Annual Report, Local Impact Pages Highlight TSETs Work in Oklahoma Communities
Public resources illustrate agency’s investment in health
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 16, 2021) — New public resources from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) highlight the agency’s investment in Oklahoma communities and statewide programs aimed at improving health in the state.
TSET recently published its FY2020 Annual Report, as well as updated local impact pages that detail investments in counties and legislative districts in the state.
“TSET has a constitutional mandate to invest in programs to improve the health of Oklahomans,” said Julie Bisbee, executive director of TSET. “We do that by investing in statewide programs like the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline and research at Stephenson Cancer Center. We also work directly in communities across the state to empower local people to develop and support strategies to improve health and decrease chronic disease and premature death.”
The FY2020 Annual Report highlights the launch of several new TSET initiatives. The second round of the five-year TSET Healthy Living Program grants were awarded to 35 organizations serving 37 counties. The TSET Board of Directors invested $1 million in Food Systems Impact Grants to reduce food insecurity and address hunger during the pandemic. TSET also launched the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative aimed at helping teens prevent tobacco use and obesity.
The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline achieved a 95% satisfaction rate with 28,547 registered users. TSET also hosted the Southern Obesity Summit in Oklahoma City in October 2019, attracting hundreds of people to Oklahoma to learn ways to effectively encourage healthy habits and prevent obesity in their communities.
Local impact pages recently published on the TSET website are a great tool for communities, health agencies and local decision makers who want a precise snapshot of county-level rates for health indicators like smoking, obesity or deaths from heart disease. These downloadable pages provide a quick reference to see how local areas compare to state and national health indicators. The pages also report TSET's investment in local communities through the TSET Healthy Living Program, TSET Healthy Incentive Grants and other programs. Local impact pages are available for every county, House and Senate district in the state.
“As a state agency and constitutional trust, we want the people of Oklahoma to know how TSET funds are being spent and the impact we are having in local communities across the state,” Bisbee said. “These tools provide local level data and show how TSET funds are used statewide as we continue to pursue our promise to voters to support grants and programs to improve the health of Oklahomans.”
Both the FY2020 Annual Report and the local impact pages can be found here.
###
The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, cultivating innovative and life-changing research, and working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. To learn more, visit TSET.OK.GOV.
TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health