OU Health Marks Construction Milestone For New Pediatric Behavioral Health Facility
OU Health is adding another building to its campus for treating pediatric behavioral health.
A construction milestone was reached Thursday.
Officials gathered to watch a giant crane place the last steel beam in the frame of the new pediatric behavioral health center.
The building will be the first of its kind in Oklahoma.
Dr. Rachel Zettl is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at OU Health. She said the center will fill an existing gap in health care coverage.
“I have lots of patients who really need access to this kind of treatment. And unfortunately, we've been underrepresented when it comes to health options here in Oklahoma,” Zettl said.
One in five Oklahoma youth struggles with mental health issues, and suicide is one of the top ten causes of death in the state.
The three-story building will house 72 beds for children to receive short-term and long-term mental health care.
It’s set to open in Dec. 2026.
Meat Recall Involving Oklahoma Company Expands To More Products
A recall involving an Oklahoma company has expanded to include more ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the update this week.
BrucePac in Durant is recalling more than 11 million pounds of meat products like premade salads and frozen meals over Listeria concerns.
This is an increase from the recall announced last week. USDA officials say they updated to show the recalled food was also distributed to schools.
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service found the problem during a routine inspection. Further investigation found BrucePac chicken to be the source of Listeria.
The products were shipped to grocery stores, schools, restaurants and other vendors nationwide.
There have been no confirmed reports of people having bad reactions after eating the food. Officials continue to urge organizations not to serve or use food that could be contaminated.
Listeria can cause listeriosis, which can mainly impact pregnant women, their newborns, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
USDA officials say people in higher-risk categories with flu-like symptoms after eating contaminated food should seek medical care.
Oklahoma ATC Scores Below National Average
Data released Wednesday show Oklahoma’s ACT Scores are well below the national average. Oklahoma’s scores ranked second-to-last nationally.
Oklahoma’s class of 2024 averaged a composite score of 17.6 out of 36 on the ACT.
National scores average at 19.4, putting Oklahoma second to last, just ahead of Nevada.
The Class of 2024 began high school during the pandemic, but data shows test scores have been declining since before then, and that more than half of Oklahoma’s students don’t meet college readiness benchmarks in any test subject.
Oklahoma started requiring the exam in 2017, with an average score of 19.4, but two years later it dropped to 18.9.
Oklahoma and a dozen other states require all students to take the exam, free of cost. Because of this, ACT says it’s important to not compare scores as other states test different percentages of students.
SoonerPoll Results Show Former President Trump Maintains Commanding Lead In Race
A poll of likely voters in Oklahoma shows Donald Trump’s lead over his Democratic opponent has tightened since the last election.
But the former President still maintains a commanding lead.
According to a poll conducted in late August by the non-partisan SoonerPoll, Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris by about 16 percentage points.
In comparison, Trump beat Joe Biden in Oklahoma by more than 30 points in 2020.
Oklahoma Democratic Chair Alicia Andrews believes that difference is because of more moderate voters in the state.
“I believe that Oklahomans, in general, aren’t super extreme,” Andrews said.
But Oklahoma Republican Party Executive Director Stan Stevens doesn’t think those numbers are entirely accurate.
“It’s highly likely that President Trump is under polling. A lot of Republicans don’t care to participate in polls,” Stevens said.
In 2022, data from SoonerPoll showed Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Joy Hofmeister leading Kevin Stitt.
Stitt, however, ultimately won re-election.
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