Oklahoma Without Designated Surge Hospitals After Contracts Expire

Oklahoma no longer has any designated COVID-19 surge hospitals after contracts with the seven hospitals expired.

OSU Medical Center in Tulsa is one of seven hospitals in Oklahoma that had contracts with the state, to have a total of 245 overflow beds with guaranteed staffing for the state’s COVID-19 surge plan.

Matt Stacy, Surge Plan Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, said the contracts expired Sept. 21 but could be reactivated if needed. Stacy said the contracts, worth more than $50 million combined, will be paid through federal funding from the CARES Act.

"We chose not to renew those contracts in an attempt to focus our resources and to find a little bit of something more permanent so that we can have also bed availability beyond the end of the year, which is when our CARES funding runs out," said Stacy.

Stacy stressed that COVID-19 patients currently use only about 10% of all available beds in the state and although the contracts expired, beds are still available.

He said the state is working with hospital leaders to develop a third version of the surge plan that could be announced as early as the middle of next week. Stacy also said the goal is to evenly distribute patients and let hospitals, not the state of Oklahoma, make decisions on patient care.

"That way, they're able to transfer patients effectively and within their region if at all possible, and it's also going to reflect higher levels before the state intervenes," said Stacy.

OSU Medical Center gave News On 6 this statement:

"The most recent contract ended 9/21. OSU Medical Center remains committed to serving our community with excellent health care and staffing our hospital appropriately to accommodate any influx in patients."

The Oklahoma Hospital Association said because the state hospital COVID-19 bed contracts have not been renewed, the state surge plan is being revised.

An OHA spokesperson said, “Still, individual hospitals and hospital systems have their own surge plans that they can implement if necessary."

The Oklahoma State Medical Association added, "As hospitalizations increase, it is imperative our state leaders give our hospitals the resources, including staffing, needed to meet this increase. And I encourage all Oklahomans to follow the three Ws to lower COVID risk."