Health care services at a hospital in Marietta are temporarily unavailable after a deadly tornado Saturday night left severe damage. The storm resulted in blown-out windows, crumbling ceilings and a mangled exterior.
Mercy Health Love County’s hospital administrator Scott Callender said the clinic and spaces where it provides physical therapy are the only places that might be salvageable. He said ServiceMaster is trying to clean up the clinic, and a roofer is working on those two areas. The remainder of the fixes will be up to its insurance provider.
Meredith Huggins, Mercy’s senior media relations and communications specialist, said the hospital got everyone to safety when the storm hit, and there were no injuries. She said patients were transferred to local area hospitals.
The closest location patients are being referred to is 19 miles away in Ardmore. In the meantime, Callender says the hospital is trying to get a virtual setup for provider visits.
“I want to get their health care back up and going so they don’t have to travel, and that's our (goal). It's just a matter of time, and hopefully, (the) quicker the better because that’s why we’re here,” Callender said
Callender said community outreach has been overwhelming. Mercy President and CEO Steve Mackin visited Monday to tour the damage and offer support.
“Everybody in Mercy that I've had contact with before, reaching out to say ‘Is there anything I can do? Just let me know,’” Callender said.
The hospital is working to get its phone lines up and running again. Callender said patients can still call their pharmacies to refill prescriptions.
StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahoma’s public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.
