Tulsa Health Department Holds Listening Sessions, Seeks Public Input For Strategic Plan

The Tulsa Health Department is trying to get more people involved in making its strategic plan. It said it wants to better understand the healthcare needs the community has.

Monday, January 29th 2024, 6:15 am

By: Jonathan Polasek

TULSA, Okla. -

The Tulsa Health Department is trying to get more people involved in making its strategic plan.

The health department will hold listening sessions over the next several weeks to better understand the healthcare needs the community has, instead of making decisions without public input.

The health department has received some input from the community in the past in the form of phone surveys and focus groups.

However, THD Executive Director Bruce Dart said these listening sessions give everyone an opportunity to be heard.

"It’s important that we are not taking a cookie cutter approach in the services we provide, and we provide the right service in the right place at the right time for our community. Hearing what they truly need in different parts a Tulsa County will help us hopefully get that right," Dart said.

Dart said every community in Tulsa is a little different and has different needs. Dart said there are issues off healthcare access, health disparity, and health inequality. The health department knows it needs community feedback to better serve the Tulsa area.

"We can’t be so arrogant to think that we know what people need, and we keep saying the community is our partner. Well, what kind of partnership is it if the conversation is only one way? These conversations have got to be two-way going forward," Dart said.

There are nine community listening sessions around the county over the next several weeks: