Local hospitals participating in Hurricane Harvey relief

The rains may have stopped (for the time being), but hospital relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Harvey have continued throughout the week in North Texas. While the number of evacuees has not reached the overwhelming totals from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when an estimated 26,000 people arrived in Dallas, the storm has kept the region’s hospitals on alert.

Medical City Healthcare took in 34 patients transported from the Gulf Coast. Twelve patients arrived from Baptist Beaumont hospital after it lost water supply last week. Twenty-two patients also arrived from other HCA Healthcare hospitals in the region. In addition, nearly 40 Medical City Healthcare nurses were deployed to assist with medical emergencies in Houston.

Children’s Health, UT Southwestern and Parkland Health & Hospital System have already begun treating patients at Dallas’ “Mega Shelter” located at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. At least 250 people and counting have arrived. Medical providers in emergency medicine, pediatrics, primary care and nursing are on call as patients continue to check in. Parkland’s ER physician Dr. Ray Fowler leads the project as medical director.

Texas Health Resources continues to monitor the situation, having assisted more than 300 individuals from the Gulf Coast region seeking medical care. Texas Health physicians and nurses are also assisting shelters in Tarrant and Dallas counties.

Baylor Scott & White Health started a donation drive through its Faith in Action Initiative, collecting hygiene kits to include soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, razors, shaving cream and feminine hygiene products.

Methodist Health System has offered medical help for evacuees at its Inwood Village urgent care clinic. The Methodist clinic will see “as many as eight patients per day for acute and primary visits, blood work, and X-rays.” Patients will be shuttled from shelters to the clinic.

JPS Health Network is holding a blood drive on September 15. Carter BloodCare, one of the suppliers being called upon to support the needs of hospitals in Southeast Texas, will be in the OPC Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

DFW Hospital Council President/CEO W. Stephen Love was quoted today in Olivia Nguyen’s D Healthcare story “No Gesture’s Too Small.”

“We are all striving to help our fellow Texans impacted by Hurricane Harvey,” Love said. “In looking at the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the anonymous author of this phrase—’You may be only one person in this world, but you may be the world to one person’—rings true as every Texan can help our coastal neighbors. No gesture or gift is too small in this time of recovery.”