Blog

Avoiding scald burns around the house

Feb. 5 – 11, 2023 is burn awareness week, and this year, providers are bringing special attention to scald burns. According to the American Burn Association, only 14% of non-fire thermal burns involving ranges or ovens were due to fire or flame. The rest were due to hot liquids, objects or surfaces.  

Kara Hall, RN, nurse manager at the Alexander Burn Center, gives some advice for anyone who experiences a scald burn and how to avoid them in your home. 

Common scald burns

“A scald burn usually occurs with a hot liquid or gas, and patients who get scald burns are usually... Read More »

Hillcrest Medical Center's NICU flight program takes off

Hillcrest Medical Center is now one of just three Oklahoma hospitals that can receive infant patients who need critical care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by helicopter. The program, in partnership with Tulsa Life Flight, launched on Dec. 27, 2022. The first NICU patient was brought to the hospital by helicopter on Dec. 30, 2022.  

When they receive a call, a flight nurse and a respiratory therapist grab about 300 pounds of gear and load everything into the waiting helicopter. They fly to their patient’s location and bring the baby back to the Hillcrest NICU.  

“... Read More »

Hillcrest Medical Center earns "A" grade from Leapfrog Group for fall 2022

For the second time in 2022, the Leapfrog Group recognized Hillcrest Medical Center as a top-performing hospital in patient safety across the country. HMC received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2022, the nation’s most prestigious honor for patient safety. The hospital also received an “A” for spring 2022. 

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns “A” through “F” grades to hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as harm-prevention... Read More »

91-year-old volunteer honored for over 19,000 hours of service

Hillcrest Medical Center awarded 91-year-old Margie Perdue for her volunteer hours at a ceremony in December 2022. Margie has been volunteering at our hospital for more than 20 years! Margie spoke to News on 6 about how she’s spent over 19,000 volunteer hours helping our patients and staff. You can watch the story here.

Hillcrest Medical Center held its annual awards banquet in December 2022 to celebrate its volunteers. About 40 people have donated a total of more than 5,500 hours of their time at the hospital this year.

Margie Perdue retired from a career in accounting 29... Read More »

Casey feels seen, heard after receiving life-saving care for herself and her baby

After being dismissed by other doctors about her health concerns, Casey Chitwood just wanted to be heard. It was not until she arrived at Hillcrest Medical Center (HMC) that the Collinsville resident finally felt she had a voice. 

“I had been to other hospitals, and they were not listening to me,” Chitwood said. “The Hillcrest people were so good to me. They listened and they saved me and my baby’s life.” 

Chitwood’s concerns started after her 20-week ultrasound when she learned her baby had multiple abnormalities. She was devastated when doctors told her that her soon-to-be... Read More »

Hillcrest Medical Center NICU babies dressed up for Thanksgiving holiday

Our Hillcrest Medical Center NICU nursing team dressed up these tiny turkeys for the Thanksgiving holiday! These photoshoots are a team effort. The NICU staff starts planning these months in advance and spends about 10 to 15 minutes with each baby during their photo shoot. Our nurses work to get the babies dressed, posed and photographed.  

Every tutu in these photos is hand made by our NICU nurses. Parents also received a card that features a handprint of the baby. Handprints are more difficult to get from babies than footprints, but our NICU nursing staff still made sure to get a... Read More »

Valerie returns to Hillcrest Medical Center after years, ends up receiving life-saving treatment

When Valerie Kemp’s severe headaches returned after three years, she knew exactly where she needed to go for help: somewhere she felt heard and seen.

In 2019, just two months after she moved to Tulsa, Kemp spent weeks in and out of emergency rooms, trying to find someone who could treat a tremendous headache.

“I kind of felt ignored,” said Kemp. “I knew something was wrong. They just sent me home.”

When she arrived at Hillcrest Medical Center, the emergency room doctor listened to Kemp about her headache and ordered several tests. Kemp was admitted. A few days later,... Read More »

When dealing with sepsis, it's a matter of T.I.M.E.

Sepsis is a super infection that overpowers the entire body and can lead to damage to the body’s organs, amputations and death. Early recognition and detection is key. When it comes to sepsis, it’s important to remember T.I.M.E. and watch for signs of:

• Temperature - Higher or lower than normal. This may be accompanied with shivering.

• Infection - Any signs/symptoms of an infection, wounds with redness or swelling, painful and/or frequent urination, regular coughing or chest pain.

• Mental decline - Disoriented, tired, discombobulated.

• Extremely ill - high... Read More »