OU Health

We’re proud to announce that 16 of our services were nominated as top-five finalists for The Oklahoman's 2026 Community’s Choice Awards! You can cast your vote in each category once a day until the voting round closes on Wednesday, May 27 at 11:59 p.m. Vote online: https://brnw.ch/21x2APy Vote for OU Health in the following categories: • Allergy Clinic — OU Health Ear, Nose & Throat • Cancer Center — OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center • Cardiovascular Center • Children’s Hospital — Oklahoma Children's OU Health • Emergency Room • Eye Care Clinic — Dean McGee Eye Institute • Family Practice • Hospital / Medical Center • Maternity & Childbirth Center • Memory Care • Occupational Therapy • Orthopedic / Sports Medicine Center • Surgery Center • Urgent Care / Walk‑In Clinic • Weight Loss Center The Official Community’s Choice Awards gives Oklahomans the opportunity to honor their favorite businesses and organizations in the area by voting for them to be Community’s Choice.

We’re proud to announce Dr. Natalie Stratemeier as the inaugural Medical Director for the breast imaging clinics at OU Health. Dr. Stratemeier brings deep clinical expertise, a collaborative leadership style, and a strong commitment to advancing access to high-quality healthcare. In this new role, she will help shape the vision, clinical strategy, and integration of services across the breast imaging clinics supporting OU Health’s mission to deliver exceptional, patient-centered care. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Stratemeier as we continue to strengthen and expand behavioral health services for the communities we serve.

Thank you to everyone who helped make National Nurses Week at OU Health so meaningful. We’re grateful for our leaders and team members who came together to celebrate and support our nurses — you made this week truly special. To our nurses: thank you for all you do. We’re honored to have you at OU Health. ❤️🩺

Kids eat free this summer at Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health! OU Health and Sodexo USA are proud to join the USDA Summer Food Service Program, offering free, nutritious lunch to all children 18 and under throughout the summer months. From May 27 through Aug. 7, 2026, free meals will be available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for children and teens ages 18 and under at the Oklahoma Children’s Cafeteria. Meals include a USDA approved hot entrée, a fruit choice (apple, banana, or orange), and milk. All meals must be enjoyed in the hospital cafeteria. This program helps bridge the summer nutrition gap and supports the well-being of kids across our community.

🦁🐘 Last weekend, OU Health celebrated our incredible employees with a roaring good time at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden! Moments like these give us the chance to connect outside of work, strengthen the relationships that carry into our teams every day, and recognize the dedication that defines our caregivers. We also celebrate the families who stand beside our employees through long hours and meaningful moments of caring for others.

Don't forget to stop by OnCue Express and pick up our favorite summertime treat — a cold, refreshing fountain drink that supports Oklahoma Children's OU Health Behavioral Health Center! Fifty cents of every OnCue Charitable Cup that is purchased will be donated to support Oklahoma children, now through the end of June. Opening in December, Oklahoma Children’s OU Health Behavioral Health Center will be a state-of-the-art facility that helps address the state’s youth mental health crisis by providing comprehensive, compassionate and evidence-based behavioral health care. 🪁 Giving back never tasted so good! 🪁

Happy National Nurses Week! 🎉 From May 6–12, we proudly celebrate the incredible impact nurses have on our patients, our teams, and our communities every single day. This year’s theme, “Care, Lead, Inspire — Repeat,” reflects the heart of nursing at OU Health. Our nurses provide exceptional care, lead with confidence and expertise, and inspire everyone around them to be better. Whether at the bedside, in clinics, or behind the scenes, they show up every day with compassion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to putting patients first. To our nurses, thank you for all that you do. Not just this week, but every day. ❤️🩺

I’m so proud to share that Cohort 17 has graduated from OU Health’s Nurse Residency Program! This outstanding group of nurses represents the next generation of healthcare professionals. Over the past year, they’ve built confidence, sharpened their skills, and demonstrated an unwavering dedication to delivering compassionate, high quality care. As the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system, OU Health is committed to advancing education and elevating professional practice. Our Nurse Residency Program brings that mission to life through a strong academic partnership with The University of Oklahoma College of Nursing. Together, we bridge the transition from student to practicing nurse – where knowledge gained in the classroom is brought to life through hands-on experience and mentorship from OU Health preceptors. Our program offers:  ▪️ One-on-one guidance from experienced preceptors and Residency Coordinators who are invested in your growth.  ▪️ An evidence-based curriculum developed by Vizient, Inc and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) that equips you with resources, experiences, and personalized support.  ▪️ A sense of belonging and purpose as part of a mission-driven academic health system.  ▪️ Eligibility for new graduates from an accredited nursing program (associate degree, diploma, bachelor’s degree). To our Cohort 17 graduates: As you advance in your nursing journey, remember to remain resilient, continuously elevate your talents, and foster a culture of excellence and performance in every aspect of our patient care and community efforts. The work that we do is truly special and it’s important to never lose sight of that. Congratulations on this significant accomplishment! Start your career where education, research, and clinical care meet to build a strong foundation for your future in nursing: OUHealth.com/Nursing

OU Health showed up in a big way at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Marathon last weekend — and we couldn’t be more proud of the teams who made it happen. Oklahoma Children’s OU Health sponsored the Kids Marathon on Saturday, with nearly 100 employees, patients, and volunteers helping our youngest runners cross the finish line. As co-sponsor of the Health & Wellness Expo, OU Health connected with 30,000+ people on Friday and Saturday from across the country, sharing resources, answering questions, and talking about the care we provide every day. More than 100 OU Health runners took to the course over the weekend to remember and honor those forever impacted, while 200+ volunteers across the Kids Race, Expo, Medical Tents and campus water stop helped ensure a meaningful and successful weekend. Marathon weekend is always about remembrance, resilience, and showing up for our community, and we’re honored to play a small part in that mission year after year. Thank you to every OU Health runner, volunteer, employee and leader who gave their time and energy all weekend long. We couldn’t do this without all of you.

OU Health is proud to partner with Oklahoma City Public Schools and the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation to launch Future Forward, a mentorship initiative designed to help address healthcare workforce shortages by connecting high school seniors directly to career opportunities in healthcare. This week, we celebrated the program’s first cohort, recognizing students who completed a year of hands-on training, mentorship, career preparation and on-site interviews with OU Health recruiters. By pairing students with OU Health professionals and creating a direct pipeline from graduation to employment, Future Forward helps build the next generation of healthcare workers — strengthening our workforce while expanding access to meaningful careers. Congratulations to our students and mentors. We look forward to growing this impact with future cohorts and expanding to additional OKCPS locations. 📸First Image: Future Forward program participants stand together holding OU Health folders in front of a red and white balloon display at a celebration event. 📸Second Image: A Future Forward participant reviews a healthcare careers brochure during the program celebration, with event decorations visible in the background. 📸Third Image: Future Forward participants pose with an OU Health professional inside an OU Health event space following the cohort recognition.