As pandemic crosses the one-year mark, utility continues to support communities, critical services and workers on the frontlines

OG&E’s parent company, OGE Energy Corp., and its foundation, the OGE Energy Corp. Foundation, Inc. donated a combined $75,000 to three hospital foundations to fund mental health services and initiatives for frontline healthcare workers. The funds provided support for much-needed resources including INTEGRIS’ Pet Therapy program, SSM Health St. Anthony’s Lavender Cart, and Mercy’s Hope Packages for healthcare workers amid a pandemic.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (March 16, 2021) — Amid the stress of an ongoing worldwide pandemic, healthcare workers have been pushed to work safely in caring for others around the clock for the past year. OG&E’s parent company, OGE Energy Corp., and its foundation, the OGE Energy Corp. Foundation, Inc. donated a combined $75,000 to three hospital foundations to fund mental health services and initiatives for frontline healthcare workers. The foundations include Mercy Health Foundation Emergency Response Fund, St. Anthony Foundation Saints Urgent Response Fund and INTEGRIS Caregiver Relief Fund.

 “We are continually humbled by the opportunities to give back to the communities we serve by meeting the needs of our neighbors, especially during this pandemic,” said Sean Trauschke, Chairman, President and CEO of OGE Energy Corp. and OG&E. “Our healthcare workers have earned the title ‘hero,’ especially throughout the last year.”

Trauschke noted that the company wanted to celebrate its recent anniversary by supporting these heroes who have given so selflessly in a time of unprecedented adversity. “I can think of no better way to mark our organization’s 119^th anniversary than by recognizing their continued, critical efforts,” Trauschke said.

The foundations were chosen because of their shared focus on easing burdens of frontline healthcare workers through their broad network of hospitals that serve the communities, in Oklahoma and Arkansas, where OG&E operates.

“As COVID-19 continues to impact the communities we serve, our health care workers at INTEGRIS Health come to work every day ready to care for their patients and fight for the best possible outcomes in the face of this pandemic,” said INTEGRIS Health President and CEO Timothy Pehrson. “We are grateful for partners like OG&E who continue to rise to the occasion and support our caregivers during an incredibly challenging situation.”

“The generosity put forth from partners like OG&E has been incredible to witness this past year,” said Joe Hodges, Regional President of SSM Health Oklahoma, benefitting from the St. Anthony Foundation Saints Urgent Response Fund. “The toll COVID-19 has taken on the entire healthcare community is undeniable, and day after day they have risen to the challenge. Workers on the frontlines are encouraged and fortified by the empathy and support from the community – thank you!”

In February, the utility also announced a $25,000 gift to Mercy ICU nurse Tina Irwin, who lost her home to a fire in December 2020. Irwin, who’s been working on the frontlines with COVID-19 patients since April, came home from her 12-hour shift when she saw the devastation of her home. When the Dr. Oz Show reached out to OG&E, the company stepped in to help Irwin reestablish a home and cover educational expenses for her two oldest children.

“All of our co-workers have selflessly served on the front lines of this pandemic for nearly a year,” said Jim Gebhart, community president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “Tina Irwin is no exception. Our hearts broke when we learned about the tragic loss of her home late last year. We are grateful to the Dr. Oz Show and to our friends and neighbors at OG&E for coming together to help one of our health care heroes and her family through this challenging time. We are also appreciative of the impactful commitment OG&E has pledged, which will support so many of our co-workers in need.”

Since the onset of the pandemic, OG&E and its foundation has donated more than $400,000 to sustain local restaurants, power critical nonprofit organizations operating on the frontlines, and support frontline workers. In April of 2020, the company donated $250,000 to support local restaurants bringing meals to homebound seniors, as well as families in the metro impacted by job loss in partnership with Ending Hunger OKC, providing much-needed relief to restaurant owners and their employees while serving the needs of seniors and families. In October 2020, The Foundation awarded grants to Homeless Alliance, HeartLine Inc., and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to support each nonprofit’s response work in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About OG&E

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE: OGE), is Oklahoma's largest electric utility. For more than a century, we have provided customers in Oklahoma and western Arkansas the safe, reliable electricity needed to power their businesses and homes with the nation's lowest electric rates, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Our employees are committed to generating and delivering electricity, protecting the environment, and providing excellent service to nearly 860,000 customers.  OG&E has 7,081 MW of electric generation capacity fueled by low-sulfur coal, natural gas, wind, and solar. OG&E employees live, work, and volunteer in the communities we serve. For more information about OG&E, visit us at http://www.oge.com or follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ogepower and Twitter: @OGandE.