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Information Services 2:30 p.m. Update

Published
by
Information Services
on September 12, 2008
in Institutional Information
. 0 Comments

There is considerable rising water already on Galveston Island and the winds are just now starting to pick up.  The National Weather Service is issuing Dire Warnings to people in coastal areas and the news continues to interview people who are riding out what they are saying will be a huge storm surge.  UTMB is now updating the 77-ALERT line and the red WEATHER button on the home page every three hours.

 

This afternoon’s timeline & information:

 

David, Steve, and I will be attending or calling into a 4:30 p.m. conference call with the State of Texas in the Emergency Operations Center.  A UTMB meeting about storm plans and preparations will follow.

At 5:30 p.m. tonight, we will have another IS meeting in 4.100 Admin to update everyone on what we heard at 4:30 p.m.  We will also open a conference call line for staff outside Galveston to hear what is going on.  Anyone copied is welcome to call in (forward as necessary). The number is 877-226-9790 and the access code is 3060078.  We will be using this for all conference calls during the storm so keep it on hand.

 

Thank you to everyone who has forwarded contact lists and staff locations to us in the OCC.  First and foremost, make sure your supervisor knows where you are and how to get a hold of you.

 

With the increasing winds, the IS on-site staff will soon be treated to a delectable menu of MRE choices including BBQ Beef, Chicken Noodle, Chicken & Rice Italia, and Pancakes.  Thankfully these were ordered and they arrived just in time.  If we could only find the white tablecloths.

 

An IS special forces group (Grimm, Breish, Young, & Ingram) were sent out early today to take pictures of the rising water.  We will be posting the link to these pictures very soon.

 

As always, if we can do anything for you, call us at the OCC at x23873.  Thanks…Todd.

Information Services 8:30 a.m. Update

Published
by
Information Services
on September 12, 2008
in Institutional Information
. 0 Comments

At a 7:00 a.m. meeting, they announced shower rooms for anyone not staying in the hospital would be Units 5D13, 5D14, 5D15, and 5D16. There are supposed to be towels there but if you have your own I would take it because I couldn’t find any when I walked through about 30 min ago. I would suggest the shower sooner than later as the winds are picking up already. I also told the group we would be staying housed in Admin during the storm and so far that is the plan.

This morning’s timeline:

There is a 9:00 a.m. meeting for all staff who would like to attend in the cafeteria with our leadership (Drs. Callender, Sexton, & Richardson) to get an update and ask questions.

David, Steve, and I will be attending a 10:30 a.m. conference call with the State of Texas in the Emergency Operations Center. A UTMB meeting about storm plans and preparations will follow.

At 11:30 a.m. this morning, we will have another IS meeting in 4.100 Admin to update everyone on what we heard at 10:30 a.m. We will also open a conference call line for staff outside Galveston to hear what is going on. Anyone copied is welcome to call in (forward as necessary). The number is 877-226-9790 and the access code is 3060078. We will be using this for all conference calls during the storm so keep it handy.

Let me know if you have any questions or need additional information. Thanks…Todd.

Information Services Hurricane Ike Initial Posting

Published
by
Information Services
on September 11, 2008
in Institutional Information
. 0 Comments

In addition to sending e-mail updates, we will be posting updates to this site about what is happening at UTMB. Right now ambulances as far as I can see are lined up around the circle and are evacuating patients. It looks like slow going so I hope the most critical are being evacuated first. The majority of our Essential E-1 on-site staff have checked into our command center and sleeping quarters are being negotiated. Everyone please stay safe and never put yourself in harm’s way to get to UTMB. Just a couple of reminders, please make sure your supervisor knows your location and how to get a hold of you. If we are asked to or are required to shut down systems, we may need your help. If you have a question or need on-site assistance from us, please call us at the OCC at x23873. Thanks. Todd Leach (also at (409) 772-3811 or cell (281) 455-1111)

Family Medicine goes to emergency status

Published
by
Family Medicine
on September 11, 2008
in Family Medicine
. 1 Comment

All,

I understand that UTMB went to emergency status as of 7am this morning. All non-essential employees will be dismissed from Family Medicine and its clinics as soon as we are packed and the last patient seen.

At this time clinic staff should be contacting all patients with Thursday appointments (anytime) to cancel. We will need to see those patients we could not reach to cancel, and then pack the clinics as soon as possible.

Providers should take their white coat, badge and stethoscope with them as they evacuate, so you are ready to help see patients without returning to the PCP. We should be prepared to come back and assist the community after the storm.

Essentials with questions should contact Dr. Thompson. If anyone has any questions, you may contact me.

Please stay safe.

Julia Essex

Annual all-staff hurricane season and emergency preparedness meeting material now online

Published
by
Administrator
on June 23, 2008
in Institutional Information
. 0 Comments

The annual emergency preparedness meeting for all UTMB staff was hosted Monday, June 9. The institution’s emergency preparedness officers, Dr. Joan Richardson and Mike Megna, discussed important points related to institutional plans, and representatives from key emergency support areas presented information and updates. Materials from the meeting have now been posted online.

April 30, 2008: Hurricane and evacuation exercise planned for UTMB

Published
by
Administrator
on April 30, 2008
in Institutional Information
. 1 Comment

This week, the State of Texas is conducting its annual hurricane and evacuation exercise for the Gulf Coast. UTMB will participate in several activities both in the community and on campus, including assisting and coordinating with City of Galveston and Galveston County efforts. On the afternoon of Wednesday, April 30, UTMB will activate its incident command center and test campus communication systems. The exercise will include review of the planning and decision-making processes that would be used in an evacuation or hurricane situation.

No alerts posted at this time

Published
by
Pep
on September 19, 2007
in Institutional Information
. 0 Comments

There are no alerts currently posted for UTMB. We are watching weather in the gulf (west of Florida) with the potential for development, but nothing yet.

Message from the IEPOS: Tropical Storm Humberto forms near Freeport and is expected ashore around midnight

Published
by
Pep
on September 12, 2007
in Institutional Information
. 1 Comment

We’ve been watching a tropical weather system for several days that has now become a little better organized as it approaches the Texas coast south of Galveston Island.

Earlier today, Tropical Depression Nine was upgraded to Tropical Storm Humberto by the National Hurricane Center. At 3 p.m., the center of Tropical Storm Humberto was about 40 miles south of Freeport, Texas, with maximum winds of 45 mph, mostly east of the center in the heavier squalls. Humberto has been moving just slightly right of due north, at about 6 mph, for the past 6 hours. On this course, the center should reach the coast between Freeport and Galveston just before midnight tonight (Wednesday night). Heavy squalls north of Humberto’s center are already moving ashore from Freeport to Galveston. These squalls will move inland across southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana this evening and spread northward into east Texas and western Louisiana during the day on Thursday. Due to the close proximity to land, forecasters do not expect any significant strengthening prior to landfall. Read rest of message…

Sunday, Aug. 19 update on Hurricane Dean

Published
by
Pep
on August 19, 2007
in Institutional Information
. 0 Comments

UTMB officials have been watching the progress of Hurricane Dean. At this time, the threat to the upper Texas coast continues to diminish. UTMB is “standing down” from the early stages of its emergency plan. Normal academic, clinical and research activities on the Galveston campus continue. Schools, hospitals, clinics, labs, offices and other areas will open as usual Monday morning, Aug. 20. (The McAllen RMCHP Clinic will be closed to patients on Monday and possibly through the week; and UTMB Correctional Managed Care employees working at facilities in deep south Texas should check with their facility managers for instructions.) Get additional details…

Special statement on Hurricane Dean

Published
by
Administrator
on August 17, 2007
in Institutional Information
. 0 Comments

UTMB officials continue watching the progress of Dean as it begins its approach to the Gulf of Mexico. Although there is still a great deal of uncertainty around this storm, it poses a threat that UTMB is are taking seriously. Read message from the university preparedness officers…