Oklahoma colleges awarded grant for rural tribal healthcare benefits partnership

OKLAHOMA (KSWO) - A grant for $2.57 million, designed to address the healthcare shortage in rural Oklahoma, has been awarded to the Western Oklahoma State College in Altus and Redlands Community College in El Reno.

Redlands and Western partnered together to submit a proposal for the grant, whose funds will be used to increase student capacity for both colleges’ nursing programs, increase the number of nursing graduates, and expand tribal partnerships in their ten-county service areas.

The partnership will also focus on creating pathways for more students, including those with local tribes and nations, to pursue education and careers in healthcare.