Flooding Disrupts Care at Houston Trauma Center, Hospitals

One of the nation's busiest trauma centers began clearing space Monday for the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey even as the storm continued its days-long onslaught of rain. Ben Taub Hospital personnel transferred a handful of patients to other facilities and took much needed deliveries of food and fresh linens after spending the weekend short-staffed and with dwindling supplies, said Bryan McLeod, a spokesman for the Houston hospital's parent company, Harris Health System. The goal was not a full evacuation but to move about 60 of the 350 patients from the 440-bed facility in time to take on new patients once the storm finally moves on the widespread flooding recedes, McLeod said. "This is setting the table," he said early Tuesday. "Eventually, when the rain stops, people resume their lives and get back out on the roads, we're going to see more trauma events." Floodwater and sewage got into the basement of the hospital's main building and affected pharmacy, food service and other key operations for a time. Heavy rains thwarted plans Sunday to move patients to other hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, a large medical complex southwest of downtown. Only the designated "ride-out team" had been working in the hospital, with water levels around the city too high for additional staff — including the hospital's chief medical officer — to get in. The nearby University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center also canceled outpatient services, appointments...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Major Incidents News Operations Source Type: news