Saint Anthony Hospital President Remembers Response To Oklahoma City Bombing

As Oklahomans gather to remember the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, one medical professional remembers where she was on that day.

Now the president of SSM Health Saint Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City, Tammy Powell was a nursing manager in downtown Oklahoma City the day of the bombing.

29 years ago, Powell's job was to communicate with other hospitals and connect people with their loved ones who were inside the federal building at the time of the explosion.

"We should have been running away to protect ourselves, but nobody was doing that," Powell said. "Everybody was running to say 'how can I help? How can I be of support?'"

When she heard the description of two missing boys who fit her own son’s description, Powell said it hit her hard.

"I was thinking of this mother who was looking for her son," Powell said. "I wanted to find those two boys for her. Unfortunately, we never did."

When the explosion happened, Powell said most of the hospital windows were taken out, but the staff inside jumped into mobilization mode.

Powell also said she remembers doctors and other healthcare workers who didn’t even work at her hospital coming in to help.

Now, Powell says her hospital's employees are ready to care for Oklahomans in times of tragedy.

"I pray that we never, ever have a terrorist event," Powell said. "We will probably have natural disasters, and we are here ready to do what we need to do for Oklahomans."

Powell said she knows the Oklahoma Standard was born on this day 29 years ago and will live on forever.