One hundred forty-four hours. That’s how long Hurricane Harvey lasted for the members of Baylor’s ride-out team. This group of 52 essential personnel from Facilities, Security, Center for Comparative Medicine, and Radiology agreed to be locked in behind the campus floodgates before anyone knew where the storm would make landfall or how much damage it…
Even before the rain began to slow the devastation was clear. Thousands of people had to be evacuated or rescued from flooded homes. As they made their way to the George R. Brown Convention Center-turned-shelter, so did available medical professionals from across the city.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, thousands of volunteers did not hesitate to assist family, friends, neighbors and even strangers who needed help recovering. Victoria Mitre, fourth-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine, and many of her peers, were no exception.
For some impacted by Hurricane Harvey, tragedy struck in a rush as floodwaters inundated their homes. For Aqueasha Green, a scheduler at Baylor’s Infusion Center, disaster spread over four days, damaging a car, caving in her roof and soaking her home. But it did nothing to dampen her drive to help Baylor patients.
The drama of Hurricane Harvey was no match for the cool professionalism of two assistant professors of radiology and two Baylor residents. They were prepared to ride out the storm and provide uninterrupted imaging services important for patient diagnosis and treatment.
As floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey rose, heroes emerged to help the community any way they could. For some, it was rescues by boats and large vehicles. Still others, like Todd Kielman, physician assistant and instructor in the Department of Urology and an Army veteran, lent their expertise at shelters for evacuees.
The wrath of devastation and confusion caused by Hurricane Harvey brought out the best in many people, including a physician who was also a bride-to-be.
Through the wrath of Hurricane Harvey, many in our Baylor family stepped up to help those in need. In the Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, these Harvey Heroes went above and beyond the call of duty.
With Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center serving as a shelter for those displaced by Harvey, medical assistance was a top priority. Medical students and trainees where on hand to provide help, with supervision from faculty preceptors, including Dr. Monisha Arya, assistant professor of medicine.
During the height of Hurricane Harvey and in the days that followed, thousands of evacuees gathered at the George R. Brown Convention Center and NRG Center seeking shelter. Helping to provide crucial counseling and psychiatric care to evacuees at these shelters were Baylor College of Medicine psychiatrists, including Dr. Asim Shah.
Dr. Tim Porea, associate professor of pediatrics – hematology and oncology and clinical director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, was part of the ride-out team at Texas Children’s Cancer Center, remaining at the hospital to coordinate care for patients for seven days.
As the floodwater began to rise around the Texas Medical Center, Dr. Shane Jenks, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, found himself taking on responsibilities he didn’t expect.
Hurricane Harvey brought many Houstonians together to provide rescue and care for those in need. Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was one of many healthcare professionals who volunteered to provide medical care to evacuees at the George R. Brown convention center, and she says her experience undoubtedly changed how she would work…
Read about some of Baylor’s Harvey Heroes below, and if you know of other heroes from the Baylor family, please email Dana Benson at benson@bcm.edu.
