Health Care

By Mark McElreah, Executive Director, Tulsa County Medical Society

It is nearly impossible to cover the landscape of health care in Tulsa without emphasizing the impact COVID-19 has had since early 2020. In 2021, COVID-19 continued to affect many aspects of our lives, from economic and social, to health and general well-being. Tulsa was not invulnerable to COVID-19 with over 110,000 cases in Tulsa County and more than 1,700 deaths (as of Nov. 30, 2021). The highest peak of weekly new cases occurred in January 2021 with 4,402. The health care and overall vitality of our community are fundamentally connected. The Tulsa community supports and maintains quality health and social services for its residents by attracting and maintaining well-trained and dedicated health care workers.

Support for health care workers

The appreciation and gratitude for health care workers in Tulsa has been evident throughout the pandemic. “Light up the Sky” events, handmade posters, and videos of appreciation flooded the streets of Tulsa and social media in support of front-line workers.

The pandemic has brought an increased awareness of burnout among the health care community. According to Medscape’s 2021 Physician Burnout Report, 42% of physicians reported feeling burned out last year. Burnout among clinicians has led to questions on how it affects access to care, patient safety and care quality. Burned-out doctors are more likely to leave practice, which reduces patients’ access to and continuity of care. Burnout also can threaten patient safety and quality of care when depersonalization leads to poor interactions with patients and when burnedout physicians suffer from impaired attention, memory and executive function. To combat burnout, the Tulsa County Medical Society implemented the Physician Wellness Program. This program provides a safe harbor for physicians to address normal life difficulties in a confidential and professional environment. TCMS gathered a diverse group of counselors to help its physicians. These counselors provide up to eight visits per calendar year. These therapy sessions are free to physicians.

Medicaid expansion

On June 30, 2020, the Oklahoma Medicaid Expansion Initiative, State Question 802, passed by a majority vote to expand Medicaid eligibility to adults ages 19-64 whose income is 138% of the federal poverty level or lower. This equates to an estimated annual income of $16,970 for an individual or $34,846 for a family of four. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced approximately 190,000 individuals are now eligible for health coverage, thanks to Medicaid expansion made possible by the Affordable Care Act. On June 1, 2021, the state began accepting applications, and to date, over 120,000 people have applied for and were determined eligible to receive coverage. On July 1, these individuals received full Medicaid benefits, including access to primary and preventive care, emergency, substance abuse and prescription drug benefits.

Telehealth and telemedicine

Telemedicine has been around for years, but was more frequently used during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to reports, SoonerCare members completed 11,941 telehealth visits in 2019. That number rose to 333,415 visits in 2020, an increase of 2,726% in just one year. Although Oklahoma was an early adopter of telemedicine, it has not been a significant source of patient care. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of reimbursement to physicians. On Nov. 1, 2021, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law a bill designed to ensure payment parity for physicians who care for patients through telemedicine. Insurance companies typically paid physicians a lower amount for telemedicine visits compared to in-person office visits for the same services. The new law ensures doctors receive the same amount for telemedicine. This legislation will help continue to expand the use of telemedicine, improving access for people, and ultimately, improving the health of Tulsa residents.

Changes in Tulsa’s health care landscape

On Oct. 15, 2021, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT) at the expanded Oklahoma State University Medical Center grounds. The $130 million project is a collaborative effort involving the federal, state, county, city, donors and OSU leaders. VHiT makes services more accessible for men and women who have served our country. The existing Kerr-Edmondson building is being remodeled into a 58-surgical bed hospital with the capacity

to treat more than 100,000 veterans annually. The project also includes a mental health hospital, a new parking garage, and sites where biotech companies can conduct research. The collaborative project is creating 50 new residency spots at VHiT and 50 at the Mental Health Services Hospital for OSU Medical students. The hospital is expected to be completed in late 2024. It was announced on March 31, 2021 the Cancer Treatment Centers of America of Tulsa would close on June 1, 2021. Shortly after the CTCA closure, it was announced Muscogee Nation would purchase the building. The new facility, named the Council Oak Comprehensive Healthcare, opened to patients in August 2021. Outpatient services include urgent care and an HIV and Hepatitis clinic with plans to add additional specialty services. Inpatient services are expected to begin in early 2022. The new campus will generate an estimated 100 new jobs within the first year.

LOCAL HEALTH GROUPS

ASCENSION ST. JOHN Ascension St. John was founded in 1926 with the opening of St. John Medical Center near downtown Tulsa. Owned by the nation’s most extensive Catholic and nonprofit health system, Ascension St. John is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, especially those living in poverty and who are most vulnerable. The health care system is recognized for excellence in cardiovascular, orthopedic, palliative and stroke care. Ascension St. John operates hospitals in Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Sapulpa, Bartlesville and Nowata, along with multiple urgent care locations and physician offices throughout northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas. COMMUNITY HEALTH CONNECTION/ LA CONEXIÓN MÉDICA Community Health Connection is a Federally Qualified Health Center committed to meeting the lifelong health care needs of the northeast Oklahoma community, particularly catering to the Hispanic population. The medical clinic is designed to provide the highest quality, affordable and accessible primary health care services in a culturally effective, language-appropriate and compassionate manner. Community Health Connection serves individuals who are uninsured by offering a sliding fee scale to those who qualify as well as those with Medicaid (SoonerCare) and Medicare, Insure Oklahoma or private insurance.

HILLCREST HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Hillcrest Medical Center is the city’s oldest medical facility, opening more than a century ago in 1918. Today, Hillcrest HealthCare System is recognized as a leader in health care, committed to “changing lives for the better, together.” HHS is comprised of Hillcrest Medical Center, Hillcrest Hospital South and Tulsa Spine and Specialty Hospital in Tulsa, as well as five regional hospitals in Claremore, Cushing, Henryetta, Pryor and Owasso. HHC also provides primary and specialty care services through Oklahoma Heart Institute and Utica Park Clinic, with more than 70 regional clinics across northeastern Oklahoma.

MORTON COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH SERVICES Morton Comprehensive Health Services is a Federally Qualified Health Center offering medical services to patients regardless of ability to pay. Morton serves patients residing in more than 221 zip codes and 16 counties. Its mission is to provide quality, affordable health services to

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HEALTH SERVICES MARKET ANALYSIS 2022 REPORT

DESCRIPTION Physicians & Health Practitioners Nursing & Intermediate Care 2

Hospitals & Clinics Medical & Dental Laboratories Other Health Care Services

COMPANIES 5,120 239

180

165

1,548

EMPLOYEES 37,651 6,207 18,652 1,379 11,531

SALES 1

2,175.4 1,000.9 4,351.3 89.6

405.7

Hillcrest Healthcare System

Hillcrest HealthCare System was founded in 1918 as Morningside, a small hospital that opened during a nationwide influenza epidemic. It has grown into eight hospitals, including Hillcrest Medical Center, Hillcrest Hospital South and Tulsa Spine and Specialty Hospital in Tulsa, and five regional hospitals including Hillcrest Claremore, Hillcrest Cushing, Hillcrest Henryetta, Hillcrest Pryor and Bailey Medical Center in Owasso. The system also has 80-plus comprehensive primary and specialty care clinics through Utica Park Clinic and Oklahoma Heart Institute.

Hillcrest operates the Alexander Burn Center, the only burn center in northeast Oklahoma and one of two in the state. Bailey Medical Center is an award-winning leader in bariatric medicine.

Hillcrest employs more than 6,400 individuals and is a steadfast supporter in the Tulsa area, providing more than $1 million in community support in 2020.

Visit hillcrest.com for more information.

Saint Francis Health System

As Tulsa’s only locally owned and governed healthcare provider, Saint Francis Health System is a private, not-for-profit, Catholic organization founded in 1960 by Natalie and William K. Warren, Sr. Throughout its history, Saint Francis Health System’s mission of extending the presence and healing ministry of Christ has been a guiding principle for its staff, physicians, and volunteers. With more than 10,500 employees, Saint Francis Health System is the area’s largest private employer. Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa is eastern Oklahoma’s largest acute-care hospital. It is currently licensed for more than 1,100 beds and consistently provides area families with outstanding medical care and a broad spectrum of services that include emergency and trauma services, cardiac care, a certified comprehensive stroke center, oncology services, orthopedics, labor and delivery, surgical services, critical care, and much more. The hospital has been consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report Rankings as #1 in the state and most recently recognized for high-quality care in ten clinical areas of focus.

The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis continues to champion the health and well-being of children in the region. The 162-bed, 265,765-squarefoot facility is recognized throughout the area for its advanced medical technology and team of skilled pediatric specialists. The Children’s Hospital’s 58-bed Henry Zarrow Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides the region’s most advanced treatments and services for premature infants and critically ill newborns. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis also is home to Oklahoma’s only St. Jude Affiliate Clinic. This program makes available the clinical trials and protocols offered at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in a care setting closer to home.

For adult oncology/hematology care, the Saint Francis Cancer Center is undergoing an extensive expansion to help provide more specialized care for its patients and increased access. The first phase of expansion completed in 2020 includes relocation of radiation oncology services to bring all outpatient cancer services under one roof. Infusion services increased capacity and a second infusion unit will open this year. The entire project, which will double the size of the facility, is expected to be completed in 2023.

Located near Highway 169 and 91st Street, Saint Francis Hospital South sustains its initial goal of providing families with quality healthcare in an easily accessible location. The 104-bed hospital provides convenient access for residents of Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, South Tulsa and Coweta with a number of specialized services and programs, including its newly expanded emergency center, general surgery, radiology and imaging, cardiology, labor and delivery, orthopedics, and primary care. In 2021, new expansion plans were announced that will essentially double the size of the hospital, adding 120-beds, new physical medicine and

Saint Francis Hospital

Saint Francis Glenpool The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital

rehabilitation services, renovated surgical suites and a new hospital lobby and chapel. With a dedicated team of physician specialists, surgeons, nurses and staff, the Heart Hospital at Saint Francis provides comprehensive cardiovascular services with several regional locations. Key services are based at Saint Francis Hospital Yale campus with 24/7 in-house cardiology coverage, emergency services and the latest in medical technology and diagnostic testing. Cardiovascular specialties include general cardiology, interventional cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, electrophysiology and cardiac rehabilitation. Saint Francis’ cardiac services extend out into the region at Saint Francis Hospital South, Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee, Saint Francis Hospital Vinita and offices at Warren Clinic Glenpool, Owasso, Sand Springs and South Tulsa. Warren Clinic is home to Saint Francis Health System’s extensive network of more than 600 outpatient and inpatient providers and specialists for adults and children. With numerous clinic locations in Tulsa and surrounding communities, including Broken Arrow, Coweta, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs, Bixby, Glenpool, Vinita, McAlester, and Muskogee, patients can connect to the care they need, closer to home. Patients also have the option to visit one of the many Warren Clinic Urgent Care locations in the Tulsa area or opt for Warren Clinic Virtual Urgent Care available 24/7 from anywhere in Oklahoma. Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital is a private psychiatric healthcare facility that is licensed for 75 inpatient beds. Clinical programs include comprehensive outpatient behavioral health services, adult inpatient and outpatient care, senior behavioral health, and a nationally-recognized eating disorders treatment program. With more than 60,000 outpatient visits per year, Laureate is one of largest behavioral health clinics in the region. In 2016, Saint Francis Health System extended its commitment to the communities of eastern Oklahoma by establishing Saint Francis Hospital Vinita. With Saint Francis Hospital Vinita, Warren Clinic Vinita, and the Saint Francis Health Center locations in Langley and Monkey Island, residents of this area now have access to a wide range of quality health care services, including 24/7 emergency care, and the support of Oklahoma’s largest health care network. With more than 300 beds, Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee provides comprehensive, high-quality healthcare services to residents of a seven-county area in eastern Oklahoma, including a nationally-accredited cancer program, a Level III trauma center, a robotic surgery program and a certified primary stroke center. The expansion also includes Warren Clinic primary care and physician specialist office locations in Muskogee and Fort Gibson.

Saint Francis Glenpool opened in August of 2018. This new, state-of-the-art facility features an emergency center as well as outpatient services that include diagnostic laboratory and imaging services, CT, bone-density scanning, as well as outpatient physical rehabilitation, and speech and occupational therapy. That location includes a new Warren Clinic Glenpool physician office with internal medicine, cardiology and OB/ GYN services.

For more information on any of the services provided at Saint Francis Health System, or to find a physician to meet your health care needs, visit saintfrancis.com or call 918.488.6688.

Warren Clinic

Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee

Saint Francis Hospital South

Saint Francis Hospital Vinita

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all people — along with dignity and respect — without regard to finances, culture or lifestyle.

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES The OSU Center for Health Sciences houses the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in addition to other health care programs. OSU-COM trains physicians for Oklahoma while providing vital health care services in underserved areas of Tulsa and to patients across the state. Emphasis is placed on students from Oklahoma and those who want to practice primary care in rural Oklahoma.

OSU MEDICAL CENTER OSU Medical Center is one of the nation’s largest osteopathic teaching hospital with 11 residency programs and nine fellowship programs. The hospital trains more than 150 residents in primary care and subspecialties each year. With full accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association, OSU Medical Center works to deliver high-quality care with compassion for patients and their families.

OKLAHOMA SURGICAL HOSPITAL Founded in 2001 by a group of physicians, Oklahoma Surgical Hospital provides a wide variety of surgical procedures including orthopedics, neurosurgery, joint replacement, general surgery, colorectal, breast, gynecology, urology, ear nose and throat, cardiology and plastic surgery. OSH maintains its focus on providing premier medical expertise and technological resources to the provision of superior personalized health care.

OU-TU SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE The OU-TU School of Community Medicine is an educational track within the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. Community medicine is focused on population-based health outcomes, with curriculum on the promotion of public health by education, early diagnosis and disease prevention. The OU-TU School of Community Medicine offers all four years of the Doctor of Medicine program and a 30-month physician assistant program on the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Campus.

SAINT FRANCIS HEALTH SYSTEM Founded by William K. and Natalie Warren in 1960, Saint Francis Health System is a notfor-profit Catholic organization committed to excellence, dignity, justice, integrity and stewardship. As Tulsa’s largest private employer with more than 10,000 employees, Saint Francis remains the only locally owned and operated health care system in the area. Saint Francis Health System includes Saint Francis Hospital, the Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis, Warren Clinic, the Heart Hospital at Saint Francis, Saint Francis Hospital South, Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital, along with community hospitals in Muskogee, Vinita and Glenpool and multiple outpatient specialty centers.

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Tulsa Hospital Facilities

OSU Medical Center 1 Helmerich Women’s Center 2 Oklahoma Heart Institute 3, 14 Hillcrest Medical Center 4 Ascension St. John 5 Saint Francis Health System/ The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis/ The Heart Hospital at Saint Francis 6 Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital 7 Council Oak Comprehensive Healthcare 8 Hillcrest Hospital South 9 Saint Francis Hospital South 10 Oklahoma Surgical Hospital 11 Morton Comprehensive Health Service 12 Community Health Connection/ La Conexión Médica 13

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Phillips Theological Seminary

Phillips Theological Seminary invites you to join conversations that expose you to new ideas, deepen your commitments and give insights to how to faithfully lead in a changing world. Our nationwide network of students, faculty, churches, alumni/ae, trustees and friends is committed to embracing the full diversity of creation with a gathering of scholars that takes very seriously the expression of God’s justice and shalom in the world. We embrace the full inclusion of all persons into a life of theological formation.

Phillips strives to educate the whole church through programs dedicated to learning the way of Jesus in order to cultivate vital congregations, communities, conversations and the public good. We lead in our communities as biblically and theologically responsible interpreters, unique in the region as an unapologetically progressive Christian seminary. Our fully online Center for Ministry and Lay Training (CMLT) provides affordable, high-quality education for those seeking to learn from our top-notch faculty and build a network of others engaged in ministry. The CMLT is designed for

A pillar of carefully stacked stones in the Phillips Seminary chapel signals the beginning of a journey. The cairn marks a turning point along life’s path and represents an encounter with the divine.

those who want to do ministry without seeking a graduate theological degree. Founded in 1906, Phillips provides online and inperson courses for learners from 29 states and 22 denominations with 230 enrolled in the 2019 fall term and more than 800 recent registrations in the CMLT.

Learn more about Phillips at wherefaithleads.com or call 918-610-8303.

Luxa Enterprises

A reality is business owners can be pulled in many directions during any business day. It is the Luxa Enterprises reason more and more small business leaders outsource their company’s bookkeeping function to keep their business running smoothly. Founded in 2006, Luxa Enterprises provides small businesses—and non-profit agencies— 1/2 Page Profilethe accounting, human resources and payroll services to help alleviate some of the headaches of running a business operation...and “stay on track”...in an increasingly complex part of managing a company. Luxa recently announced that Mike Chromy is the company’s new president and CEO after serving in a variety of positions including accounting manager, controller, and VP of accounting. Frauke Petersen, who most recently JL served as CEO and owner of Luxa Enterprises, notes her excitement for the transition and Chromy’s contributions to Luxa. Petersen will remain with the organization as the owner and will continue to focus on community service and business development. “I am excited for what the future brings under Michael’s leadership,” said Petersen, owner of Luxa Enterprises. “He is a compassionate leader and truly lives Luxa’s core values through teamwork, integrity, passion, and excellence. I’m very proud of everything he brings to the company and the community”. Chromy joined Luxa with over eight years of management and accounting experience in the legal field. He strives to learn and apply new concepts and processes that lead to improved business efficiency. “I am eager to tackle my next chapter with Luxa and appreciate the confidence of Frauke Petersen as I assume this new role,” he said. After serving in the U.S. Armed Forces for eight years, Chromy moved to Tulsa from Fort Collins, Colorado, to complete his Bachelor’s in Business degree from Rogers State University where he is currently pursuing an MBA. He enjoys participating in his son’s Future Owasso Rams football team as assistant coach, cheering his son’s soccer time, and spending family time in the great outdoors hiking, fishing and camping.

Company President Michael Chromy