Under New Plan, Oklahoma Health Officials Would Let Nonprofit Manage Public Health Lab kosu.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kosu.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Oklahoma Health Officials Plan To Enter Agreement With Nonprofit For Public Health Lab Management kgou.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kgou.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By: Barry Mangold
OKLAHOMA CITY -
The Oklahoma State Department of Health is considering a public-private partnership with a nonprofit to manage the Public Health Lab and the Oklahoma Pandemic Center for Innovation and Excellence, or OPCIE.
Deputy Commissioner Travis Kirkpatrick said Wednesday they are in talks with Prairie One, a subsidiary of the Oklahoma State University Research Foundation to lead the facilities, which are staffed by state employees.
“We are not privatizing the public health lab,” Kirkpatrick said, adding all existing jobs are secure. The unique partnership would allow the facilities to focus on serving Oklahomans by being better prepared for health emergencies, he said.