Nicknamed the "Sooner State", Oklahoma has an estimated land area of 68,679 square miles and a population of 3,450,654. It is fitting that the name Oklahoma means "Red People" in the Choctaw language because the state has the largest Native American population in the U.S. Many of the 252,420 Native Americans living in the state are descendents from the original 67 tribes inhabiting Indian Territory. According to the 2000 Census, 76.2% of the population is White; 7.9% American Indian; 7.6% African American; 5.2% is of Hispanic origin and 1.4% is Asian. This state is also home to Langston University, a historically black university. Although Oklahoma has several large metropolitan areas, most notably Oklahoma City and Tulsa, 33% of all Oklahomans actually live in rural areas.

Health Departments

• Oklahoma Area Health Education Centers' (OKAHEC)
  A community-state-federal partnership established in 1984 at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
• Oklahoma State Department of Health
• State of Oklahoma County Health Departments

Community Based Organizations

• CHAIN: Oklahoma's Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Information Network
  Statewide directory of resources for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.
• OASIS: Statewide Information and Referral System
  Community resources for Oklahomans with special needs, and other families in need.
• Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services
• Oklahoma Disability Resource Guide
  Maintained by Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, contains program descriptions and contact information for agencies that assist Oklahomans with disability-related concerns.

Library Information

• Directory of Oklahoma Public Libraries and Systems.
• National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) Library
• NN/LM Resource Libraries
  • Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City
  • OU Tulsa Library, Schusterman Center
  • Oklahoma State University Center for the Health Sciences Medical Library, Tulsa
• Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL)
  Official state library of Oklahoma.
• Oklahoma Library Association
• SCC/MLA (South Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association)
  Serving Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
• University of Oklahoma School of Library and Information Studies
  Offers the only American Library Association-accredited master's program in Oklahoma.

State/Local Associations

• American Diabetes Association - In Your Area
• American Lung Association of Oklahoma
• American Red Cross
  • Central Oklahoma Chapter
  • Heart of Oklahoma Chapter
  • Tulsa Area Chapter
• Oklahoma Board of Chiropractic Examiners
• Oklahoma Board of Dentistry
• Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision
• Oklahoma Board of Nursing
• Oklahoma Dental Association
  Promotes public health and health services in the State of Oklahoma, to advance the art and science of dentistry, to represent the interest of the members of the dental profession and the public which it serves, and to foster an awareness of the obligations and responsibilities of the dental profession to society.
• Oklahoma Health Care Authority
  Oklahoma's Medicaid Agency.
• Oklahoma Hospital Association
• Oklahoma Nurses Association
  Professional organization for nurses in the state. Its mission is to serve the educational, informational, professional and advocacy needs of all nurses. The Oklahoma Nurses Association promotes public policy to best serve the nursing profession, the healthcare community, and the public.
• Oklahoma Pharmacists Association
• Oklahoma State Board of Health
• Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers
• Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy
  • Other pharmacy organizations in Oklahoma
• Oklahoma State Medical Association

Special Populations

• Oklahoma Area Indian Health Service
  Provides technical and administrative support for the provision of health care to American Indians residing in Oklahoma, Kansas and a portion of Texas.
• Oklahoma Native American Tribes
• A number of Oklahoma tribes have websites including the following:
  • Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Caddo Tribe of Oklahoma
  • The Cherokee Nation
  • Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
  • The Chickasaw Nation
  • The Choctaw Nation
  • Citizen Potawatomi Nation
  • Comanche Nation
  • Delaware Tribe of Indians
  • Eastern Shawnee Tribe*
  • Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Kaw Nation
  • Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Miami Nation*
  • Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma*
  • Muscogee (Creek) Nation
  • Osage Nation
  • Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma*
  • Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
  • The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma*
  • Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma*
  • The Sac and Fox Nation
  • Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
  • Seneca-Cayauga Tribe*
  • Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Wichita and Affiliated Tribes
  • Wyandotte Nation*

    *One of the eight tribes comprising the Tribes of Northeast Oklahoma

Statistical Information

• Center for Health Statistics, Oklahoma State Department of Health
• Health Status Indicator Profiles
  Data from diverse sources providing an overview of the health status of Oklahomans. These profiles are available for each Oklahoma county and for the state.
• The Needs of Individuals With Disabilities in Oklahoma
  Highlights the key findings from the 2001-2002 Oklahoma Disability Survey (ODS).
• Oklahoma Department of Commerce Data and Statistics
  Links to resources include demographic and economic data and community profiles.
• Oklahoma Department of Human Services Facts & Figures
  County profiles and other statistics relevant to the work of this agency.
• Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Statistics and Other Data page
• Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission
  Provides access to numerous statistics about Oklahomans who are Native American.
• Oklahoma Injury Facts
• Oklahoma Kid's Count Factbook
  Gathers data from a variety of sources to report on the well-being of children and youth in Oklahoma.
• State Health Facts Online
  Latest state-level data on demographics, health and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing and state legislation. From the Kaiser Family Foundation.
• State of the State's Health
  Report from the State Board of Health.
• State Snapshots 2005 from the National Healthcare Quality Report
  Oklahoma's overall healthcare quality performance compared to all states and how it has changed.

Other Resources

• Environmental Protection Agency Watershed Profile
• Healthy Schools
  State-level school health policies from the National Association of State Boards of Education.
• Oklahoma Turning Point
  Statewide implementation of a national initiative of the W.K. Kellogg and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations designed to transform and strengthen public health infrastructures and founded on the idea that diverse groups working together can better identify and influence the determinants of health.
• State Government Information
  Developed by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.
• Schools for Healthy Lifestyles
  An innovative, community-based health promotion program in Oklahoma.
• Superfund sites in Oklahoma
• Your Oklahoma: Family and Health
• Your Oklahoma: The Official State Web Site