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Broken Arrow is Investing in Health

Broken Arrow puts a premium on health.

By Lauren Caggiano on May 3, 2021

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Michael Vore/Union Public Schools

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of maintaining one’s health.>

Such an outcome is tied to many factors, including the availability of quality health care and recreational opportunities that promote fitness. Fortunately for residents of Broken Arrow, they’re taken care of on both fronts.>

Todd Schuster, who serves as vice president and administrator of Saint Francis Hospital South and Saint Francis Hospital Vinita, says preventative medicine is one way the network is enhancing the area’s quality of life.

Case in point: The Warren Clinic is a go-to resource for community members of all ages. It has more than 500 providers who work in locations across the region, including Broken Arrow.

“It started out as a primary care clinic, so very preventative-health focused, keeping people well and out of the hospital,” he says. “It’s really grown over time become a multispecialty clinic. It’s still about 60% primary care and 40% specialty care. And we have specialists in just about every different area of practice.”


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Michael Vore/Union Public Schools

Health Happens Here

But there’s more to the patient experience than the clinical side of things. According to Schuster, the hospital system has worked hard to create an environment that promotes healing. For instance, it has strategically placed Catholic-themed art in and around its facilities to inspire patients and their families to reflect and explore spirituality. The facility-wide color palates, which Schuster describes as “light, bright and clean,” are intended to create a feeling of well-being, too.

Speaking of space, getting fresh air is proven to have rejuvenating properties.


Recreational opportunities abound for the entire family in active and passive green space and special events like the Daddy Daughter Dance, Concerts in the Park, Mom and Son Pool Party, and Take Me Fishing Day, says Matt Hendren, director of parks and recreation.

Sometimes getting fresh air means thinking outside of the box, especially if you have a hyper four-legged friend. Rose West Dog Park is a 10.6-acre greenspace that includes off-leash dog areas for large and small breeds.

“The park provides a great area for Broken Arrow citizens to spend time with their furry family members in an enclosed area that’s perfect for roaming and playing with friends,” Hendren says. “This area is not only for dogs, as Rose West Dog Park provides a much-needed opportunity for social interactions among citizens.”


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Courtesy of City of Huber Heights

Investing in the Future

You can’t put a price tag on human or (canine) connection after being isolated for so long. Thankfully, people can stay active with family and pets at the various parks and trails in the region. The Broken Arrow Parks and Recreation Department alone manages over 800 acres of public land with 41 parks throughout the city. It received the 2020 Gold Medal Award from the Oklahoma Recreation & Parks Society.

Residents can visit places like Liberty Parkway Trail, which invites people to interact safely and at a distance. It runs about 9.5 miles.


Ray Harral Nature Trail, one of 30 trails in 25 states recently added to the National Trails System, is located in the 40-acre Ray Harral Nature Park.

“This designation spotlights unique trail systems and outdoor recreation outlets throughout America that are locally owned and operated by municipalities, states, counties, etc.,” Hendren says.

The trails are only going to get bigger and better with time. The Broken Arrow Creek Trail Phase I has recently been awarded for construction, and the Broken Arrow Creek Phase II is under design.


The trails will connect the Liberty Parkway Trail to the Main Street Bikeway and the award-winning Rose District. The Broken Arrow Main Street Bikeway is a combination of bikeways, signed routes and off-street trails.

From greenways, trails, events and indoor facilities, residents can stay on the move and stay well.

“By offering a wide variety of indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities, residents are able to stay active year-round,” Hendren says.


If you’d like to learn more about the Broken Arrow, OK area, check out the latest edition of Livability Broken Arrow, OK.


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