Julie Watson, M.D., the chief medical officer for INTEGRIS Health and medical leaders from three other major health systems in the Oklahoma City metro sounded the alarm last week saying we had reached our breaking point. Today, she takes us inside INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center to show us the stark reality and talk to several physicians at the heart of the battle.
INTEGRIS Health hit a record high for the number of infectious COVID-19 patients hospitalized within our system this week. The record since the pandemic began had been 301, set in December of 2020 and January of 2021. On Monday, we were at 317 - and today, we are treating 313 COVID patients. Sixty-seven-percent of them are unvaccinated.
Julie Watson, M.D., the chief medical officer for INTEGRIS Health, says this is more evidence that we are moving in the wrong direction. Watson and medical leaders from three other major health systems in the Oklahoma City metro sounded the alarm last week saying we had reached our breaking point. Today, she takes us inside INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center to show us the stark reality and talk to several physicians at the heart of the battle.
We hope this rare look behind hospital walls helps people understand the seriousness of the situation. COVID is not the common cold. It is not the flu. Omicron is not ‘mild’ for all. Many Oklahomans are really sick and some are even dying from this preventable virus. Health care workers are exhausted and pleading for the public’s help. Get vaccinated and boosted, wear your mask, social distance and stay home when you’re sick.
If you won’t do these things for others, then do them for yourself. Do them so if you are sick or injured we will be able to help you. Because right now, under these near impossible circumstances, the exceptional care you expect from us is becoming harder and harder to provide.
