The Tulsa Medical Access Programs (Tulsa MAPs) are strategies to improve access to care in the Tulsa community by ensuring low-income and underserved populations have access to healthcare and mental health services. This is done by supporting the operation of the safety net clinics in Tulsa, funding allied health organizations including mental health, giving virtual vouchers to eligible patients to receive diagnostic and specialty care, providing medications through Dispensary of Hope at no cost to eligible patients and coalescing community members quarterly to improve organizational relationships.
This program supports uninsured adults aged 18-64 in the Tulsa area by providing access to acute medically necessary diagnostic and specialty care services. Eligible patients are those who receive primary care in the community’s safety net clinics, i.e. clinics serving uninsured patients at no charge or on an income-based sliding fee scale. This program particularly focuses on helping patients address critical health issues.
Safety net partner clinics use Tulsa MAPs online system to request a referral authorization for each service. If approved, the clinic provides the referral and authorization number to the appropriate scheduling source (e.g. Ascension St. John Central Scheduling or the specialist office), who then contacts the patient. Tulsa MAPs receives and pays the resulting bill. The referring clinic acts as the patient’s medical home, coordinating all care and managing the patient’s health outcomes.