Stillwater Medical Center Issues Code Green After Staffing Levels Hit Critical

STILLWATER, Okla. (KOKH) — Stillwater Medical Center has declared a Code Green in response to the record number of COVID-19 cases and the overwhelming demand it is having on their healthcare system.

The medical center says the Code Green indicates an external disaster is in effect, causing critical staffing levels within the facility.

“It is important for the public to understand that our resources to provide care for our community are extremely strained right now,” said Shyla Eggers, Director of Public Relations. “We are seeing a record number of patients daily which has resulted in our Emergency Department, our inpatient units, including ICU, and both of our urgent care locations being at or over maximum capacity.”

Stillwater Medical says they are also seeing a record-breaking number of healthcare workers out with COVID, which has added further strain to their already stretched staffing resources. By declaring an emergency, the facility says it gives them the ability to put processes into place to better consolidate resources, implement crisis strategies, and re-evaluate procedure schedules to help in assisting the staff’s needs within the hospital.

“Testing for COVID-19 is an important step in decreasing the spread and keeping our community safe,” Necia Kimber, System Director of Quality and Infection Control, said. “However, due to large increases in positive cases and patient loads in the Emergency departments and urgent care clinics, we would like to encourage those who are seeking testing only and not medical care to utilize the alternate testing locations.”

The medical center is pleading to the public to help reduce the rapid spreading of the coronavirus. By helping reduce the spread, this, in turn, will help alleviate the current strain on all healthcare systems.

In order to further help the strain healthcare systems are experiencing, Stillwater Medical Center says that people getting vaccinated and wearing masks in public settings will be a big help, as well.