OKC Health Brief: New Behavioral Health Annex Transfers, Medicaid Eligibility Bills, and CDC Measles/Flu Update

ByWeence

Oklahoma City, OK – March 4, 2026 – Mental health beds shift to a new SW OKC annex, a Medicaid policy push advances, and CDC updates measles and flu.

Oklahoma City health and public health officials highlighted several developments over the past week, from behavioral health capacity to policy changes tied to public insurance programs, while federal data continue to track respiratory and vaccine-preventable illnesses.

New mental health hospital wing to start taking patients in southwest OKC

State mental health officials say a newly renovated facility known as the Oklahoma City Behavioral Health Campus Annex is scheduled to begin accepting patients next week. The agency plans to transfer a wing of patients from Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman to the Annex site at 2129 SW 59th St.

The Annex has a stated capacity of 32 patients. Officials said the first phase of renovations focused on technology upgrades and cost $1.3 million. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services also said it is using up to $60 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding by the end of 2026 to purchase and renovate nearby buildings as part of a broader effort to replace inpatient care currently provided at Griffin Memorial.

Public benefits bills advance with Medicaid included

At the Capitol, Attorney General Gentner Drummond praised House passage of measures tied to the state’s SECURE Act, describing them as a way to strengthen verification requirements for taxpayer-funded assistance programs. The announcement says the eligibility standards apply across programs that include Medicaid, WIC, SNAP and TANF.

The measures now move to the Oklahoma Senate for further consideration.

Outbreak watch: CDC updates measles totals; flu forecast points to easing admissions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its national measles totals on Feb. 27, reporting confirmed cases across multiple jurisdictions, including Oklahoma. The CDC also noted that kindergarten MMR vaccination coverage has declined from pre-pandemic levels in recent school years, which can leave communities more vulnerable to spread when cases occur.

Separately, the CDC’s Feb. 27 FluSight update projected that weekly lab-confirmed influenza hospital admissions are likely to decrease nationally in the week ending March 7. Local conditions can vary, but the forecast offers a snapshot of where the broader respiratory season may be heading.

Sources

  • https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mental-health-department-set-begin-183042051.html
  • https://oklahoma.gov/oag/news/newsroom/2026/february/drummond-applauds-house-passage-of-secure-act-measures.html
  • https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/
  • https://www.cdc.gov/flu-forecasting/data-vis/02182026-flu-forecasts.html

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