Published on December 11, 2021

OHMCH Responds to Tornado Outbreak

GREENVILLE, Ky. (Dec. 11, 2021) Since a devastating tornado outbreak swept through Western Kentucky last night, Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital has been on the frontline of treating those who were injured in the storms. Fifteen patients were treated during the overnight hours following a series of tornados that left a wake of destruction across the region.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has been impacted by these storms,” said OHMCH Chief Executive Officer Ed Heath. “This event has caused tremendous losses for people living in our local communities. OHMCH will do everything we can to care for the injured and to help our communities heal during this difficult time.”

OHMCH mobilized an emergency response around midnight as the storms’ intensity peaked. The hospital activated its command center and boosted its emergency department staff to include additional surgeons and providers.

“In a time like this, we are very grateful that our ED and EMS teams were well prepared to provide a fast, well-organized response,” Heath said. We began receiving patients shortly after midnight, and thanks to the skill and commitment of our team, we were ready to care for those individuals. Their professionalism and care truly exemplify our mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities we serve—no matter what the circumstances are.”

OHMCH did not suffer any physical damage from the storms, but some IT systems experienced downtime.

We are working closely with local and statewide emergency management personnel. Our hospital remains ready to care for other storm victims who may require our care, or those who may experience injuries during the response and recovery. We encourage the community to check our website at owensborohealth.org and Facebook page for updates.

Contact: Brian Hamby, Director of Marketing, 270-316-4274. (NOTE: Due to some phone systems being down, please text to contact Brian.)

About Owensboro Health

Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.