bakdc / Shutterstock.com

Texas Hospitals Strain Under Weight of Emergencies

COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine distribution, massive winter snowstorm and statewide power outage combine to wreak havoc


Healthcare facilities regularly update and practice their emergency preparedness plans in anticipation of a catastrophic event that threatens regular operations. Hospitals in Texas, however, are in the midst of dealing with several substantial emergencies simultaneously — the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine distribution, a massive winter snowstorm and a statewide power outage. The results for some facilities have been chaos.

State health officials scrambled Monday to administer more than 5,000 Covid-19 vaccines after a deadly winter storm pummeling the state caused a power outage in a facility storing the doses, according to NBC News. A backup generator at the Harris County Health Department failed, thawing freezers that kept a total of 8,430 doses of the Moderna vaccine, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

In Waco, hundreds of businesses closed due to snowstorms bringing single-digit temperatures to Central Texas, but hospitals don’t have that option, according to KWTX.

“Our campus has been impacted by the weather,” said Dr. Tameka Jones with Baylor Scott & White (BSW) Medical Center-Hillcrest. BSW officials say their teams practice emergency scenarios throughout the year, and over the last week, they’ve been focused on preparing for extraordinary weather. Hospital leaders have been making arrangements for team members to remain on-site at the hospital and at nearby hotels.



February 18, 2021


Topic Area: Facility Operations


Recent Posts

The Future of Backup Power Systems in Healthcare Facilities

Manufacturers discuss what trends are shaping the future of backup power systems in healthcare.


Infection Control is Key to Ongoing Measles Outbreak

Infection control is essential to protecting both patients and staff from contracting measles.


Kaiser Permanente to Open New Parker Medical Offices

It also announced it's in the early stages of planning a rebuild and expansion of its Westminster Medical Offices.


Skanska Completes Renovation for New Sutter Health Care Center

The new facility will provide internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, as well as lab and imaging services.


Probiotic Cleaners: The Start of a Cleaning Revolution?

Advantages of probiotic cleaning include fewer resistant genes and cost savings through decreased antibiotic use.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.