Oklahoma Complete Health Recognizes National Rural Health Day

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Nov 17, 2022, 08:32 ET

OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- November 17 marks National Rural Health Day, an observance that highlights and raises awareness of the unique healthcare challenges facing those living in rural communities across the country. Oklahoma Complete Health is committed to improving healthcare accessibility, and in honor of National Rural Health Day, is raising awareness to the systemic challenges of rural health and to the importance of making healthcare accessible to all.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 46 million U.S. residents – approximately 15% of the population – lived in rural areas in 2020. Rural Americans face numerous health disparities compared to those living in urban areas and are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than their urban counterparts.

Some rural areas have characteristics that put residents at higher risk of death, such as long travel distances to specialty and emergency care or exposures to specific environmental hazards. They also have higher rates of poverty, less access to healthcare, and are less likely to have health insurance. All of these factors can lead to poor health outcomes.

Oklahoma Complete Health recognizes that in order to ensure people in rural communities have access to high-quality care, it must support rural populations, providers and the broader communities they serve. To help promote awareness for National Rural Health Day and highlight the unique health challenges rural communities face, Oklahoma Complete Health mobilized community resources to bring a free community screening event to Seminole County. Working alongside of the Seminole County Health Department, the City of Seminole and several community partners, the event provided preventive health screenings, dental and vision screens and community resources like shelf-stable food distribution and additional services.

"Where a person lives shouldn't determine their health outcomes and livelihood," said Clay Franklin, President and CEO of Oklahoma Complete Health. "At Oklahoma Complete Health, we are proud to help bring a collective focus to issues facing rural communities, and we will continue to work with providers and state and local government partners to help improve rural health outcomes across Oklahoma.

About Oklahoma Complete Health

Oklahoma Complete Health is a Care Management Organization that serves the needs of Oklahomans through a range of health insurance solutions. Oklahoma Complete Health serves our communities by focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals through its federal insurance marketplace plan (Ambetter) and its Medicare Advantage Plan (Wellcare). Oklahoma Complete Health is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise. For more information visit www.oklahomacompletehealth.com.

SOURCE Oklahoma Complete Health