We were founded in the late 1960s by a group of five anesthesiologists (Larry Stream, Dick Shifrin, Carl Kreiger, Ruth Mershon, and David Geigerman) when Mercy was originally in downtown Oklahoma City. These early anesthesiologists still used the copper kettle for anesthesia delivery and arterial pulsations for patient monitoring. By 1984 the group had grown to 10 members and slowly expanded to 38 members today. It has always been managed and staffed by physician anesthesiologists.
We are the exclusive anesthesia provider for Mercy Oklahoma City, Mercy I-35 surgery center, and Mercy south Oklahoma City hospital. We also provide most of the anesthesia at Oklahoma Spine Hospital.
Mercy hospital is a level 2 trauma center and the busiest obstetric unit in the state. Our staff covers the anesthesia needs for these patients and handles a large number of general surgery, GYN, orthopedics, regional anesthesia, neuro/spine, ENT, and "bread & butter" peds cases. We do not do cardiothoracic or transplant procedures.
Mercy is currently building a new women's center aimed at expanding the hospital's capacity and improving care for mothers and infants in the state. The four-story Love Family Women's Center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2023, and our team looks forward to serving the anesthesia needs of this new facility and its patients.