The OU Medical Center, along with other hospitals in the Oklahoma City area, is on alert to receive as many as 2,500 displaced patients from Hurricane Katrina.

The hospitals were notified Wednesday morning that all National Disaster Medical System facilities in the region could receive patients from the disaster area. The NDMS region includes Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico, according to press release.

"We have not been called upon yet, but we are ready," said Tina Wells, director of community relations for EMSA. "We are prepared, we are ready, and we are willing to help people who are in need."

While on standby the OU Medical Center and Children's Hospital must

monitor available beds and make checks to see if the facilities have the sufficient medical equipment and supplies to treat the the patients if they were to come. EMS and other transportation options also must be assessed to determine what capabilities they have. A list of trained volunteers is also being developed by the Oklahoma Metropolitan Medical Emergency Center. These volunteers will be ready to deploy to shelters for medical support and assistance, according to press release.

If Oklahoma City is chosen as a location, patients will arrive in groups of 50 on C-130 aircraft. Ambulances and other transportation will then bring the patients to the local NDMS hospitals. Other city NDMS hospitals include Integris Baptist Medical Center, St. Anthony Hospital, Mercy Health Center, Deaconess Hospital, and Norman Regional Hospital, according to press release.

At least 12 hours of advance warning will be given to the MERC and the local hospitals if the decision is made to send patients to Oklahoma City, but as of Thursday morning the MERC had not been notified of any patient movement.

Political science junior Shelby Sieg, who works as a coordinator at the Integris Baptist Medical Center, said the atmosphere is more intense now that there is a potential of working with and helping out the victims of Katrina.

"We are all kind of on edge," Sieg said. "You're expecting them, but you don't know what time."

Sieg said that being so closely connected to the disaster changed her viewpoint.

"It really brings it home," Sieg said. "You see everything on TV, but you don't understand the magnitude of it."

Other organizations at the Health Sciences Center such as the College of Medicine are also working to become more involved in the relief efforts. Executive Dean M. Dewayne Andrews said that the college is in touch with the Oklahoma State Medical Association in regards to coordinating physicians to go to the areas of need. Andrews said that he expects some college faculty will be involved in the volunteer effort, especially if patients are transferred to the OU Medical Center.

"Most of the medical need will no longer be directly in New Orleans or in the devastated areas in Mississippi but in those places where people are being transported for care." Andrews said Thursday through e-mail.
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