03/30/2024
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For more than a year McCurtain Memorial Hospital has been planning for the upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse. Below is information about our preparations and also to inform you of our hours of operations at our rural health clinics, closures, and other important information.
- Preparation
Approximately a year ago, MMH began holding monthly internal meetings to discuss plans and preparation for the April 8 eclipse. We also began attending meetings with local, county, state and federal entities – and we began reaching out to other states and hospitals that have experienced these and similar events in the past. Our meetings increased as we’ve approached the event here locally to weekly meetings.
All department directors and managers have been attending these meetings with a focus on staffing, supplies, and overall preparedness for this historic event. In anticipation of this event, we have certainly increased staffing, offering sleeping quarters at the hospital, increased supplies drastically, and have secured additional resources we might need.
In February, MMH held a massive drill in preparation of this and similar events that included close to 100 employees of the hospital.
We have increased food for our patients and other medical supplies. We’ve also, through the help of our Information and Technology department and maintenance team, established secure internet service in the event power goes out anytime during the eclipse. The hospital’s generator is also full of fuel (1800 gallons) and additional supply is available to use if needed.
- Closures / Business Hours
1. Outpatient Services
On Friday, the Wellness Center and Therapy will be closed (April 5). We will have outpatient lab and radiology services on that day.
Starting Saturday, April 6, 2024, all outpatient services are closed. This includes outpatient mammography, sonography, laboratory, Wellness Center, Therapy and radiology. Outpatient services will remain closed until Tuesday morning, April 9.
2. RHC Hochatown
Our rural health clinic in Hochatown will be open daily, without closing, 9AM to 7PM. We are staffing that clinic with additional medical providers and trauma nurses. We have worked with AirEvac to also have two helicopters available to during the eclipse.
3. RHC Valliant
Our rural health clinic in Valliant will be open normal business hours, except Monday, April 8. All Valliant staff and the medical provider is being reassigned to the hospital and our Idabel clinic.
4. RHC Idabel
Our Idabel clinic will be closed on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7. Otherwise, the clinic will be open regular business hours all other days. All non-emergent medical attention should go to our clinics to avoid the emergency department to ensure we can assist medical emergencies in the ER in a timely manner. All non-emergencies will experience extremely long wait times, potentially.
5. MMH Cafe
The MMH Café will close to the public on Friday, April 5, and will remain closed until Tuesday, April 9. The Dietary team will be focused on preparing meals for our patients and employees who are staying at / working at MMH. We will not take any outside call-in orders to-go during this time, either.
6. Parking / Access to the Hospital
Concrete barriers will be added this week to all entrances to the hospital. There will be one entrance into the hospital from Lincoln Road. It will be the far east entrance. That will be the only way to enter and leave the hospital. Barriers will also be added just north of the turn-in to our Idabel RHC clinic to divert traffic out of our parking lot if not seeking medical attention at the Emergency Room.
The entrance from Avenue N will be sealed off.
All MMH employees, including physicians, will be restricted from parking in the normal physician / doctor parking area outside of the east entrance for Ambulances / EMS. That parking lot will be fully closed. Additionally, the parking lot just north of the physician parking will be closed so that campers can be parked in that area. All employees must park in the front of the hospital, on the lower level, or at the back of the hospital, only. Employees should not park at the front of the hospital, top level, nor in the physical therapy parking at the rear of the hospital. No unauthorized vehicles will be allowed on our property and are subject to being towed at owner's expense if found parked.
All visitors and employees must use the ER Registration entrance only. No other entrances will be open.
- Information Line
MMH’s Public Information Officer, Kayla Manginell, will be the communities’ point of contact for additional information during this event. She can be reached at 580-208-3100 or by email at pio@mmhok.com. Email is the preferred method of contact during this event and we will work to get a response to you as quickly as possible.
In the event of a mass medical emergency event, the hospital will continuously update the public via social media and our website. Please follow us on Facebook and at www.mmhok.com.
- Hospital Leadership
The entire MMH executive leadership team has established a command center within the hospital and will be on site, 24 hours a day, during this event. Administration can be reached at 580-208-3100 or by sending an email to:
Brian Whitfield - President & CEO – ceo@mmhok.com
Kena Allen - Chief Financial Officer – cfo@mmhok.com
Lane Manginell, Chief Operating Officer – coo@mmhok.com
Sarah Rea – Chief Compliance Officer – cco@mmhok.com
Dustin Leonard – Chief Nursing Officer – cno@mmhok.com
Kayla Manginell – Chief Marketing Officer – cmo@mmhok.com
The hospitals armed security team will be in full force at the hospital and ensuring the safety and security of our property, staff, and patients. Additionally, law enforcement is expected to be on site/available to us. The hospital will be placed in a lockdown status, limiting movement into the building, starting Friday, April 5, at 5:30 P.M.
- Visitation
Visitation will be limited to two visitors at a time starting Saturday, April 6, at 7:00 AM unless there is an end of life event. We are asking the community to please cooperate with us during this time and we will return to normal visitation on Tuesday, April 9. We are preparing to provide video visitation for those who request such and can also deliver messages to patient rooms upon request. Such personal messages may be sent to pio@mmhok.com and we will hand-deliver those messages.
- How you should prepare
1. Fill up your gas tank before Friday, April 5.
2. Shop for groceries before Friday, April 5, and buy enough to last 7 days, at least.
3. Get all medications filled to ensure you have enough to last.
4. Make sure sufficient oxygen tanks are available, if you’re on oxygen.
5. Schedule all doctor appointments before Friday, April 5 – or after April 10.
6. Check daily on elderly residents / family members.
7. Buy special glasses to view the eclipse – do not look at the sun with the naked eye.
8. Prepare for cellular service outages.
9. Prepare for power outages.
10. Develop and practice an emergency plan for you and your family.
MMH is closely following this event, including the influx of traffic and stress on our local resources. We will continuously update the community as we get closer to and during this historical event to ensure we keep our staff, patients and community as up to speed as possible with the latest information. Have fun, be safe, and enjoy the eclipse, everyone!
