Hospitals ready to operate through North Texas winter storm
NORTH TEXAS — North Texas hospitals are preparing to operate in the inclement weather since medical emergencies won't wait till the winter storm passes.
"We're here, and we're ready," said Debbie Boudreaux, the vice president of nursing and patient services at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth.
The hospital has plenty of food, medication and supplies on hand. There's also plenty of room for staff to stay on-site if needed.
"We are able to work with our emergency management team to sleep our staff in the hospital," Boudreaux said. "We have more than 200 blow-up mattresses and linens and supplies for our staff so we can keep them here and keep them safe and off the roads."
Right now, scheduled surgeries are proceeding as normal.
"If it does get bad, we'll make sure our families are notified in a timely fashion," Boudreaux said. "We want to keep them safe as well, keep them home. If we do have to cancel something, we'll reschedule."
You can find Cook Children's office closures by clicking here.
Texas Health told CBS News Texas it offers overnight accommodations to staff who are working through the winter storm. Their hospitals also prepare for potential winter weather in advance by treating entryways and sidewalks and checking pipes, heaters, and any backup systems they might need to engage. Elective procedures will continue as usual unless patients prefer to reschedule.
Medical City Healthcare
"Medical City Healthcare has robust plans in place to address contingencies, including severe weather events, to ensure uninterrupted patient care. Our teams are ready to respond to the challenges posed by winter conditions and we do not anticipate any impacts on our quality care."
Baylor Scott & White
"Our teams continuously prepare to safely provide care for our communities during a variety of situations. Throughout the year, our teams host drills, practice emergency communications systems and more.
We remind our communities, whether you have an existing relationship with Baylor Scott & White or not, you can download the MyBSWHealth app to access 24/7 digital care with a Baylor Scott & White provider. In the event of an emergency, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department."
Children's Health
"The health and safety of our patients and team members is our top priority. At this time, there are no closures or cancellations. Any updates will be shared on childrens.com/weather and our social media channels."
Hospitals don't want people to drive in bad weather if they don't have to, but if you do need help, they'll be ready.
"We're going to be here and we're going to take care of your patient," Boudreaux said.
