Healthy Women, Healthy Futures Oklahoma

Healthy Women, Healthy Futures Oklahoma (HWHF) is an evidence-based practice founded in 2008 that focuses on underserved populations with the highest birthrates and disparities in maternal and child health. HWHF is based in Life Course Theory (LCT), which addresses the importance of early programming to one’s future health and development through both intergenerational programming (a woman’s pre-pregnancy health) and prenatal programming (in utero).

We focus on reducing participants’ risk factors, which diminish health, and improving their protective factors by improving their access to primary care and other health services, and through health education, referral and care coordination.

To ensure that health promotion is provided in a manner that is culturally appropriate, culturally responsive and preserves cultural integrity, HWHF trains and supervises community peer educators:

We also subcontract with the Community Service Council’s (CSC) Healthy Start initiative to provide Behavioral Health Care Coordination and Interconception Case Management to women and children enrolled in the Healthy Start program. Both CSC’s and Tulsa Health Department’s Healthy Start programs use HWHF’s health promotion materials to educate their participants.

CORE COMPONENTS

ASSESSMENT of women’s pre-pregnancy risk factors, including social determinants of health and family environment, and of infant and toddler’s social and physical development

EDUCATION – health promotion classes provided in one of three languages (English, Spanish, Zopaw/Zomi (a Burmese dialect)) to address women’s physical, emotional, social and financial health risks

CONNECTION – through referrals to medical homes, community services and resources

PARTNERSHIPS with Community Service Council’s Healthy Start, Burmese Peer Educator and Power of Families Project programs, Tulsa area community schools, early childhood education centers, libraries, and community agencies serving Tulsa County

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

PROGRAM RECOGNITION

HWHF has been an Association of Maternal Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Level 2 Evidence Based Practice since 2010. Learn more >

Recognized by the Healthy Start EPIC Center and as a Level II Practice since 2016

Social Entrepreneur winner of the Journal of Health Promotion’s LaunchPad Initiative, 2016

Oklahoma TurningPoint’s Community Champion for Behavioral Health, 2015

Oklahoma Public Health Association’s Program of the Year for innovation impacting public health in 2014.

COMMUNITY SERVICE COUNCIL
PARTNER PROGRAMS

THE NEED FOR OUR WORK

Oklahoma ranks 47th lowest nationally in the health of women and children and 46th in infant deaths. Tulsa County statistics echo those of the state or in some cases are higher.  Research shows that the major contributor to poor outcomes of mothers and infants is because women are not healthy prior to becoming pregnant.

We provide education, skills and support to assist non-pregnant women of childbearing age, their families and future generations to achieve optimal health and wellness. By doing so, the goal of this evidence based program is to decrease Oklahoma’s and Tulsa County’s high rates of infant prematurity and deaths as well as pregnancy related complication and deaths of mothers.

Improving Oklahomans’ Lives through Research, Planning and Action