McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Okla. — a community that has been under a microscope since the release of recordings from a county meeting allegedly revealed racist and threatening statements — has been cleared after a bomb threat that was made April 18.
At about 2:40 p.m. April 18, McCurtain Memorial "received a bomb threat from an unknown person. The threat claimed there was a bomb placed at the hospital on the night of April 17, 2023. This threat maintained unless the hospital administration publicly denounced individuals in our county government, the bomb would be detonated," according to a news release on the hospital's Facebook page.
McCurtain Memorial said its CEO, Brian Whitfield, immediately ordered the evacuation, and law enforcement was notified.
Two patients in the emergency room were stabilized and transported to area hospitals, and nine other patients were moved to an off-site location, the hospital said.
Meanwhile, "law enforcement agencies from the city, county and state responded to the hospital," according to McCurtain Memorial. "After approximately two hours, the administration was advised that the building was clear and that patients and staff could return. Within 20 minutes of the all-clear, patients were back in their rooms, meals were ready and no further incidents occurred as of this release."
The bomb threat came a day after the hospital went on lockdown while protesting occurred during an emergency meeting among officials at the McCurtain County Commissioners Office in Idabel. People were protesting over a secret recording by The McCurtain Gazette-News of officials in McCurtain County. The recording featured an official talking about hanging Black people and other officials discussing hiring hit men for two reporters, the newspaper said, according to The New York Times. The alleged discussion took place after the March 6 meeting of the county board of commissioners.
The McCurtain Gazette-News argues the recording was of an illegal public meeting, and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on April 17 called on officials involved in the discussion to resign, according to The New York Times.
But the sheriff's office contended that the recording violated state law and had been "altered," according to The New York Times.
On April 18, the Oklahoma Sheriff's Association suspended McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, investigator Alicia Manning and Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix following the recent accusations, The Oklahoman reported. Mark Jennings, a commissioner in McCurtain County who was also allegedly heard on the recording, has resigned, according to CNN.
McCurtain Memorial said law enforcement had informed the hospital that potential threats of violence existed locally, and Mr. Whitfield ordered all but one entrance/exit to the hospital closed.
The hospital remained on lockdown April 19, with all outpatient services canceled or limited and access also limited. The hospital said all outpatient services and operations will return to normal April 20; however, certain security measures are in place.
Among the measures is that individuals entering or exiting, including employees, will be required to do so through the emergency room waiting entrance, the hospital said. Individuals are also not allowed to bring bags, backpacks, purses or other totes in the hospital. Additionally, McCurtain Memorial said patients coming for labs or radiology screenings must provide a photo ID at the emergency room waiting/registration department.
The hospital's cafe will remain closed to the public through April 21, and "only patients seeking medical treatment in the emergency room will be allowed in, unless the patient is a minor under the age of 18 and may be accompanied by one adult," the hospital said. Visitation is limited to two visitors per patient, per day.
"The hospital administration wishes to make it extremely clear: Just as Gov. Stitt stated in his recent public statement, the behavior exhibited by the county commissioner, sheriff, jail administrator and investigator on a recording released to the public over the weekend is unacceptable and has no place in our town or anywhere else," McCurtain Memorial said. "The hospital has been providing healthcare to the residents of this great county for more than 50 years and, while we have worked with our county government on many projects in an effort to improve the healthcare of the resident of and visitors to McCurtain County, the events as of late are by no means supported by nor condoned by the hospital. As a hospital, we only desire to be here for our community and meet our patients' medical needs."