County Community Health Coalition Cherokee County 2011 About Us...

Cherokee County Health Services County Health Services Council and Council The founding of Cherokee County the Cherokee County Community Community Health Coalition Northeastern State University Health Coalition. Over one hundred (CCCHC) was 17 years ago in 1994, Cookson Hills Community Action local and national experts have de- as a small informal group of area Communities of Excellence Tobacco veloped SMRTNET over four years Control Program health care providers gathered to be- at a cost of over $4 million based on gin a dialogue to address the health NEO Health an AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare needs of the area. Through their vi- Tahlequah Daily Press Research and Quality) grant and sion, and with grant funding from the Health Services Council sources in the Cherokee Robert Wood Johnson and Kellogg Boys & Girls Club of Tahlequah County area. The Agency for Foundations in 1998, this coalition Go Ye Village Healthcare Research and Quality became one of three pilot programs Tahlequah City Hospital featured SMRTNET in a report for Oklahoma Turning Point. The pur- Chamber of Commerce published in September 2010 high- pose of the CCCHC is to provide a The Current Alternative News lighting eight quality improvement forum whereby its independent mem- stories and their application of Help In Crisis bers may join together to plan, share health IT across the country. The Secure Medical Records Transfer resources, and develop strategies to Cherokee County lies in the heart of the Illinois assist in the implementation of pro- Network (SMRTNET) is a publicly River Valley, with miles of shoreline on Lake grams addressing the health status and managed HIE (Health Information Tenkiller and access to Fort Gibson Lake. health care needs of Cherokee County Exchange) designed to assist health- citizens. Partners include: care providers by facilitating swift and secure access to their patient’s , Healthy Nation health information from other mem- Cherokee County Health Department ber providers at the point of care. OSU Extension Service SMRTNET originated in Cherokee Northeast Area Health Education Center County as a result of the dedication Tahlequah Public Schools and hard work of the Cherokee

Cherokee County Community Health Coalition Partnership Priorities

Health Education (Physical Fitness & Nutrition)

Tobacco Prevention

Health Information Technology

Cherokee County 2011 Page 2

Community Profile: Strengths and Challenges

Cherokee County, in North- County, which are Tahle- campus, Tahlequah City east Oklahoma has a popu- quah, the County Seat, and Hospital, and W.W. Hast- Cherokee County, OK lation of 46,987. With the Hulbert. Many residents of ings Hospital. The

County Seat: Tahlequah Capital of the Cherokee Cherokee County live out- County’s population grew Nation as well as the United side city limits in rural by 10.5% in the last dec- Tribal Headquarters of the Band of Keetoowah Chero- communities, with little ade. Cherokee Nation and kees positioned here, there access to public transporta- Keetoowah Band of Although there is an abun- is a large Native American tion. Outlying communi- dance of educational and population, comprising 34% ties include Keys, Cook- Northeastern State of the County’s population. son, Briggs, Shady Grove, healthcare resources, the University 52.3% of the population is Welling, and Woodall. number of persons living below poverty level was at Cherokee Heritage Center White, 1.3% is Black, and Due to the rural nature of 6.3% are Hispanic or La- many communities, there 22.1% in 2009. Murrell Home tino. are ten rural school districts Within Cherokee County, in addition to Tahlequah The High School graduation the number of adults diag- “Through the Public Schools. Addition- nosed with diabetes is esti- rate is 80.7%, with 23.6% ally, there is a private High work of this attaining a Bachelor’s de- mated to be 12.4% School for Native Ameri- (BRFSS), despite the fact dedicated gree or higher, which is can students. Tahlequah is above the state’s average. that 83% of the population coalition; barriers home to Talking Leaves has access to healthy foods. to healthful living There are two incorporated Job Corps, Northeastern townships in Cherokee State University’s Main due to use of tobacco have been Description of Assessments actively removed.” According to the 2011 Adults in Cherokee County had no leisure activity in -Carol Choate, County Health Rankings by use tobacco at a rate of the past month, and over Communities of the University of Wiscon- thirty percent, compared to half the adults did not reach Excellence Tobacco sin Health Institute, Chero- the state average of twenty- the recommended physical Control Coordinator kee County ranks 66 out of five percent. activity level. 77 for Health Factors and 45 out of 77 for Health According to the BRFSS, The leading cause of death Outcomes. Health Factors (2003 & 2005), 82.9% of in Cherokee County is include health behaviors, Cherokee County adults heart disease, which costs clinical care, social and did not eat the recom- the county over $17 million economic factors, and mended 5 servings of fruit a year. By addressing the and vegetables a day. flagship issues of the Okla- physical environment. homa Health Improvement Thirty-three percent of the Physical inactivity contrib- Plan, Reducing obesity and adults in Cherokee County utes to health declines and tobacco use and improving are reported as having a escalates chronic disease. Child Health, we can see a Body Mass Index greater BRFSS data from 2003- drastic change in our than 30. 2008 states that 35.7% of County and State. people in Cherokee County Page 3 2011 Cherokee County

Featured Intervention / Project

The Communities of Excel- quah City Hospitals for to- bacco (SWAT) members And a new SWAT team lence Tobacco Control pro- bacco free policy implemen- conducted these visits, with was formed in Hulbert, for a tation gram in Cherokee County is 4 retailers attempting to sell total of 11 teams. The coa- currently in its seventh year Tobacco Free NSU policy tobacco products to minors. lition has continued to pro- of funding. Over the span All retailers were given a mote awareness of the To- The program leverages of this time, this program reminder of the importance bacco Free Parks ordinance grant funding with local has worked with various of following state laws and in Tahlequah by hosting resources to promote the agencies and individuals to of protecting our youth. Movies in the Park, and Oklahoma Tobacco achieve the passage and organizing cleanup events Helpline through print, ra- Two Legislative Breakfasts implementation of in County Parks. dio and outdoor advertising. were 24/7 Tobacco Free Campus hosted in policies in 8 school districts One of the group’s objec- Hulbert tives this year was to rein- this year, Prevention of Youth Access force the need to protect giving the to Tobacco ordinances in youth from having easy ac- Tahlequah and Hulbert. coalition Tahlequah updated in 2011 cess to tobacco, by conduct- an oppor- ing educational visits to tunity to Clean Indoor Air ordinance local retailers who have in Tahlequah engage been in violation in the past, community Tobacco Free Parks Ordi- or are located near schools. stake- nance in Tahlequah, 2010 Program staff, coalition holders Coalition members and SWAT youth with Senator members, and youth Stu- and elected Provided technical assistance dents Working Against To- to W.W. Hastings and Tahle- officials. Jim Wilson and Representative Mike Brown

Impact The Cherokee County CX pro- The Cherokee County The coalition continues to gram staff received Community Health Coa- support the growth of a Community lition, and all its many SmartNet, providing a Advocate award at partners, are working to strategy to share Health the Seventh Genera- ensure continued col- information among health- tion Conference laboration and communi- care agencies and physi- cation, while supporting cians. This program has current efforts that im- been very successful and Funding pact the population. is now self-sustaining. Communities of Excellence in Tobacco Control Members have been very Next steps for Cherokee Purpose: Tobacco Use Prevention/Cessation involved with policy County will include in- Funding Period: October 2010– September 2011 work, both at the local creased community in- and state level, regarding volvement and community Funder: Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment tobacco, alcohol, Health assessments to form a stra- Trust Information Technology, tegic health improvement Funding: $173,412 and physical activity. plan for the County. Cherokee County Page 4

Contact Information

Joanna Walkingstick, Chair Oklahoma Turning Point Cherokee County Community Health Coalition [email protected] Oklahoma State Department of H e a l t h Val Dobbins, Vice-Chair Tahlequah Public Schools Louise Micolites [email protected] Regional Turning Point Consultant 906 S. College Carol Choate, Coordinator Tahlequah, OK 74464 Cherokee County Communities of Excellence Tobacco Control Phone: 918-458-6547 [email protected] Fax: 918-458-6592 E-mail: [email protected] George Foster, Chair Cherokee County Health Services Council [email protected]

Mary Beth Murray, Administrator www.okturningpoint.org Cherokee County Health Department [email protected]

Partnership Outcomes There is a saying that tim- Cherokee County. The alli- pilot Turning Point partner- ing is everything, but in ance be-came a coalition ships in Oklahoma reality, timing is only a and moved forward to im- 1999-Began process of ob- part of the equation for plement programs and pro- taining funding for Federally success. To insure success, jects that would improve Qualified Health Care Center a group must not rely the health and well being 2002– Worked with State solely on timing, but must of Cherokee County citi- Legislature to create Okla- add the right place and the zens. However, their con- homa Center for Rural De- right people to the mix. cerns did not stop there. velopment Cherokee County was for- Later, programs and pro- 2004– Launch Communities tunate to have the Right jects would be developed of Excellence Tobacco Con- Time, the Right Place and and implemented to help trol grant. the Right People. In 1994, all the citizens of Okla- health care organizations in homa. The lynch pin, over 2005– AHRQ planning grant -SMRTNET Cherokee County formed the last 17 years, has been an alliance to address the willingness of the peo- 2007– SMRTNET is live and health care issues. These ple in Cherokee County to operational entities, a sovereign nation, maintain their continuity 2010– 8th School District and national, state and lo- while working toward a and NSU adopts 24/7 To- cal health providers, real- common goal, A Healthier Opportuni- bacco Free campus policies ties for ized that working together Oklahoma. physical was the way to effectively activity impact health indicators 1994– Creation of Coalition abound in all seasons! and quality of life in 1998- Became one of three