For Dr. Syeachia Dennis, improving health outcomes in Oklahoma starts long before a patient walks into a doctor’s office. As food insecurity and financial strain impact thousands of Medicaid members statewide, Dennis says investing in community-based organizations is critical to preventing crises rather than reacting to them.
On Wednesday, Humana Healthy Horizons announced the selection of six nonprofits to receive $295,500 in Community Impact Awards, targeting some of the state’s most urgent health-related social needs. The investment follows a recent assessment showing 60 percent of Humana’s Oklahoma Medicaid members experience financial strain, while 40 percent face food insecurity.
Targeting Health Before It Becomes a Crisis
The funding supports organizations addressing root causes of poor health outcomes, including hunger, housing instability, and workforce access — challenges that disproportionately affect Medicaid populations across Oklahoma.
The six organizations selected for this award cycle are:
- BeHeard: Operating in Northeast Tulsa, BeHeard is Oklahoma’s only mobile drop-in center serving people experiencing homelessness. Through mobile trailers and buses, the organization provides showers, laundry, clothing, haircuts, hygiene supplies, and case management. The award will help expand BeHeard’s services in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
- FreshRx: Based in Tulsa, FreshRx treats food as medicine by prescribing fresh, locally sourced foods to patients with Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The program directly connects nutrition access to improved health outcomes and continues to expand its reach statewide and nationally.
- OKC Food Hub: Focused on low-income, low-access communities, OKC Food Hub partners with nonprofits, religious groups, and tribal organizations to purchase produce directly from Oklahoma farmers. Its Farm to Food Assistance program strengthens both community health and local economies.
- RestoreOKC: Serving Northeast Oklahoma City, RestoreOKC uses a place-based strategy called HERE — Health, Education, Residential housing, and Employment. The award will support initiatives like the Food Loyalty Program and collaborative community health events.
- A Table in the Wilderness: Working in rural Oklahoma, the organization tackles childhood obesity and diabetes through its At the Kids Table program. Using hands-on cooking classes rooted in S.T.E.A.M. concepts, it promotes nutrition literacy and healthy habits for children and families.
- Youth Medical Mentorship (YMM): YMM focuses on workforce development and healthcare access by exposing students — especially from underrepresented communities — to careers in medicine and science, helping build a more representative healthcare pipeline.
Dr. Syeachia Dennis on Investing Where It Matters Most
The Black Wall Street Times spoke with Dr. Syeachia Dennis, Chief Medical Officer for Humana Healthy Horizons of Oklahoma, about how the company’s approach to investment has evolved.
“We really wanted to highlight these investments because we’ve matured and better understood the Medicaid population that Humana is serving here in Oklahoma,” Dennis said.
She explained that Humana has become more intentional about supporting organizations addressing food access, medicine, and workforce development — areas she sees as deeply interconnected.
“As a family medicine physician, I really understand the impact of lifestyle medicine and healthy foods,” Dennis said. “FreshRx is doing outstanding work, helping patients understand how nutrient-rich food can shape their health outcomes.”
Dennis also highlighted Youth Medical Mentorship as a key partner.
“They are getting into schools and exposing students to people in the medical and science fields,” she said. “They started in Tulsa, but they’ve expanded to Tahlequah and Oklahoma City, and they have aspirations to take this work across the state.”
A Population-Wide Approach to Medicaid Care
Dennis emphasized that Humana’s strategy extends beyond individual member services.
“This is about a population-wide approach,” she said. “We know we can reach far more people by engaging community-based organizations that are already on the ground, connecting with our members and Oklahomans more broadly.”
Through its Medicaid plan, Humana connects daily with members to address social drivers of health such as food insecurity and financial stress — challenges Dennis says require both direct support and broader community investment.
Closing Kicker
“We are very focused on what the state brought us here to do,” Dennis said. “That is to improve health and drive better outcomes for Oklahomans.”
As Oklahoma continues to grapple with widening health disparities, these investments reflect a growing recognition that lasting change starts outside the clinic — in neighborhoods, schools, kitchens, and community organizations already doing the work.