M. D. Anderson Mildly Affected by Storm

While the impact of Tropical Storm Allison on the Texas Medical Center was severe, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center was able to maintain most operations throughout the emergency and experienced only minor flood effects compared to sister institutions.

Much of that good fortune was due to prior planning and successful execution of the institution's disaster plan. Emergency generators kept lights and essential equipment working while dedicated employees put forth the necessary extra effort to keep the institution running.

"There were people making a lot of sacrifices," said Beverly Nelson, director of clinical nursing. "Units were staffed at levels to maintain quality patient care. Everybody just pitched in."

As a result, M. D. Anderson not only cared for its 376 patients, but admitted noncancer patients from other hospitals for the first time in its history. Nine pediatric patients from Memorial Hermann Hospital and five intensive care patients from St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital were also admitted.

In another first, several noncancer patients were treated in M. D. Anderson's Emergency Center. In addition, M. D. Anderson provided urgent diagnostic imaging services to hospitals whose equipment was inoperable due to storm damage.

During the emergency, many employees worked extra shifts when others were unable to navigate the floodwaters. Some remained at the hospital from Friday night until Sunday, resting when they could on beds provided for employees. Many who stayed to help patients had no way of knowing the status of their own homes during the flooding.

Alongside the staff, many volunteers arrived to help keep operations running smoothly and begin the clean-up effort in the areas affected by the flooding.

"A special thanks goes to all the dedicated staff, faculty and volunteers who extended themselves to participate in keeping M. D. Anderson up and running during the flood emergency," said Dr. John Mendelsohn, M. D. Anderson president.

While outpatient services and surgeries were canceled Monday, June 11 to tend to flood damage, operations returned to normal the following day.

Some of the hardest-hit flood damage areas were basement offices for the Department of Volunteer Services, including some gift shop inventory and artwork from the Art Cart program that allows patients to personalize their hospital rooms.

Two linear accelerators were down in the Division of Radiation Oncology due to minor flooding, but alternative arrangements were made to meet patient-care needs despite the loss.

Because the Fannin Bank Building was without electrical power when employees from M. D. Anderson returned to work Monday, June 11, several departments housed there were forced to continue operations elsewhere until the building reopened later that week. Some worked from their homes while others, like the Department of Procurement Services, were able to set up temporary office space in other M. D. Anderson facilities.

"Many departments depend on us to purchase their patient care and research products, services and equipment. It was a makeshift situation, but everyone was in good spirits and determined to get the job done," said director Linda Akiens.

Thirty medical and high-school students at M. D. Anderson for summer educational programs were forced to leave their dormitories at Texas Woman's University Sunday, June 10, when those facilities lost electrical power and water. Using her small car as a makeshift shuttle service, Frances Franco of the Office of Allied Health Programs at M. D. Anderson helped move the students to a local hotel, where they spent the majority of the week until the dorms could be reopened.

"The students managed to maintain a sense of humor through it all, and the college students really did a great job of watching out for the high-school kids," Franco said.

With Tropical Storm Allison adding to historically low blood supplies during summer months, M. D. Anderson's employees stepped up to fill patients' blood needs. On Sunday, June 10, after Allison left the Houston area, some employees brought church groups to M. D. Anderson's transfusion center to make blood donations. The following day, nearly 200 employees, from physicians to administrative staff, made donations on behalf of patients.

For more information about giving blood at M. D. Anderson, check the Blood Bank's Internet site at http://www.mdanderson.org/donateblood.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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