Young Alumni Professional Award Recipient for Health Administration and Policy

Each year, the Office of Alumni Affairs at the Hudson College of Public Health awards an annual Distinguished Alumni Award and Young Alumni Professional Achievement Award to outstanding alumni from each Department within the College. Recipients of these prestigious awards are recognized for achieving professional and personal successes, and demonstrating exemplary service to their community and/or the University.

The 2022 Young Alumni Professional Award recipient for the Department of Health Administration and Policy is Ms. Daryn Kirkpatrick.

Daryn is a two-time OU graduate, earning both her bachelor and master’s degree from OU. Daryn is passionate about public health and is committed to improving lives and the health status of the most vulnerable populations.

Today, Daryn serves on the Oklahoma State Department of Health senior Leadership Team and was nominated by the executive leadership team to serve on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.

As a Regional Administrative Director for District 6, Daryn oversees more than 100 county health department staff. Although her work at OSDH has only begun, she has already made significant headway in improving Oklahoma’s health outcomes by expanding the Grady County Health Department, increasing non-traditional outreach partners, and improving customer service.

Daryn’s professional achievements are of the highest caliber, but I would be remiss if I did not speak to her greatest skill – her natural gift for leadership.

Prior to joining OSDH this year, she spent the last 11 years at the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, where she led the agency through numerous milestones – launching an innovative text platform to improve maternal health outcomes, spearheading communications campaigns during the 2020 COVID pandemic, and facilitating the transition to a managed care health delivery model. Under Daryn’s leadership, the strategic communications team received national recognition for outstanding health communications.

Although Daryn no longer serves at OHCA, her legacy lives on and continues to directly impact lives.

In 2014, she established a partnership between OHCA and George Kaiser Family Foundation. The connection provided an innovative opportunity OHCA and GKFF to collaborate and share resources to connect more Oklahomans to SoonerCare through Medicaid Expansion. Last year, GKFF provided $500,000 in advertising funds for a state Medicaid expansion campaign. More than 300,000 Oklahomans have enrolled through expansion today, which would not be possible without Daryn’s strategic vision and collaborative mindset.

A team player, Daryn effortlessly unites her connections around a common goal, inspiring others to join her cause. Honoring the unique and gifts and talents of those who work with her, Daryn gives utmost respect to her colleagues in all situations and relies on the expertise others to achieve the greatest good.

Never one to steal the spotlight, she leads with humility and genuinely longs to see others succeed. She is a friend, mentor and passionate alumna of the Hudson College of Public Health, and Daryn continues to advance the field of public health by investing in the leaders of tomorrow.