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Office of Communications

The Office of Communications has overall responsibility for the Oklahoma State Department of Health's internal and external communications, while focusing on three key areas: media relations, electronic communications, and publications. Its charge is to assure the agency's public health communications are specific, timely and accurately delivered to target audiences.

Publications

  • Provide graphic design and print coordination of reports, flyers, posters, brochures/pamphlets, newsletters, manuals, forms, handouts, signs, and novelty items.
  • Coordinate a process of peer review of proposed new publications and reprints of existing publications to assure they are culturally sensitive, reading levels are appropriate for target audience, a distribution plan has been developed, technical accuracy has been verified, and pretesting with an audience sample has been implemented, if necessary.
  • Provide professional support services for central office employees with desktop publishing software.
  • Serve as central repository for all Oklahoma State Department of Health publications submitted to the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

Electronic Communications

  • Make public health information, including statistical, promotional and educational materials, available for Internet access.
  • Serve as gateway for review and manage placement of documents for electronic information retrieval.
  • Maintain an electronic calendar for public health meetings, conferences and training opportunities.
  • Edit and/or produce electronic material for PSAs, educational programs and in-house training.
  • Provide videotaping services for conferences, seminars, and inservice training.
  • Copy video and audio tapes for training and legal purposes.
  • Maintain VCRs, camcorders, TV, audio cassette recorder/players and slide projectors for loan to other service areas.
  • Maintain and operate C/Ku band satellite receiver/dish.
  • Maintain and operate H.323 video teleconferencing system.

Media Relations

  • Serve as media liaison to connect media inquiries to appropriate program/resource person.
  • Write materials concerning public health issues and services for distribution to statewide, metropolitan, or community-specific news media, including news releases, public service materials, special articles, talking points, speeches, and fact sheets.
  • Write and gather material for the agency employee newsletter, medical journals, and the monthly Commissioner's Column.
  • Provide technical expertise to local county health departments in marketing their services.
  • Assist agency program areas in promoting their services to program customers, including: county health department clients, community policy/decision makers, and news media.
  • Provide State Board of Health and agency Executive Committee with analysis of media trends related to public health.
  • Provide internal media training as requested.
  • Participate in external media promotions.

The OSDH Web

The OSDH Web began in 1996 and was one of the first Oklahoma agency Web sites online.  The OSDH Web’s was re-designed and re-launched in February 15, 2008.  The new design was the result of a two-year long redesign process that included looking at the purchasing of new equipment and hiring new personnel, a variety of different designs and countless meetings with various interests groups.

In May of 2007, Secretary of Health and Commissioner of Health Dr. Mike Crutcher made the decision to move the OSDH Web to the state’s official Web portal, www.ok.gov.

As a result of the services OK.gov provides, the move resulted in a cost savings for the agency as no new equipment was necessary and no new personnel needed to be hired to manage the site.

Based on research and recommendations by OK.gov, the layout of the site features a ‘user-centered’ approach based on other state’s public health sites, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site (CDC) and data from server logs how users searched for information through OK.gov.  The design and color scheme of the site was created by an Office of Communications graphic designer.

The site is now maintained through the OK.gov content management system by one Web manager in the Office of Communications who oversees the training and support of over 120 Web coordinators from each service area and county.   Each service, program or county Web Coordinator is responsible for editing and maintaining their area’s pages. The OSDH Web manager is responsible for final approval of published content.

Site content is currently made up of over 4.906 pages and directories, nearly 648 images, and over 6,500 documents from almost every current public health topic relating to Oklahoma, including disease and injury prevention, child and adolescent health information, food safety and inspections

For more information regarding the OSDH Web please contact:

WebMaster
Office of Communications
webmaster@health.ok.gov

Contact:
Tony D. Sellars, Director
Office of Communications
Oklahoma State Department of Health
1000 N.E. Tenth, Room 407
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
405/271-5601

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