$260,000 in Funding Provided by Community Care, George Kaiser Family Foundation to Launch Office
Today, the City of Tulsa, Community Care, and other community and healthcare partners announced the creation of Tulsa's first Office of Health and Well-being
The Office is being created to improve health outcomes across Tulsa by aligning resources, sharing data, and fostering collaboration among healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community organizations.
To launch this work, the Office has secured over $260,000 in multi-year corporate funding - including $210,000 from Community Care, along with a $50,000 grant from the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF).
“This is an investment in the health of our community and in the future of Tulsa,” Mayor Monroe Nichols said. "This Office will connect the dots between healthcare, education, economic opportunity, and public safety so that all Tulsans have the chance to thrive. I'm deeply thankful for our friends at Community Care, Dr. Pasha, and so many others working to make Tulsa a healthier and more resilient city.”
The Office’s goals include:
“The city charter tasks us with protecting ‘the public peace, health, order, morals, and safety, and to promote the general welfare of the City of Tulsa and its inhabitants’,” District 4 City Councilor Laura Bellis said. “It is incumbent on city government to support healthy families, healthy neighborhoods and a healthy economy. Our city is fortunate to be a healthcare hub for the region; embedding an office to collaborate with and bolster our public health infrastructure is critical to advancing the well-being of our community.”
Dr. Jabraan Pasha, a longtime physician and public health advocate who will serve as Chief Health Officer for the Office, noted that health outcomes are closely tied to other community indicators.
“When you map Tulsa’s highest unemployment rates, lowest educational attainment, and highest crime rates, you’ll find the same neighborhoods with the poorest health outcomes,” Dr. Pasha said. “Health is not just the absence of disease — it’s about connection to care, opportunity, and community. Our office will make those connections.”
By coordinating efforts and addressing systemic gaps, the Office aims to both save lives and reduce costs for hospitals, insurers, and public agencies.
"We are honored to partner with the City of Tulsa to support the needs of our neighbors," said Josiah Sutton, President and CEO of Community Care. "As the largest locally owned health plan in Oklahoma, we believe this partnership will make a meaningful difference in the health and well-being of our communities."
Philanthropic donations will be used for:
In the coming months, the Office will announce a Health Coalition to support the work of the Office.
It's important to note that no public funding was used for the creation of this Office. In the coming weeks, a donation from Community Care will go before the Tulsa City Council for approval.
For more information about the Office of Community Health and Well-being, visit: http://www.cityoftulsa.org/mayor
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