Newsroom | News Releases

Five organizations honored for improving the health of Oklahomans 

TULSA, Okla. — Five organizations were honored Sept. 19 at the 21st annual Champions of Health gala at the Cox Business Convention Center, featuring Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The Champions of Health awards, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, recognize people and organizations working to improve health outcomes throughout the state. 

“As an organization we work every day to improve our state’s health,” BCBSOK President Stephania Grober said. “And we recognize we are just one piece of that overall health puzzle. By partnering with and supporting nonprofits like the Oklahoma Caring Foundation and our Champions of Health honorees we are able to multiply their efforts in our communities — working together for a healthier Oklahoma.”

The 2024 Champions of Health recipients are: 

Champion of Children’s Health: Global Gardens

Champion of Senior Health: RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) of Central Oklahoma

Champion of the Uninsured: Community Treatment Integrations OK

Champion of Community Health: Be Well Community Development Corporation

The highest honor, the Rodney L. Huey Memorial Champion of Oklahoma Health Award, is given to the person or organization with the most unique and effective approach to improving Oklahoma health. This year, Emergency Infant Services received the award and a $20,000 grant toward its mobile unit program Baby Blue. Baby Blue strives to remove access barriers to basic needs such as diapers and formula. 

In addition to the honorees, the Champions of Health gala featured remarks by NBA player, fashion enthusiast and philanthropist Jalen Williams. Williams, a forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, shared his journey to becoming an NBA player and how he stays physically fit, learning to prioritize his mental health along the way. 

The evening’s capstone was a jersey swap between Williams and the Heart of a Champion winner Kalley Hogue. Hogue, a senior at Oologah High School, participates in soccer, basketball, track and softball. She was nominated and chosen for having the “heart of a champion” and going above and beyond in her community and school. 

The Champions of Health gala, presented by BCBSOK, benefits the Oklahoma Caring Foundation Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing Oklahomans access to preventive health services. Since 1999, the foundation's Caring Vans^® have provided over 380,000 vaccinations to more than 230,000 underserved children. 

For information, visit championsofhealth.org. 

###

About Champions of Health
The annual Champions of Health Gala benefits The Oklahoma Caring Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing Oklahomans access to preventive health services. Founded in 1994, the foundation is funded by community contributions and administered as an in-kind gift by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

The Champions of Health awards program is presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, in partnership with Care Providers Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians, the Oklahoma Dental Association, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association, the Oklahoma Primary Care Association, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
For 84 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma has been committed to meeting the health care financing needs of Oklahomans. As the state's oldest and largest private health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma provides health care benefit plans for more than 800,000 Oklahomans. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Media Contact

Jenny Lee
Jenny_Lee@bcbsok.com
918-724-6082