Coalition Launches New Plan To Improve Health In North Tulsa

The Tulsa Health Department says you'll live longer in south Tulsa than you will in north Tulsa by more than a decade.

It's a gap the North Tulsa Community Coalition is trying to close with an official health improvement plan that launched Friday.

A new neighborhood is popping up near Lacey Park; the North Tulsa Community Coalition said is a great start, but it's going to take more to improve the health of the people who live there.

Like many people, Tracie Chandler is proud to live in north Tulsa - she's lived there since 1977 and wants it to shine.

"Everybody needs to understand that north Tulsa is a jewel," Chandler said. "If you don't have good health, you can't learn. You can't learn - you can't earn."

The North Tulsa Community Coalition wants to see an increase in graduation rates at McLain and Central High Schools and hopes to see more kids go to college.

It's also looking forward to the potential of a Save-A-Lot grocery store, which might go near 36th and North Peoria.

And, the coalition wants more residents to get out and vote.

Another goal it has is to reduce the number of abandoned homes in the area.

"Abandoned homes represent crime havens," said Thomas Boxley with the North Tulsa Community Coalition.

The coalition's goal is to have 10 percent fewer abandoned houses in the Northgate neighborhood by 2020.

Boxley said, "If we can begin to eliminate some of that and repurpose those properties - whether that is through new homes or even through the creative development of community gardens."

It's a long list of goals, but Boxley said the coalition is ready.

"The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, and so we'll take it one step at a time and we'll check off goals as we accomplish them, and we definitely have a group that's committed to seeing this thing through," he said.

While all of the goals are expected to take time, the coalition said there is something that can be done right now - they want people to start walking and are encouraging people to start community walking groups.

You can find more information on starting your own walking group here.