OK · 77 Counties
Oklahoma Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Oklahoma's 171 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma has 171 active hospitals across 77 counties, including 38 Critical Access Hospitals and 80 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma's 171 hospitals collectively operate 18,013 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Oklahoma have no hospital?
5 of Oklahoma's 77 counties (6%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Oklahoma?
Of Oklahoma's 171 hospitals, 85 are not-for-profit, 6 are for-profit, and 80 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Oklahoma?
10 rural hospitals have closed in Oklahoma since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Oklahoma?
The median operating margin for Oklahoma's hospitals is -5.2% as of FY2025. 80 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Oklahoma have negative operating margins?
80 of Oklahoma's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Oklahoma?
The average occupancy rate across Oklahoma's hospitals is 44.0% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Oklahoma?
In FY2025, federal rural health programs obligated $6.3M to 10 recipients in Oklahoma. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($4.8M), Flex Program ($775K), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($543K), State Office of Rural Health ($223K). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Oklahoma?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Oklahoma, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $4.8M across 9 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Oklahoma?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Oklahoma, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $775K across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Oklahoma?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Oklahoma, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $543K across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Oklahoma?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Oklahoma, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $223K across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Oklahoma?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Oklahoma are: Oklahoma State University ($1.5M); Shortgrass Community Health Center Inc ($1.5M); Cherokee County Health Services Council ($600K); Duncan Regional Hospital ($549K); Volunteers Of America Of Oklahoma, Inc. ($500K). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Oklahoma receive?
Oklahoma receives $223.5M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.1B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Oklahoma State Department of Health. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma State Department of Health is the designated lead agency managing Oklahoma's $223.5M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Oklahoma?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Oklahoma's $223.5M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Oklahoma's counties?
Across Oklahoma's 77 counties, the average diabetes rate is 12.5%, obesity rate is 42.2%, and uninsured rate is 15.3%. There are 3.8 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Oklahoma's communities?
Oklahoma has 40 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.68 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma has 512 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 192 in primary care, 185 in dental health, and 135 in mental health. An estimated 2,507,122 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Oklahoma have?
Oklahoma has 2,398 primary care physicians (59.2/100k population), 3,979 nurse practitioners, 2,295 physician assistants, and 2,712 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $13,715 with a 16.8% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Oklahoma at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Oklahoma's average county-level rates: diabetes 14.6%, obesity 41%, depression 25.4%, frequent mental distress 18.3%, smoking 19%, and high blood pressure 42.6%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma has 206 FQHC sites operated by 23 grantee organizations. 135 sites (65.5%) are in rural areas and 71 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma has 97 HRSA medically underserved designations: 78 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 19 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 54.2 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Oklahoma prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. Newtack, the publisher of RHT Compass, provides readiness assessments for rural hospitals making this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Oklahoma?
Federal data on Oklahoma's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 171 hospitals in Oklahoma.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Oklahoma Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Oklahoma's 171 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-10-29.