Hospitals collect enormous amounts of data. But how much of that data actually helps improve the health of the communities they serve?
In Episode 25 of Viral Healthcare, Bruce Spurlock sits down with Rich Rasmussen, President and CEO of the Oklahoma Hospital Association, to explore OK HOP and a different approach to improving health across Oklahoma.
OK HOP brings together data from hospitals and sources outside the traditional healthcare system to identify gaps affecting health at the community level. Transportation, broadband access, food availability, healthcare access, chronic disease, and other factors can all influence whether patients ultimately achieve better outcomes.
Bruce and Rich discuss why hospitals, particularly in rural communities, often serve as much more than places to receive medical care. They are anchor organizations, employers, public health resources, and essential parts of the local safety net.
The conversation also explores how Oklahoma is bringing hospitals, health plans, government agencies, transportation leaders, chambers of commerce, philanthropy, and other stakeholders together around shared priorities and measurable outcomes.
The lesson extends well beyond Oklahoma. We already collect much of the data needed to understand where communities are struggling. The opportunity is to connect it, prioritize it, and use it to decide where action can make the greatest difference.
In this episode: