The need for Title X funded services in Tulsa County, Oklahoma is demonstrated by unequal rates of health disparities, poverty and teen pregnancy in Tulsa County and Oklahoma. U.S News & World Report ranks Oklahoma 48th out of 50 states for health care, citing obesity, preventable hospital admissions and a large percentage of its population lacking health insurance access as major factors.
Tulsa County is in northeastern Oklahoma, with a population of 659,290. The City of Tulsa is the County’s largest city, with a population of 402,742. Community Health Connection, Inc. (CHC), in the City of Tulsa operates at three locations: 2321 E. 3rd Street, 12020 East 31st St., and 13702 E. 46th Pl. South. Tulsa County has an unmistakably large number of low-income and uninsured individuals, families and couples who need family planning services.
CHC is a Tulsa-based 501(c) organization and a Federally Qualified Health Center. Established in 2003, CHCH provides affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare across all life cycles, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, while respecting the dignity and culture of the community it serves. CHC has grown from a single location, serving approximately 2,000 unduplicated patients, to 3 locations serving over 15,477 unduplicated patients over 43,828 visits in 2021.
Since 2016, CHC has operated a sustainable Title X project that responds to the comprehensive needs of its patients and service area in a culturally sensitive manner. CHC is an integral part of ensuring access to family planning services (FPS) across Tulsa County. CHC expects to serve 3,700 unduplicated FPS patients in Year 1, 3,800 in Year 2, and 3,900 in Year 3.
CHC offers services tailored to its individual client’s unique needs. As a primary care provider, CHC provides family planning and related preventative health services, while offering a broad range of acceptable and effective family planning methods. Both Title X service sites have on-site 340B pharmacies. CHC offers the full range of Title X FPS, including clinical; educational; informational; social; and referral services. CHC’s Title X project serves low-income, uninsured, and under-served individuals.
CHC’s core FPS include education and counseling, contraceptive services, pregnancy testing, achieving pregnancy, basic infertility services, preconception health, STD services, and other related preventative health services such as breast cancer screenings, along with well-man and well-woman visits. All Title X clients are screened for victimization, with counseling and education individualized for each client’s unique needs.
CHC is one of three Title X grantees in the State of Oklahoma. CHC has a solid and consistent record of maximizing limited resources to provide quality FPS to those most in need. CHC’s experience, commitment, and infrastructure ensure the Title X program is administered efficiently, effectively and with no lapse in service. Title X’s continued investment is crucial to public health in Tulsa County.