Public Health Advocacy

OPHA 2023 Policy Agenda

This agenda was developed through a multi-phase process of brainstorming with OPHA members, consolidating agenda topics and priorities with the Policy Agenda Working Group,  and refining the public policy priorities agenda with the OPHA Public Policy Committee and OPHA Board. The agenda was reviewed and endorsed by the OPHA Executive Board, and any changes proposed by the Public Policy Committee after initial approval will receive additional review and approval by the OPHA Executive Board.

Child Health

This topic area includes preventing and mitigating adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes with focus areas including:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
• Protective and Compensatory Childhood Experiences (PACEs)
• Trauma-informed policies and practices
• Anti-bullying
• Comprehensive sexual health education

And action items including:

• Supporting and promoting HOPE Centers
• Supporting and promoting Handle With Care

Health Infrastructure

This topic area includes supporting funding and policy necessary to develop strategies to strengthen the public health and health care workforce with focus areas including:

• Rural provider coverage
  
• Active transportation infrastructure and safe places (parks, trails, sidewalks, tracks)
  
• Implicit bias training for health care workers
  
• Fair and affordable housing practices
  
• Affordable prescriptions

And action items including:

• Supporting and boosting CHW coalition and advocacy efforts
  

Food, Nutrition, & Access

This topic area includes championing policies that decrease food insecurity and food apartheids (food deserts) with focus areas including:

• Nutrition education and food literacy
  
• Local food infrastructure
  
• State sales tax on healthy foods
  
• Food access for older adults and people with disabilities
  
• Veggie Rx Programs in healthcare
  

And action items including:

• Joining coalition for Hunger Free Oklahoma
  
• Supporting existing efforts for Hunger Free Oklahoma
  
• Supporting existing efforts for DoubleUp Bucks
  
• Supporting the state obesity plan after release
  

Healthy Populations

This topic area includes supporting and protecting the health and rights of populations with focus populations including:

• Lower income communities 
  
• Older adults
  
• Marginalized and historically excluded communities
  
• The LGBTQ+ community and individuals
  
• Racial and ethnic minorities including but not limited to
  
• Native Health (IHS)
  
• the Hispanic Community (South OKC)
  
• African Americans (Historic disparities in Tulsa)
  
• People with disabilities

Maternal & Reproductive Health

This topic area includes improving access to maternal and reproductive care with focus areas including:

• Midwifery and doula services
  
• Midwifery and doctor relations
  
• Maternal Medicaid coverage expansion
  
• Reproductive health/family planning
  
• Emergency contraception and long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs)
  

And action items including:

• Supporting accurate health education on reproductive health
  
• Supporting midwife-led birth centers in Oklahoma
  
• Supporting and promoting OSU-Tulsa’s May 6th initiative
  
• Tracking legislation on maternal and reproductive health in other states
  

Mental and Behavioral Health

This topic area includes preventing and mitigating adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes with focus areas including:

• 9-8-8 crisis response phone number
  
• Harm reduction programming
  
• Trauma-informed training and practices
  
• Mental health parity
  

And action items including:

• Supporting the pilot program Team of Champions