Hudson College Faculty Member Moderates Panel on Collaborative Health Efforts in Oklahoma City

Halley Reeves, a community health strategist and faculty member in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, recently moderated a panel discussion focusing on how nonprofit health systems and community organizations are working together to identify and address health needs in Oklahoma County. The panel was a part of the larger community health needs assessment (CHNA) process the health collaboration, COHIT, is currently undergoing.  The Hudson College of Public Health's Center for Public Health Practice is actively supporting this COHIT as well as a similar effort just starting in Tulsa in several surrounding counties. The event, hosted by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, featured representatives from the metro area's four nonprofit health systems: SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, Integris Health, Mercy, and OU Health.

During the discussion, Reeves highlighted the importance of collaboration between hospitals, nonprofits, and businesses to gather resources and address community health challenges. As the moderator, she emphasized how the upcoming 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment will serve as a crucial tool for identifying ongoing and emerging health needs. This triennial assessment, required by the IRS, allows hospitals to align their interventions with the broader community health efforts led by the Oklahoma City-County Health Department.

Reeves facilitated a dialogue among panelists, including Jose Rojas of SSM Health, Mike Chavez of Integris Health, Susan Munson of Mercy, and Jayme Phillips of OU Health, each of whom shared how their organizations are contributing to community health. Among the notable efforts, Mercy’s initiative to hire unemployed and homeless individuals, Integris Health's focus on job opportunities, and OU Health’s partnership with Oklahoma City Public Schools to bring healthcare directly into the classroom showcased creative strategies to address root causes of poor health outcomes, including access to care, employment, and healthy food.

“The goal is to bring together all stakeholders—health systems, nonprofits, and businesses—so that we can collectively ensure that crucial resources reach the people who need them the most. It truly takes all of us working together across our silos to improve the health of our communities,” Reeves said. She closed the discussion by encouraging businesses and community organizations to contribute to the assessment and partner in ongoing efforts to improve the well-being of Oklahoma County residents.

The session provided a platform for health systems to share success stories and explore new collaborations, underscoring the power of partnerships in tackling social determinants of health such as housing instability, food insecurity, and employment barriers.