Blog

Providing Nurse Leadership in a Pandemic

Jodi Simmons, RN, BSN, MHA and chief nursing officer (CNO) of Hillcrest Medical Center, Tulsa, OK

The COVID-19 virus hit Oklahoma fast. Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Jodi Simmons had planned a spring break trip, but had a bad feeling about the virus and decided not to leave town. Two days later, Hillcrest Medical Center was in full incident command mode and Jodi has been working in the Incident Command Center every day for nine weeks and counting.

The best leadership advice Jodi offers is to have... Read More »

Purposeful Connection during COVID-19

For the protection and safety of patients, visitors and our staff, we continue to restrict visitation and take every measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, we understand how important it is to stay connected to loved ones and friends, whether they are in the hospital or at home. We encourage you to call, text and connect via video to purposefully connect while helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Here are some ways to stay connected.

FaceTime

Make video and audio calls over Wi-Fi or cellular supported iOS or... Read More »

‘Everything is better now:’ Tulsa man pleased with Hillcrest cardiac rehabilitation program

A slight heart attack took Louis Jackson by surprise in April 2019.

“It was a surprise for me and forever life changing,” said Jackson, who was 59 years old at the time. Jackson was home when he began to experience intense chest pain.

“The pain would come and go, but at one point it just stayed with me,” Jackson said.

Jackson was taken to the emergency room at Hillcrest Medical Center, where he found out he suffered from a slight heart attack and had a blockage... Read More »

Coming Back from Broken Heart Syndrome

Debbie Holland was nearing 30 years as a deputy clerk to a Federal Judge when she had a cardiac episode. She had symptoms of a heart attack, but results showed she had no blockages or clots. As it turns out, Holland had suffered from “Broken Heart Syndrome.”

Broken Heart Syndrome or takotsubo cardiomyopathy is when adrenaline rushes into a person’s system, causing the heart to have difficulty pumping blood. This event can be triggered by physical extremes such as dehydration or high body temperature, but it can also be caused by... Read More »

Burn Awareness Week 2020

National Burn Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about types of burns and burn prevention. This year’s theme established by the American Burn Association is “Contact Burns - Hot Surfaces Damage Skin.”

Tara Wilson, M.D., medical director of Alexander Burn Center at Hillcrest Medical Center, has cared for a multitude of burn patients and emphasizes the importance of avoiding burns.

“Contact burns are caused by touching hot objects,” said Wilson. “Hot furnaces, cooking surfaces,... Read More »

Advanced Diabetic Wound Prevention and Care

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around 30.3 million people in the United States have a form of diabetes, and many of these people experience complications caused by infected wounds.

Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations in the United States, and approximately 14-24 percent of patients with diabetes who develop a foot ulcer will require an amputation. Foot ulceration precedes 85 percent of diabetes-related amputations. However, research has shown, that development of a foot ulcer is preventable.

James Beebe, M.D.,... Read More »

Touching Lives with Palliative Care

Palliative care is a specialized form of medical care for people with serious illnesses. Regardless of diagnosis, the main goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family with a focus on providing relief from symptoms and sufferings of a critical illness. Many people believe that palliative care is solely for hospice or end-of-life care. However, palliative care is appropriate at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided in combination with a curative treatment on an inpatient, outpatient, community or hospice basis.

November is... Read More »

Annual Mammogram Key to Successful Treatment

Barbara Mudd went in for her routine mammogram at Hillcrest South in early June 2019. When she received a call to return for a follow-up, she wasn’t immediately concerned, as she had been an active marathon walker for over 10 years and had no health problems.

Nonetheless, when she received the results of her mammogram, she was shocked. The mammogram revealed a small tumor in her breast tissue that hadn’t previously been detected. After a biopsy of the abnormal tissue, Mudd was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer: stage 1B, triple negative breast cancer, which is a... Read More »