Empowering Women and Children: Tulsa-Metro Health Fair Focuses on Reducing Disparities and Increasing Vaccinations

A health fair will be held this weekend in Tulsa-metro with a focus on improving the health of women and children. The Eastern Oklahoma Black Nurses Association is hosting the event, aiming to reduce disparities among people of color and increase vaccination rates among children.

Leaders of the organization mentioned that students in Tulsa Public Schools are behind on immunizations, which is why they have partnered with the Tulsa Health Department and BlueCross Blue Shield to provide vaccinations through the Oklahoma Caring Van. Linda DeJear emphasized the importance of education in addressing health issues, stating that awareness leads to more educated decisions and better utilization of community resources.

The health fair will feature speakers and vendors focused on improving women’s health. Sessions will cover topics such as safe sleep demonstrations and discussions with OB-GYNs on maternal child health. Additionally, the national organization is working on improving maternal health and creating policies to prevent high maternal death rates among Black women.

About 15 vendors will be present at the event, offering information and resources for attendees. The free health fair will take place on Saturday, April 20 at Lacy Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Oklahoma Caring Van will also be available to provide vaccinations to children in need.

In an effort to improve the overall wellness of women and children in Tulsa-metro, a group of nurses has organized a health fair this weekend with a special focus on reducing disparities among people of color and increasing vaccination rates among children.

Linda DeJear, president of Eastern Oklahoma Black Nurses Association (EOBNA), explained that their main goal for this event was to improve health literacy in the community by providing information about available resources.

One major issue they are trying to address is immunizations for Tulsa Public School students who are falling behind schedule due to lack of access or awareness about the importance of vaccinations.

To help address this issue, EOBNA has partnered with other organizations such as Tulsa Health Department and BlueCross Blue Shield through their Oklahoma Caring Van program.

The van will provide vaccinations for children who need them during the free health fair taking place at Lacy Park on Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm.

Beyond vaccinations, attendees can expect sessions covering various aspects of women’s healthcare including safe sleep demonstrations and discussions with OB-GYNs about maternal child health.

In addition, EOBNA has been working nationally to improve maternal healthcare outcomes for Black women who face higher rates of maternal mortality than any other racial group in America.