With the arrival today of a Disaster Medical Assistance Team on campus, UTMB will turn over its patient care responsibilities for a time to focus on full recovery. This means that we will begin releasing many essential employees (the majority of them clinical staff) over the next few days and calling in other essential personnel to focus on business functions that are key to the recovery effort.
On a related note, because DMAT personnel are here, we don’t need clinical volunteers at this point. If you’re interested in volunteering in some other capacity and you’re an essential employee, please let us know.
The city is now allowing essential UTMB personnel – with ID/E1 badges – back on the island, and supervisors are working on their recovery staffing plans now. Please wait to hear from your supervisor before heading back to the campus. It is too early for research faculty to return. The only essential research personnel we will be able to accommodate at this point are those coming to replenish dry ice.
Although city officials have said that UTMB will be among the first to receive power, we don’t expect that to happen for two to four weeks. As a result, UTMB will remain on emergency status and in lock-down mode for an indefinite period of time.
EDUCATION
There will be no classes for at least a week. Dr. Garland Anderson is working with the deans and residency program directors on the details. Students and residents should continue to check this site, the alert site and phone line, and be on the lookout for First Call messages.
RESEARCH
Dr. Anderson and Research Services personnel are working to bring essential research staff in to attend to animals, freezer repositories and equipment. This is a “protect and preserve” effort only. Active research will not resume at this point. But, with the emphasis shifting from clinical care for the time being, the research facilities are our highest priority.
We have restored emergency power to MRB, Building 17, BSB, GNL, Shope Lab, Old Shrine and Surgical Research Annex. Departments that have research labs with research freezers in any OTHER buildings need to send their E1 early-return staff to campus tomorrow to replenish dry ice.
Laboratory staff in buildings that currently have emergency power should not return tomorrow and will be turned away without access. We will notify you as soon as we can when E1 early-return staff can come back.
The E1 staff who are returning tomorrow should report to the MRB lobby starting at 10 a.m. Please wear appropriate lab-entry attire and bring your UTMB ID/E1 badge. Please try to notify other E1 early-return staff in your department so this message gets widely distributed.
HEALTH SYSTEM
As noted, our clinical activities will be minimal for the next two weeks. Dr. Karen Sexton will be leading the Health System’s efforts to plan for resumption of full services, including hospitals, on- and off-campus clinics, and our Correctional Managed Care enterprise.
Many of our emergency generators are running smoothly. Our communications systems are coming on line one by one. We hope to have water for showers and other essentials within the next couple of days. We do have plenty of drinking water on hand. We are bringing in outside crews and an environmental health team to help with clean-up and recovery.
As Dr. Sexton told employees during today’s 3 p.m. briefing, “We had a plan to care for our patients and our people, and it worked. Now it’s time to step back, take some well-deserved rest, and get this great institution back on its feet.”
Thanks to everyone who’s volunteered to help with the recovery effort. We will be back and stronger than ever.
Please, does anyone know whether Dr. Bill Deiss is safe?
He stayed on the island and is west of 61st street.
Both my husband and I are employees with UTMB. Scott Saxon (IS Dept) and myself (RN). We live off of 646 and we were extremely lucky during the storm. Both our home and family are safe. Although we are still without power at home (as are many others), we are willing and able to return to UTMB and help with recovery mode as soon as we can. We both have E1 badges which will allow us onto the island. Please let us know as soon as you need us.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with those who remained on campus and worked throughout the storm as well as those that have experienced difficulties.
My cell phone 409-739-7739 and Scott’s Cell 281-642-9403
I am an employee of BMB Department and have an E1 badge. I would like to help with the recovery efforts. My services would be useful especially for IS department. My phone number is (281)338-4018.
I am an employee of UTMB (RN in transplant services)and would like to volunteer in any capacity. I live on the island, but, am currently staying with family off the island. My husband is proficient with computers, IS, having had his own computer company for 12 years. If you can use our services please call us at 409 737-9199 or 409 939-0449. Marisa & Vince Beck.
I don’t know if this is the place to ask this but I can’t seem to find the info anywhere else. Anyone know approximately how deep/high the water got in the east end region of like Church and 9th? I cant help but wonder.
Greg, I am sorry to say the east end near there had 5-7 feet of water. Maybe you will be lucky your and house wasn’t as unfornunate as ours. We will all have to be strong and work through this. Sorry!
Does anyone know what is the condition of Fish Village? I live in fish village next to Shell gas station on Ferry Road and most pictures/videos don’t go toward that area. I know I am looking at a lot flooding but I had heard that the eye of Ike passed right above ferry road and was wondering if anyone knew the conditions there.
Can someone clarify one thing in the 7:30 Sunday update. It said that emergency power had been restored to MRB, Building 17, BSB, GNL, Shope Lab, Old Shrine and Surgical Research Annex, and that E1 personnel from those buildings should come tomorrow to replenish dry ice. The next paragraph said that no one should come from buildings that currently have emergency power and they would be turned away.
Do the restored buildings currently have emergency power? Should personnel from those building come in or not?
I know that this is confusing for everyone and appreciate the great job that the on site emergency people have been doing.
Hello
If those with an ID/E1 badge come back onto the island are they allowed to leave after coming back?
KHOU has a good forum for information on Galveston neighborhoods. Reports on Fish Village are varied , but mostly around 4ft high water.
http://www.khou.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=56&sid=1520624e5845783317b7f250808b37a1
how about lipton tea building? How deep is the water there?
Just spoke w/ my son .. cell service is getting better over at UTMB. He has AT&T. but he tells me he has not showered in 3 days! Anybody know when showers will be made available to these hard working people! I know there are portable showers that can be setup. Has anybody asked or offered these services? May not sound like much, but i’m sure that it would be appreciated!
Thanks
I am at home in League City with a full tank of gas & am able to go to work. Please text message me at 409-599-7328. I am a Burn ICU nurse.
I work in the development office and live on the island, but am temporarily staying in Missouri City. I have E1 status and can commute to the island to relieve anyone in need of it.
I work in Healthcare Epidemiology and can help out with any type of recovery aid needed. Let me know if you need me…815-263-4320.