INTEGRIS Health Plans Send Off To Thank Military Medical Team

Integris is asking for your help to say thank you to military members who helped with the hospital care for COVID-19 patients.

While the hospital says it wishes it could keep the 40 medical airmen on forever, they recognize they have families and homes to get back to.

In response to this, they encourage the community to send them off with a drive-thru celebration Wednesday.

Earlier in 2021, the Department of Defense, along with FEMA, created a program to send military members to hospitals that were overwhelmed.

Integris says it was one of them.

Staff was caring for 321 COVID patients statewide, with a majority of them at Baptist Medical Center in OKC.

The hospital was short staffed, leaving caregivers defeated and depleted.

Last month, military physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and techs showed up to help during the omicron surge.

Staff members say the 7000 hours the airmen logged were vital.

“Our staff that have been here in this building since the beginning of COVID, it’s given them a minute to have some time with their family.” said Haylee smith, a Nursing Supervisor at INTEGRIS Health.

The hospital says it could file for an extension, but patient numbers dropped from 321 to 23.

The hospital asks the community to arrive at the main entrance of Baptist Medical Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday with signs, honks and cheers to send the airmen off on their last day.