Oklahoma’s updated plan to help hospitals cope with any surges in COVID-19 patients got its first test this week as the Oklahoma City area was first to move into the second of a four-tier system.
As of Thursday, Oklahoma City metropolitan hospitals collectively had 270 intensive care or medical surgery beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. That is 17.8% of the beds.
The Oklahoma City area will remain in Tier 2 status so long as its COVID-19 bed census is between 15% and 20% for three consecutive days.
Tier 2 status calls for hospitals, when bed capacity no longer exists in their region, to transfer a patient to the next region that can provide appropriate care, in addition to maintaining any internal surge plans initiated at Tier 1 status.
Tier 3 status is reached when COVID-19 patients are using 20% to 40% of available beds.
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Tier 3 status calls for elective surgeries to be postponed and patient staffing ratios to change to accommodate higher patient demand.
The fourth tier, which calls for the elimination of all nonemergency surgeries and other measures, is triggered when the number of people with the virus is 40% or higher.
Oklahoma City-area hospitals have collectively been over the designated ceiling for Tier 1 status for the past three days, triggering the move to the next level.
Regions will remain in the initial Tier 1 status if their COVID-19 patient census remains below 15% of all available beds in either intensive care units or medical surgery units.
Matt Stacy, who coordinated the state’s surge plan, told reporters during a briefing Friday that the threshold levels do not include people who are believed to be COVID-19 patients but whose health statuses have yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Tulsa region COVID-19 admission numbers have been flirting with Tier 2 status the past week.
The number of COVID-19 patients in Tulsa-area hospitals has increased or remained unchanged on 10 of the past 14 days since Oct 9.
In the past two weeks, Tulsa-area hospitals collectively reached their highest number of COVID-19 patients on Sunday, when 250 beds — 14.3% of all beds — were occupied by COVID-19 confirmed patients.
Of the 250 COVID-19 Tulsa-area patients in hospitals on that Sunday, 132 were in ICU, and 118 were in medical surgery beds.
Looked at from another way, 43.6% of all ICU and 8.6% of all medical surgery beds in the Tulsa metro area were occupied by COVID-19 patients.
On Thursday, the latest day for available data, the Tulsa area recorded 247 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Featured video: Hospital surge plan addressed by Oklahoma Hospital Association president
Patty Davis is president of the Oklahoma Hospital Association. She addressed media on Oct. 20
Gallery: In midtown, pandemic changes a Halloween tradition to honor Oklahoma's dead
In midtown, pandemic changes a Halloween tradition to honor Oklahoma's dead
COVID Crosses
Steele Gregory Nowlin, 11, looks at the crosses in his front yard that call attention to the Oklahomans who have died of COVID-19.
COVID Crosses
When Toby Gregory came up with the idea of a cross for each death, the state’s death toll was at 500. It’s now more than 1,100.
COVID Crosses
The crosses in Toby Gregory's front yard are illuminated by holiday lights after dark.
COVID Crosses
Toby Gregory says he doesn't have the room or supplies to keep up with the current COVID-19 death toll.
COVID Crosses
Toby Gregory's yard in midtown is adorned with 1,006 white crosses to represent Oklahoma deaths due to COVID-19.
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