Oklahoma covers 68,667 square miles, with a 2017 estimated population of 3,930,864 people – 1,338,089 living in rural Oklahoma (USDA-ERS). Oklahoma City, the state capital, is the largest city in the state. The state’s other large cities include: Tulsa, Norman and Lawton. According to 2017 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 74.3% of the state’s population is white, 7.8% is African-American, 2.3% is Asian, 9.2% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.2% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 10.6% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.
Oklahoma Rural Healthcare Facilities
There are 110 hospitals in Oklahoma (Kaiser, 2016). The state has 38 hospitals identified as Critical Access Hospitals (Flex Team, 7/2018). There are 58 Rural Health Clinics in Oklahoma (CMS, 2017) and 20 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 94 sites in the state (NACHC, 2017).
Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Oklahoma
Most Oklahomans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 11% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2016). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Oklahomans in 2016 was $42,692, although rural per capita income lagged at $36,377. The ERS reports, based on 2016 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Oklahoma is 19.0%, compared with 15.0% in urban areas of the state. 14.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 11.8% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2012-2016 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Oklahoma is 4.5%, while in urban Oklahoma, it is 4.2% (USDA-ERS, 2017).For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Rural Health Clinic List; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; National Association of Community Health Centers: Key Health Center Data By State; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
Works with rural communities to ensure their healthcare infrastructure is effective and economically viable by broadening and improving the access and quality of healthcare services, stabilizing rural hospital finances, and educating the public and policymakers about rural health issues.
There are more organizations related to Oklahoma in the organizations section.
Last Reviewed: 8/7/2018