TULSA, Okla. — Hillcrest South is once again accepting patients after being on "divert status" for the last few days.
A ransomware attack targeting the hospital’s parent company has restricted them. They’ve asked ambulances to divert patients to other Green Country emergency rooms.
Saint Francis shouldered some of the burden.
Hillcrest CEO Kevin Gross said diversions are common across the country during cold and flu season. The recent ransomware attack, however, worsened things. That caused headaches for Saint Francis early Nov. 29.
"This morning felt like a COVID day in the emergency room," said St. Francis Hospital president Doug Williams. "The difference is, we worked with EMSA and our other healthcare partners in Tulsa. We were able to balance that out and get people moved out of the emergency room, whereas with COVID, patients just kept coming, and everybody was overloaded at the same time, and there was really no end in sight."
- Previous coverage >>> Divert status lifted after ransomware attack affects Hillcrest hospitals
In something of a twist of fate, Williams credited COVID for preparing Saint Francis’ staff for a situation like this. Saint Francis leaders aren’t trying to turn people away. In fact, they’re encouraging people to get the care they need.
"You might think, 'Wow, it is really busy,' but just know that you will get taken care of and that you will be prioritized based on how sick you are. So just seek care if you need it," Williams said.
This is having an effect on pharmacies, too. Hillcrest doctors weren’t able to send digital prescriptions, so pharmacists like Andrew Kohler at Freeland Brown are having to make adjustments.
He calls it a problem for patients and an inconvenience for him.
"What we have to do, in working with the physicians, is we have to take verbal orders from a physician," Kohler said, "Which means we’re simply picking up the phone and calling them making the refill request that’s pertinent for that patient."
OSU Medical tells 2 News they've also seen an influx of patients. Like Saint Francis, they are happy to help, they said.
Experts recommend that people with an independent primary care physician contact them first before visiting urgent care.
Primary care physicians have after-hours lines where a nurse will answer and speak to the patient," Warren Clinic president Collin Henry said, "and help direct them to the appropriate place to receive care. If one does go to the urgent care, remember we have virtual urgent care, which is 24/7."
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