The future of a Tulsa hospital is uncertain.

The OSU Medical Center Downtown is losing the majority of it's doctors. It's a teaching school that's losing it's partnership with the University.

For now, the hospital won't close, but their services will have to decrease. That's because 88% of the patients are treated by medical residents and faculty.

It won't be a full-service hospital: meaning no emergency room.

By June 30, 2009, the medical school will transfer their medical residents to St. Francis Hospital in South Tulsa.

76% of the patients treated at OSU Medical Center are uninsured or are on Medicaid.

This will have a major impact on the staffing at the hospital. So much so, the CEO says they're now in crisis mode.

"If all those doctors leave, who's left to take care of the patients, there are enough private doctors on our staff to take care of the patients, the patients aren't going to leave their going to still come here."

OU Tulsa, Hillcrest Healthcare, St. John's Health System, and the George Kaiser Foundation are meeting to find a way to pick up the slack, including urgent care clinics around this area.

We promise to stay on top of this story in the coming days to give the answers you need. We'll work to find out how the hospital will remain open, what impact it could have on the community and how it could affect Tulsa's other hospitals.

On The Net:
OSU Medical Center - www.osu-medcenter.com
OSU Center For Health Sciences - www.healthsciences.okstate.edu

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