Tulsa Tackles Healthcare Access, Tourism, and East Tulsa Development

Good morning, this is Tulsa Local Pulse for Thursday, January 15th. We're starting this morning with some significant news from the state level that's going to directly impact healthcare in our community. The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust announced millions in grants yesterday to expand access to trained doctors and cancer treatment right here in Oklahoma. Oklahoma State University Medical Center is receiving thirty million dollars to develop a brand new facility dedicated to graduate medical education, with the goal of creating one hundred additional physician residency positions. According to the American Medical Association, most physicians who complete their residency training choose to practice in the state where they trained, so this investment should help address the healthcare provider shortage we've been facing, especially in rural areas. Meanwhile, OU Health Sciences is getting twenty five million dollars to support construction of a new Stephenson Cancer Center location in Tulsa. This full fledged facility will bring cutting edge cancer treatment and clinical trials to northeast Oklahoma, giving patients across our region the same advanced care options available in Oklahoma City. Over at city hall, the Urban and Economic Development Committee is moving forward with plans to put a hotel guest tax increase on the August ballot. If voters approve it, the tax would rise from five percent to nine percent and a quarter percent. That hasn't gone up in forty years, and the revenue would support operations at the BOK Center and Arvest Convention Center while promoting tourism and major events for our city. Town halls will kick off in February to let residents learn more about the proposal. Speaking of development, east Tulsa is getting a lot of attention right now. The Project Anthem data center is coming up for a Tulsa City Council vote on January nineteenth. Meanwhile, city leaders are working on community engagement initiatives to reverse some negative perceptions about the east side and attract investment and traffic to the area. There's also some important work happening around legal services for immigrants in our state. Data shows that about eighty percent of people with pending immigration cases in Oklahoma don't have legal representation, and attorneys say the need is far outpacing their capacity to help. Immigration attorney Lorena Rivas, who has offices in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City, says the situation has become increasingly challenging as detention cases surge. Looking at today's weather, we're looking at clear skies with a high around fifty four degrees. It's going to be a pleasant day with light winds from the west, so feel free to get outside if you can. Thank you for tuning in to Tulsa Local Pulse. Be sure to subscribe for more local updates tomorrow. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.