News from the Astrodome

My stepson works for Baylor Medical in Houston. As you can imagine, they've had a very busy week with Hurricane Katrina refugees. Following is an e-mail we received from him this morning.

Dear All:
Since I had talked to each of you at some point, thought I would let you know how things are here in Houston. Baylor early on took a leadership position with healthcare for the evacuees at the Astrodome. I went over the night before the buses began arriving and the Medical Director Dr. Tom Gavagan, a Baylor family medicine faculty member, was already laying out the clinic that would materialize over night. Three days later, it is a bustling large clinic, getting more sophisticated every day, with labs, a large pharmacy (with drugs provided by Walgreen and CVC), and specialty areas and we are beginning to build subspecialty areas. The Astrodome Health Clinic as we are calling it has seen over 5,000 people since the evacuation began. It is located at the Astro Arena, a large exhibit hall behind the Astrodome. Patients are bussed over from the Astrodome. They are triaged on the buses as they arrive in town and the most in need are taken to area hospitals, including Ben Taub General Hospital, the county's hospital staffed by Baylor docs. Dr. Ken Mattox, the physician--in-chief there and a Baylor professor of surgery and an alumnus, is working with the County to oversee all medical treatment including the Astrodome Health Clinic. Inside the Dome, we have a triage area that takes up quite a large space as you enter the main area. The site is amazing as you have seen on tv, but somehow in person, it is just overwhelming. The first day, the evacuees were just worn out, very quiet, grateful for help. And they are getting anything they need. There are volunteers walking around with boxes of anything -- diapers, water, toys, snacks, antibacterial hand wipes -- you name it. We have local entertainers roaming the Dome keeping the kids occupied. The triage area in the Dome soon turned into a mini clinic as the Astrodome Health Clinic became nearly overwhelmed. Strangely enough, the Office of Public Affairs assume the task of staffing the Clinic and so between working with our docs and the news media (At one point I looked over and gathered around Dr. Mattox were reporters from major dailies from Boston, Toronto, Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando and others, and the live truck interviews have been nonstop), and calling Baylor physicians to take on 12-hour shifts (the clinic is open 24 hours, and the two shifts are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.), it has been a wild and emotional week. The stories seem to never end. I watched a reunion of two sisters in the Dome literally in front of me, I nearly walked into them. The reporter from the Times Picayune has been here all week, and before she began interviewing Mattox, he stopped and said "Let me ask you some questions -- how are you? how is your family? did you lose your house? how about your pets? " Found out she had lost her house, and was looking for a relative. She began crying and he hugged her, before she composed herself and became a journalist again. Houston, being so close to New Orleans, has meant, as it must for those of you nearer that city, has many, many students, faculty and employees who are from New Orleans, or who have family there. Our Vice President for Government Relations and Community Affairs, has his parents and sister here, both of who lost their home on Lake Pontchartrain. I received a call the other night from a faculty member calling on his cell out of the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans. He asked me to help get his family out, that there were hundreds trapped there and in the hotel next door. He asked if we could possibly get some media attention on their plight. I tried with the AP and our Houston reporter, but they were overwhelmed by the evacuee situation here at the Dome. I finally called back and he had decided to go out into the water. It was a happy ending with he and his family making it to the airport and getting back to Houston.

Anyway, it has been extremely difficult week here and we have all been involved non-stop. The evacuees are now comfortable in the Dome, at Reliant Center, and George R. Brown Convention Center here in Houston, but when I go into the Dome, the "vibes" are definitely changing to boredom, frustration at not know about lost relatives and worry about the future. Most of all they seem to just want to get on with things. I have sat down with a few of them...on their cots at their invitation...and they have told me some of their experiences while at the Dome, but did not say much about New Orleans. The most heartbreaking site was a "children;'s section" on the second level of the dome, visible from all over. They have placed them up there for parents to be able to find them. I suppose many of them are children separated from parents after they arrived, but can't help wondering if the separation has been longer.

I know some of you have been directly involved with the evacuee situation, so I am sure you have stories too. Just thought I would share this one look at what's happening here. I have been so impressed with how all the entities are working together -- Baylor, the county hospital district, hospitals, the state, the city....it's amazing. Take care. -- Ron

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this first hand report Lisa!! Very encouraging and I loved reading it. This is stuff we don't see enough on the news:D :D

I must say I am proud of Texas. They saw a need and jumped in to help! All the states should have done the same!
WAY TO GO TEXAS!!!:D

Thank you so much for posting this. It gives us a look at things from the inside part of this tragic situation. I know I've been longing to hear actual stories and this is just great!

Terry:)

Thank you for sharing this with us.

Thanks for sharing with us!

YAY TEXAS!! (My home state) Thanks for sharing it with us.