Good morning, early birds! The Oklahoma State Department of Health is considering privatizing at least the management of its new public health lab and the state's new pandemic center.

A letter to agency employees Tuesday from Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye said, "This consideration will include the potential privatization of some functions, programs, services, units and/or divisions of the agency,"

A statement Wednesday by OSDH Deputy Commissioner Travis Kirkpatrick indicated the agency did not intend to privatize the lab as a whole and instead said it was considering a management agreement with Prairie One, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the OSU Research Foundation.

"This agreement, which has not been finalized, would allow OSDH to focus on and strengthen public health priorities to better serve Oklahomans and leverage public resources to maximize our capabilities," Kirkpatrick said.

"'Privatize' is broadly defined under state statute - it means to enter into a contract for the performance of a duty or function that is currently being performed by a state employee," he added.