Recent News

What to do if ... you are choking

With the holiday season around the corner, many will take the time to enjoy family and food. Those treats can increase the likelihood of choking. Christin Baker-Hankton, D.O., who practices family medicine with Utica Park Clinic, shares several tips to help prevent or remedy a choking episode.

What are some choking signs:

• Difficulty breathing

• High-pitched noises when breathing

• Coughing

• Inability to speak

• Pale/blue lips or skin

What foods may increase the risk of choking:

• Round or hard candies

• Chewy... Read More »

Jeff Johnson talks impact of COVID influx on emergency rooms, booster shots with Ch. 6

Jeff Johnson, M.D., Hillcrest Medical Center emergency room physician, recently spoke with KOTV – News On 6 about how the influx of COVID patients have impacted emergency rooms and ICU beds around the area.

“We’ve seen really, over the last month or at least several weeks, a very large increase in the number of COVID patients,” Johnson said. “Patients across the whole area, really across this part of the country, are getting admitted, holding in emergency rooms for hours, even days, waiting for beds because the ICUs and COVID units or COVID beds are full of patients already. So it... Read More »

What to do if ... you are having a stroke

For those experiencing stroke symptoms, time is of the essence. Andre Fredieu, M.D., medical director of the Oklahoma Stroke and Neurological Institute at Hillcrest, said the key is to B.E. F.A.S.T.T. It’s important to be fast recognizing symptoms of a stroke, getting to the hospital and treating a stroke.

Balance: Sudden dizziness or loss of balance

Eyes: Double or blurred vision

Face: Uneven smile or facial droop

Arm: Weakness or numbness of an appendage

Speech: Slurred speech, difficulty... Read More »

What to do if ... you are having a heart attack

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. If you or someone you know is having a heart attack, Raj Chandwaney, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Oklahoma Heart Institute, shares what you need to know.

What to do:

• Call 911 immediately.

• While waiting for an ambulance, you can chew or swallow four baby aspirin or one adult aspirin.

What not to do:

• Wait out symptoms. The heart muscle suffers damage as time progresses during a heart attack. Time is muscle and every minute counts.

• Drive yourself or have... Read More »

Oklahoma Heart Institute becomes first in the world to use Edwards PASCAL Precision system

Oklahoma Heart Institute (OHI), in partnership with the Oklahoma Heart Research & Education Foundation and Edwards Lifesciences, was the first center in the world to use the new Edwards PASCAL Precision system for treatment of severe mitral valve regurgitation (leaky heart valve) as part of the CLASP IID/IIF Pivotal Trial on May 25, 2021.

This research trial is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled pivotal trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter mitral valve repair with the Edwards PASCAL Transcatheter Valve Repair... Read More »

What to do if ... you get a bad sunburn

With summer on the horizon, so is being outdoor in the sun. Here is what to do if you get a sunburn, according to Wendi Slay, an RN with the Alexander Burn Center at Hillcrest. While Slay cautioned the treatment of sunburns depend on the severity of symptoms, here are a few tips:

1. Take a cool or lukewarm bath.

2. Place a cool, wet cloth on the sunburned area.

3. Moisturize the skin with non-fragranced white lotion.

4. Apply aloe vera gel.

5. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief.

6. Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

... Read More »

‘I lost who I was’: COVID-19 survivors suffering long-term effects find hope, healing in focused recovery clinics

Dr. Frank Gaffney, a cardiologist at the Oklahoma Heart Institute, said Hillcrest's post-COVID pulmonary rehab program has proven invaluable for many patients already, and he’s grateful many insurances companies and Medicare have also recognized it as such.

See the how this program helped Vannessa Kennison regain her life in an extraordinary story from the Tulsa World.

Galles talks about long-haul symptoms of COVID-19 with FOX23

Jeffrey Galles, M.D., chief medical officer at Utica Park Clinic spoke about the impact of lingering COVID-19 effects.

“We had this big wave in October, November and January, now a lot of those people are just starting to feel the process of improvement,” Galles said.

See the rest of Galles interview with FOX23 here.

Hillcrest HealthCare System unveils its 2020 Community Benefit Report

Even through an unprecedented year, Hillcrest HealthCare System continued to make a tremendous impact through the communities and patients it served throughout Green Country. Here is a look at our 2020 Community Benefit Report. 

Debunking COVID-19 vaccine myths

A tidal wave of information has circulated social media for the last few months regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

But what parcels of information can be trusted?

Hillcrest HealthCare System Chief Medical Officer Guy Sneed, M.D., and Utica Park Clinic Chief Medical Officer Jeffrey Galles, D.O., addressed 10 common concerns surrounding the vaccine.

Here are their answers to those concerns:

Concern: The vaccines are unsafe because their development was rushed.

Sneed: While the current COVID-19 vaccines available were developed over a very tight timeline, their... Read More »