TULSA, OK – [April 23, 2021] – Last year, Tulsa County was chosen as a finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize. The national Prize honors communities working at the forefront of advancing health, opportunity and equity for all.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final evaluation phase was postponed until 2021, and next week, Tulsa will participate in a series of community reflection conversations with local leaders and Prize leadership. Winners will be announced this fall.
“We are pleased to advance as a RWJF Culture of Health Prize finalist community. Tulsa would be the first community in Oklahoma to receive the award,” said Tulsa Health Department Resource Development Manager and Pathways to Health Board Member Jenna Grant. “It not only recognizes the great work happening across Tulsa, but also puts a national spotlight on it.”
To advance to this stage in the process, communities had to showcase the breadth of work and collaboration happening throughout sectors to improve health. To become a finalist, Tulsa County had to demonstrate how its efforts reflect the six Prize criteria:
Defining health in the broadest possible terms.
Committing to sustainable systems changes and policy-oriented long-term solutions.
Creating conditions that give everyone a fair and just opportunity to reach their best possible health.
Harnessing the collective power of leaders, partners, and community members.
Securing and making the most of available resources.
Measuring and sharing progress and results.
“RWJF Culture of Health Prize communities offer important examples of places where partners are coming together to cultivate a shared commitment to equity so all residents can thrive,” said Richard Besser, MD, RWJF president and CEO. “We look forward to connecting and speaking with residents and community leaders in each finalist community to learn more about how they are achieving meaningful and lasting change.”
If selected as a Prize winner, Tulsa will receive a $25,000 prize and a national platform to share their story and lessons learned to inspire other communities. The community will join with other national and local change leaders, including past Prize winners, through a national Prize Alumni Network.
To learn about the work of the 44 previous Prize winners, visit www.rwjf.org/prize.
The RWJF Culture of Health Prize is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
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