In Pursuit of Health Equity
OUR PURPOSE: Transforming Oklahoma's health, one person at a time.
What We Do
Oklahoma Complete Health is building a high quality, whole health solution for members. We recognize the significance and importance of racial and ethnic identity, culture, language, and experience of our members and their communities. Respecting and understanding these differences guide how we form partnerships in communities that bridge social, ethnic, and economic gaps.
Why We Do This
There are many reasons to do this work. Promoting health equity requires taking aim at some of the most entrenched and powerful drivers of less-than-optimal health in America today.
- Access to quality, culturally competent services
- Lack of attention to solving root causes of inequity in healthcare and the social determinants of health
- Discrimination in education, employment, housing, transportation, and urban and regional planning
- Insurance coverage
Our Commitment
We are committed to building sustainable and equitable solutions for the health of all our communities, particularly those affected by regional, cultural, socio-economic, and racial inequities.
This commitment to health equity starts with our local leadership teams and is possible because our approach focuses on listening to and empowering local voices. We rely on our communities to define for themselves the areas we should collectively focus our efforts.
The challenge is profound, but we know health equity is possible. Through rigorous leadership, a culture of listening, thoughtful education, and meaningful innovation, Oklahoma Complete Health will persist in its mission to increase opportunities for everyone to live their healthiest, most fulfilling life possible.
Local-First Approach
Our approach centers around the perspectives and direct experiences of individuals and communities impacted by disparities. Those that live in the communities we serve most deeply understand existing health inequities – and the solutions needed to address them.
That’s why our approach to promoting health equity begins and ends with listening to and empowering local voices to make local impact.
We apply data-driven insights about health disparities to the perspectives gained from lived experience to bring together and support local teams, where our members live, eat, play, and pray. This approach is driven across five main actions:
- Inform: Provide the community with localized data and tools to support their assessment of the problem and formulation of opportunities and/or solutions
- Consult: Listen to community and individual analysis and feedback to guide policies, programs, and actions
- Involve: Work with community leaders and trusted messengers to understand and incorporate local concerns and aspirations
- Collaborate: Partner with community organizations and local advocates for decision-making and solution-building
- Empower: Place decision-making in the hands of the community, providers, and individuals
Community Connection
One of our key neighborhood strategies is to engage individuals across the spectrum we serve. By listening closely to the community, we can identify areas that have scarcity in services and resources, then connect what exists today and what can exist in the future. We convene with local community organizations that include representation from all facets of the community – we seek diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, age, nation of origin, health status, and more. These groups provide feedback and guidance on programs and services, access opportunities, and health equity efforts.
Engaging with established, anchor community organizations helps us understand local needs, and partner on Social Determinants of Health interventions and funding. In each community we work together with residents, physical and behavioral health providers, local government, and other stakeholders to develop a collaborative health equity neighborhood action plan. The action plan identifies resources and services to develop – or in some cases, identifies existing programs to invest in and expand.
“We are so grateful for this generous donation from Oklahoma Complete Health during these times when so many families are in need. This formula will provide the little ones of Oklahoma with the foundation they need to grow healthy and strong."
Miki Farris, Executive Director of ICS.
"Y Clubhouse is grateful to partners like Oklahoma Complete Health that allow us to not only provide a safe environment during out-of-school time hours but set our youth up for success in the classroom."
Lacy Kendrick, Executive Director of Social Responsibility for the YMCA
Provider Involvement
When we identify a health equity issue in one of our neighborhoods, we look to our providers for their help – and listen to their insights. We leverage our knowledgeable local network teams to reach out to healthcare providers and look at the individual member level to pinpoint barriers to better health and workable solutions. We also support our providers with training and education on topics such as cultural sensitivity, implicit bias, clear communication, and the needs of very specific populations in their area. Provider-focused collaborative efforts are vital to improve care, particularly with an eye to reducing maternal, infant and child health disparities.
Our Team
Oklahoma Complete Health's diverse and dedicated employees keep our purpose at the heart of all we do. To us, “transforming Oklahoma's health, one person at a time” includes supporting our members and our workforce.
Recruiting for Diversity.
We hire directly from the communities we serve. We rely heavily on our strong ties with our provider and community partners, and supplement these vital local relationships with our national diversity and inclusion partnerships. We understand that part of continuing to build upon a culture of equity is intentionally hiring, training, promoting, and retaining employees at all levels that represent the people and communities we serve, including Medicaid enrollees, veterans, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+, individuals from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Building the Culture.
Through a constant focus on awareness and accountability, we provide training to staff, contractors, and network providers to ensure that cultural humility and a drive toward health equity are central in all that we do. Our training and development offerings are developed and conducted with a health equity lens, supporting participants to value diversity, conduct self-assessment, manage the dynamics of difference, acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge, and adapt to diversity and the cultural contexts of communities.