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The TSET Board of Directors awarded the OSU Center for Heatlh Sciences $4.5 million over three years to expand Project ECHO, a program that strengthens rural health systems.
Rural communities account for nearly 34% of Oklahoma’s population but struggle due to hospital closures and provider shortages. Project ECHO digitally connects providers in rural and underserved areas with specialists for training and consultation.
“With this generous funding, Project ECHO will expand lines of care to support more health providers and physicians across the entire state of Oklahoma," said Dr. Johnny Stephens, president of OSU Center for Health Sciences.
Since 2017, Project ECHO has reached over 70,000 participants in all 77 counties. TSET funding will help support the development of new lines of ECHO care, such as diabetes, pediatric obesity and hypertension management.
TSET also awarded Stephenson Cancer Center $1.7 million to develop the Oklahoma Mobile Lung Cancer Screening Action Network (Oklahoma LUNG SCAN), a program that will increase access to lung cancer screening across the state via medically equipped buses.
“TSET’s partnership with the Stephenson Cancer Center has profoundly affected the lives of countless Oklahomans through their support of access to cancer clinical trials and cancer research,” said Dr. Mannel, SCC director. “The LUNG SCAN program builds on this by bringing state of the art mobile screening for lung cancer to communities throughout Oklahoma.”
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States, and Oklahoma has the highest rate of death after diagnosis. Although treatable if found in early stages, it is often diagnosed long after it has spread. Studies show screening reduces the death rate by up to 20%.
Oklahoma LUNG SCAN aims to improve health in all communities, especially rural areas, by reducing barriers to screening and early treatment.
Bars, restaurants and casinos employ more than 208,000 Oklahomans. Due to loopholes in statewide statute, these workers are not protected by clean indoor air laws the way others are.
Opponents of smokefree laws argue it’s bad for the hospitality industry, yet evidence from revenue and employment levels in states with smokefree laws shows the contrary. Such regulations often have a positive effect on business.
After 40 years in business, Edna's Bar in Oklahoma City went smokefree in 2020. Owner Tammy Lucas said the decision was scary but paid off.
“Even the people who smoke are grateful for it,” Lucas said. “I’m just happy that we can provide the space to be smokefree and go out and have a good time. Before, we almost alienated nonsmokers.”
Recent data supports this idea. Fewer than 17% of Oklahoma adults now smoke, and a 2022 survey shows that 78% of all Oklahomans support a statewide ban.
Read more what business owners and musicians are saying HERE.
TSET awarded the Oklahoma Association of Youth Services (OAYS) a Successful Futures grant of up to $4.5 million to launch a skill-building education course for youth in grades three through eight. The grant is part of the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative, a statewide program focused on preventing and reducing tobacco use and obesity in youth.
Oklahoma ranks 42nd in children’s health and is among the highest-ranking states for adverse childhood experiences, which include abuse, poverty, mental health problems and domestic violence.
However, research shows that intervention activities diminish risks associated with these challenges.
Through in-school and after-school activities, OAYS will teach character development and life skills that can help young people succeed and make healthier life choices.
Read more about the program HERE.
Perspective: Julie Bisbee in the Journal Record
In Oklahoma, local government is prohibited from passing additional ordinances regarding smoking in workplaces and public spaces, tobacco advertising and youth access. Yet it is often local government that sees the problems tobacco causes and pays the price.
Policy is the most effective tool to prevent and reduce tobacco use. If the state is serious about improving health and increasing our competitive edge, we need laws to close loopholes.
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Since 1987, Oklahoma cities and towns have been prohibited from adopting tobacco restriction ordinances that go beyond state law.
Episode 35 of the TSET Healthy Living Podcast explores the public health and local governance issue with Doug Matheny, a policy expert at the TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Tahlequah City Councilman Stephen Highers, and Thomas Larson, TSET director of public information and outreach.
"The only interest served by having preemption on tobacco issues in the state of Oklahoma is the interest of the tobacco industry," said Doug Matheny. "It is harming Oklahomans, Oklahoma families, coworkers. It affects all of our lives because again, the scope of the problem is so large."
Available on TSET's website and everywhere podcasts are listened to: Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, PodBean, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
TSET is staffed by a dedicated and passionate group of people. This month, we would like to introduce Taylor Verkler.
Taylor Verkler is the Outreach Coordinator for TSET. Prior to working at TSET, she taught at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. While there, she worked as an Instructor of English, Chair of the Recruitment and Retention Committee, and Sponsor of the English Club and Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society.
In addition to her teaching and service duties, she worked as the Assistant Editor and Productions Manager of Westview: A Journal of Western Oklahoma, where she acted as a working editor, graphic designer, and point of contact for all authors and publishing.
She has a B.A. in Applied Liberal Arts and an M.A. in Composition and Rhetoric from the University of Central Oklahoma. She enjoys playing soccer, taking her dog Moose for walks, and spending time with her family.
Read about the rest of the team HERE.
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