Saint Francis Sees Patient Surge Amid Cold And Flu Season

A surge in emergency room and urgent care visits across Green Country is leading to healthcare providers adapting to the demand.

Saint Francis’ Warren Clinic says wait times are doubled across clinics and emergency rooms.

Saint Francis says the influx of patients is from all the family gatherings over the holiday, and now, it’s cold and flu season.

The hospital says emergency room wait times normally range from one to three hours but are currently extended up to six hours or longer at Saint Francis.

It says it doesn’t want anyone to avoid being seen and that cases will be prioritized by severity.

Saint Francis says patients have to sit in the ER’s hallways and lay on gurneys in order to make room for more patients.

The hospital’s president, Doug Williams, says the surge is expected for this time of year, but it’s reminiscent of the peak of COVID.

“I think what we learned during COVID is we’re all here trying to help people, and we all rally together, and situations like this bring out the best in everybody. We all work closely together to make sure that we take care of people in Tulsa, our community, to make sure that the healthcare needs are being met,” Williams said. 

Warren Clinic says it will soon extend its hours to accommodate for walk-in demand.