Healthcare Organizations Adjusts Following Challenges Presented By Winter Storm

The winter storm slowed things down for many businesses, but healthcare workers said it was business as usual.

Health groups in the metro area said weather like this is not ideal as they continue to fight the spread of COVID-19 and meet the demands of their patients.

Chairs that would be full of blood donors went untouched for days.

“People were coming in at a steady rate but certainly not what we're used to,” Carson Cunningham, Oklahoma Blood Institute public relations manager said.

The Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) said during the winter storm they remained open, but many donors chose to ride the storm out from home. OBI said it takes about 1,200 donors a day to meet the state's blood supply needs and the demand for red blood cells is higher than normal.

The winter storm coming in just puts an even bigger dent in their blood shortage problem.

“It affects our entire operation. Whether it be drivers driving to the hospital and certainly our mobile blood drives have been way down. 70 percent of our mobile drives have been canceled because the weather is so bad,” Cunningham said.

The OBI said the need for blood never stops and that goes for the need for nurses as well. Christy Hatch is a registered nurse at Integris Baptist Medical Center. She rode out the storm at work.

“I mean we're staying in the same type of beds that our patients sleep in. A hospital bed. They opened up a floor that we're not utilizing right now to caregivers to be able to stay,” Hatch said.

Nurses throughout the Metro said they're overwhelmed with COVID patients. Right now, there are no ICU beds available at Integris. She said to meet the demand this was her best option.

“Everyone who has ever stayed the night in a hospital knows they're not the most comfortable beds, but you make do with what you have. I'm really looking forward to one way or another getting home tonight,” Hatch said,

With the sun coming out, health organizations said things are slowly getting back to normal. OBI said they hope to open up a few pop-up drives to make up for the ones they canceled.