The data can be filtered by district, county, zip code, and census tract level depending on the topic area. 

For the 2023-2028 plan there are six priorities for health improvement which reflect the importance of healthy living as a necessary condition to achieving and maintaining a state of wellness. The six priorities include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, social drivers of health, mental health, obesity and substance use. Each of the priorities also have a workgroup dedicated to leading and supporting the work.  

Improving the health status of Oklahomans requires coordination and collaboration between various sectors and among a wide range of partners. Collaborative efforts are focused on improving the outcomes of the priorities which are hugely impacted by health systems and social drivers of health. The SHIP workgroups are charged with developing workplans to outline the goals and strategies for the next five years.

These groups employ evidence-based strategies and bring the necessary partners to the table. The SHIP workgroups support and leverage resources to ensure alignment. OSDH acknowledges that much work in all aspects of improving Oklahoman's health status is currently underway and highlighting these six priority areas is not intended to replace ongoing work in other areas, rather, the SHIP aims to call attention to and create synergistic work in these areas of priority.

Mailing Address:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Transformation Management Office
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave., Suite 1702
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406

Physical Address:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK

Email:
Transformation@health.ok.gov