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Bartlesville

Posted: Jun 11, 2020 1:26 PMUpdated: Jun 11, 2020 2:02 PM

Visitation Station Built at Bartlesville Health & Rehab

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Garrett Giles

Bartlesville Health and Rehab Community in Bartlesville has been free from the COVID-19 virus for nearly five weeks, but they are still exercising caution for residents, staff and families, especially when it comes to visitation.

In a unique effort to allow families to visit with their loved ones at BHRC, the long-term care facility has created a Visitation Station. Approximately $900 was spent on the project to bring families together.

Administrator Sandra Brown said they wanted to get creative while obeying executive orders from Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma State Department of Health. She said Executive Order 2020-20 by Gov. Stitt states that visitors are prohibited from entering and visiting patients and residents at nursing homes, long-term care facilities and retirement homes.

Brown said they have not had visitors in BHRC since March 1st, 2020. She said that has been hard on residents and family members that have not been able to see their loved ones during the pandemic.

After negotiating with the Oklahoma State Department of Health about the usage of the Visitation Station at Bartlesville Health and Rehab, Brown said they successfully built the safe environment out of three plexiglass panels. She said it is far from being able to hug their loved ones, but the Visitation Station is one step closer to returning normal.

Residents can see their family members and they can talk to them. Brown said there have been happy tears. She said Bartlesville Health and Rehab is glad they can reunite families to some capacity during these unprecedented times.

Families wanting to visit a loved one at BHRC should call 918.333.9545. Brown said they have announced the availability of the Visitation Station on the Bartlesville Health and Rehab Facebook page, and they have sent letters out to families. She said they are more than happy to have made the arrangements to make the project available to those they serve.

Julie Butler of Wichita visited her father, Chester Butler, through the Visitation Station process on Thursday morning (pictured below). She said seeing her dad was awesome.

Without the Visitation Station, things would be difficult for the Butler family. Julie said her dad has been through a lot in the last couple of months. She said she appreciates Brown, and Alex Dout, the owner of Bartlesville Health and Rehab, for making the Visitation Station available to families during this critical time in our world's history.

Julie said her father's wife passed away recently, so she came to visit him last week. Before that visit, Butler couldn't see her dad for two to three months. She said she is glad she gets to see her father on a regular basis now and she appreciates everything Bartlesville Health and Rehab has done to keep her dad and others safe.

Chester, a former resident of Watonga, Oklahoma, said his daughter is a sweetheart and he loved getting to see her. Chester has lived in Bartlesville for approximately four years now, and loves the area. He said the Visitation Station is a great idea and he is amazed by how effective the process is for him to speak with his daughter.


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