County awards $299,813.63 opioid-abatement grant for maternal care to OU Health Sciences Center

The Oklahoma County Board of County Commissioners approved a subaward of $299,813.63 to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for a maternal-care program funded by 2025 opioid-abatement grant dollars.

The program will fund a three-way partnership that the purchaser described as serving pregnant and parenting women with substance-use disorders, including opioid use disorder, in Oklahoma County; the plan links a specialized prenatal clinic called STAR (Substance use Treatment and Recovery) with a Better Chance (ABC) pediatric and parenting follow-up clinic and on-site legal services provided by Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.

County staff said STAR will deliver integrated prenatal care to women with substance-use disorders beginning in the third trimester and the ABC clinic will provide pediatric follow-up, home-based parenting intervention, developmental monitoring and clinical services through the infant's first year. Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma will assign a full-time attorney and a prelegal paralegal to provide no-cost legal support including assistance with court fines and obtaining identification for patients served.

A commissioner moved to accept the purchasing agent's recommendation and another commissioner seconded. The board voted "Aye"; the motion passed. Staff noted the award followed a request-for-proposals process and evaluation by county policy and governance staff and the county manager. The award and contracting steps were approved at the meeting; no additional conditions were recorded on the public record during discussion.

Several other bidders were listed during the bid opening earlier in the meeting; county procurement staff said bids would be tabulated and returned as part of normal procurement processing.