For Release: March 14, 2013 - Pamela Williams, Office of Communications - 405/271-5601

Housing and Health Topics Highlight the OHEC March 28 Meeting 

The subject of chronic homelessness will be discussed at a meeting of the Oklahoma Health Equity Campaign (OHEC) partners on Thursday, March 28, 2013, at 2 p.m. in room 314 at the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), 1000 N.E. 10^th St., in Oklahoma City.  The public is invited to attend and discuss the impact of this issue on health.

Homeless Alliance Executive Director Dan Straughan will discuss the “100,000 Homes Campaign,” a national campaign to change the way persons think about and respond to chronic homelessness. According to Straughan, Oklahoma City spends about $28 million each year on homelessness and nearly 80 percent of that is spent on the chronic homeless, who are only 20 percent of the city’s homeless population.

A meeting highlight will be discussion led by representatives from the Washington County Wellness Initiative and the Washington County Affordable Housing Coalition on the progress that county has made in addressing the intersection between housing and health.

To confirm your attendance, call (405) 271-9444, ext. 56543, or contact one of the following videoconference locations:

• Cherokee County Health Department, 912 S. College Ave, Tahlequah. Contact: Larryn Harrison, LarrynH@health.ok.gov, (918) 456-8826.
• Comanche County Health Department, 1010 S. Sheridan Road, Lawton.    Contact: Johnetta Miller, Johnetta@health.ok.gov, (580) 248-5890.
• Craig County Health Department, 115 E. Delaware Ave., Vinita. Contact: Jennifer Dehart, jennifermd@health.ok.gov, (918) 256-7531.
• Jackson County Health Department, 401 W. Tamarack, Altus. Contact: Brooke Oliver, brooko@health.ok.gov, (580) 482-7308.
• Oklahoma State Department of Health, 1000 NE 10^th St., Oklahoma City. Contact: Karla Brown, karlab@health.ok.gov, (405) 271-9444, ext. 56410.
• Tulsa County Health Department - James O. Goodwin Health Center, 5051 S. 129th E. Avenue, Room 200, Tulsa. Contact: Ronna Fryhover, rfryhover@tulsa-health.org, (918) 595-4574.
• Washington County Health Department, 5121 SE Jacquelyn Lane, Bartlesville. Contact: Paula Palmer, paulah@health.ok.gov, (918) 335-3005.

For more information about OHEC, videoconferencing locations, or to RSVP by March 25, call (405) 271-9444, ext. 56543, OSDH Health Equity & Resource Opportunities Division. 

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines health equity in public health literature and practice as the opportunity for everyone to attain their full health potential. No one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of their social position or other socially determined circumstance. CDC further defines social determinants of health as life-enhancing resources, such as food supply, housing, economic and social relationships, transportation, education, and health care, whose distribution across populations effectively determines length and quality of life.  

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