FROM THE PRESIDENT

In an emergency situation such as the one recently experienced during and after the deluge of Tropical Storm Allison, the outpouring of support that Texas Medical Center institutions received from health care professionals and volunteers was impressive. Because of these heroic individuals, patient care was uncompromised, and losses, while significant, could have been more extensive.

Some examples:

Despite material losses, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research stepped in to accept patients from several sister TMC institutions. In additon, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Houston VA Medical Center and Ben Taub General Hospital accepted patients from other harder-hit hospitals.

A mobile kitchen, donated by H-E-B Pantry Foods, was set up at Texas Children's and fed hot meals, fruit, packaged snacks, soft drinks and bottled water to patients and families at Texas Children's Hospital, and to patients, families, staff and volunteers from St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and The Methodist Hospital. Teenage children of executives fromTexas Children's Hosptial spent an entire day driving trucks to pick up the food and deliver it to the hospital.

Unable to reach their intended hospital because of flooded streets and rising waters, Kimberly and Keith Wayne Young Jr. found their way to the Houston VA Medical Center where their baby was born with coaching over the phone from second-year Ben Taub obstetrical resident Dr. Ginger Cathy. Local VA officials believe this is only the second birth at the VA in its 50-year history.

At The Methodist Hospital, operations dispatcher Jesse Willhite and security officer George Ross rescued Demeterius Bradley of linen services, who was trapped in an elevator that was filling with water. Willhite and Bradley climbed on top of the elevator cab and removed the escape hatch to save Bradley. Elsewhere in the hospital, Esperanza Escandon was awaiting a heart transplant, while her husband and son, Reuben Esparanza Sr. and Jr., assisted with moving heavy equipment and patients, and later in the day, found sandwiches, soft drinks, water and ice to give to the nursing staff.

Due to flooding, Memorial Hermann Hospital closed for the first time in its 76-year history. Physicians, nurses, students and volunteers sucessfully transferred 540 patients, including 150 children, to other hospitals. For more than 24 hours, Dr. Christine Cocanour, the attending trauma surgeon, triaged patients and prioritized the order in which they were transported. When battery packs on IV pumps and portable monitors failed, she sent a medical resident to her nearby house, which still had power, to recharge the batteries.

Meanwhile, laboratory researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas Medical School braved flooded streets to carry dry ice to their labs in an attempt to save valuable cell and tissue samples.

During the storm, M. D. Anderson departed from its usual role of treating cancer patients. For the first time in its history, the hospital admitted a few noncancer patients from flood-stricken hospitals, and treated several noncancer patients in its emergency room.

The Texas Medical Center salutes the heroes of Tropical Storm Allison, many of them unsung, for their efforts. They epitomize the spirit of caring and compassion - the hallmark of all Texas Medical Center institutions.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/07_01_01/page_23.html