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TSET is seeking feedback from rural stakeholders to inform our work. We have held listening sessions in six rural communities across the state, and this is an opportunity for those working rural health to provide feedback. Your responses will be shared with TSET's consultant on this work.
This month, TSET and the Oklahoma Health Care Workforce Training Commission (HWTC) helped place nine doctors in rural communities across the state through the Physician Loan Repayment Program.
The new physicians were placed in McAlester, Kingston, Talihina, Henryetta, Okemah, Muskogee, Ponca City, and Altus.
Physicians who participate in the program agree to work in an underserved area of the state for up to four years and can receive up to $200,000 in student loan repayment assistance.
As a result, they bring vital access to health care – part of the core mission of HWTC and TSET’s constitutional mandate.
Read more HERE.
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The Town of Westville broke ground on a new splash pad at their town park after receiving a TSET grant to promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles, strengthen health policies and improve infrastructure.
TSET granted Westville $575,504 through a TSET Built Environment and Infrastructure Grant to expand park amenities and enhance the streetscape and walkability of their downtown.
Ultimately, the grant will fund the splash pad, a new picnic pavilion, expanded walking trails, increased lighting along trails and downtown enhancements.
Photo: Westville community members stand ready to break ground.
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Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) in Alva opened newly renovated outdoor courts thanks to a TSET Built Environment and Infrastructure Grant.
The $50,000 grant funded improvements to the university's tennis courts and added eight new pickleball courts and two half basketball courts.
In addition, NWOSU used grant money to buy basketball and pickleball equipment, ensuring the courts are accessible to the public.
Photo: NWOSU students play pickleball on the new courts.
Read more HERE.
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Tobacco Stops With Me, a program of TSET, launched two new campaigns to educate Oklahomans on the deadly health impact of secondhand smoke, which kills more than 50,000 nonsmoking Americans each year.
The campaigns, titled “It’s Like They’re Smoking” and “Balloons,” focus on the dangers of secondhand smoke to children and youth.
Young people are exposed to numerous carcinogens through secondhand smoke exposure in public places, cars and homes.
More than 200,000 kids in Oklahoma are exposed to secondhand smoke at home. Secondhand smoke causes the premature deaths of hundreds of infants each year.
"We hope this campaign inspires Oklahomans to take action to establish smokefree public places to provide protection for all people against the dangers of secondhand smoke," said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director.
Read more about the campaigns and risks of secondhand smoke on children HERE.
Perspective: Julie Bisbee in the Journal Record
The ruling highlights Juul’s responsibility in the youth vaping epidemic and outlines the ways in which they manipulated their products and targeted youth. Most importantly, it aims to prevent Juul from continuing to target youth through methods like cartoons, paid influencers, and branded apparel.
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In Episode 31 of the TSET Healthy Living Podcast, hear a discussion about tobacco use among Native Americans. Aaron Williams, tobacco program coordinator of the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, explains how vaping, smoking or chewing commercial tobacco products differs from ceremonial or traditional tobacco use among Native
Americans. Later, Ken Allen, a member of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation, shares his experience quitting tobacco with the help of the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.
"One of the hardest things for native Americans is that we're marketed to so heavily because tobacco was a native American product way before the Europeans got a hold of it," said Williams. "So, we've always identified with using tobacco. And I think that's one of the reasons why our rates are probably higher than other populations."
Available on TSET's website and everywhere podcasts are listened to: Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, PodBean, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
Click HERE to listen.
TSET is staffed by a dedicated and passionate group of people. This month, we would like to introduce Dylan Jasna.
Dylan Jasna is a health communication manager for TSET overseeing Shape Your Future and the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative public education brands.
Prior to joining TSET, Jasna served as the public information officer for Region 9 of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. He started as a news producer at KJRH-TV in Tulsa, where he won his first Emmy for producing a 30-minute special about Oklahoma’s opioid epidemic. Jasna then moved to Phoenix, AZ, to produce primetime news for sister stations CBS 5 and 3TV. He won his second Emmy in Phoenix for his breaking news coverage. He holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma.
Read about the rest of the team HERE.
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