Dear Students,
Tropical Storm Harvey has caused massive damage to the Texas Gulf Coast, and will be continuing on through the week. UT Southwestern Medical Center is looking to provide disaster relief aid through local support in Dallas for evacuees and regional resources for our fellow Texans in the storm area. Want to be involved? Here are a few of ways…
Hurricane Harvey Relief Drive– we have organized a drive to collect new underwear, new socks, new warmups for men, women, children and infants, toiletries/hygiene products, baby formula and baby wipes, bottles, non-perishable food items, diapers and Graco Pac n’ Plays for babies according to need of Dallas County VOAD member Trusted World. You can deposit your donations to the boxes designed “Hurricane Harvey Relief” on every student carrel in L building, Bryan Williams, MD student center, School of Health Professions Dean’s Office on the 9th floor, and Graduate School main office. We are hoping to collect through the next weeks and drop off items every week at 15660 N. Dallas Parkway.
Convention Center Clinic Volunteering – (Medical Student Volunteers only for now.. may extend request to HP and Grad students as things evolve and we have a better understanding of the need.) We are working with the Dallas County Health Department and the UTSW Emergency Medicine Department to provide volunteering opportunities for students interested in helping out at the “mega shelter” in the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. Student responsibilities would be to help provide on-site support by doing patient check-ins, entering patient info, and other tasks as needed. We have set up a sign-up sheet to coordinate efforts at the Googledoc below. The main point of contact at the Health Department will be Connie Webster from Dallas County Medical Society. She will take our sign up list, check DL/IDs and issue the Volunteer badge. Volunteers who sign up should go to the Dallas County Health Department 5th floor Room 520 (2377 North Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75207-2710) in advance of their assigned shift to get an ID such that they can go directly to the Convention Center when they volunteer. Connie will contact each of you on the volunteer sign up list and send you a detailed email with instructions on where to go, park, what your assignment will be, etc.
School and clinical duties takes precedence, but please sign up when you can. You will be serving in a non-professional role only- not delivering care, only in a support/clerical role. We may ask for additional volunteers based on the evolving need, and if it turns out that volunteers are no longer needed, she will notify scheduled volunteers that their help is no longer required.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X0l9fbdDA-kAZXhcAQSrYGhAq1XnT6v7tjih4as4ceQ/edit?usp=sharing
Blood Donations – Carter BloodCare will send blood donations to its partners affected by Hurricane Harvey. The center will also deal with an increase in demand for blood and platelets as intensive care patients arrive in North Texas. Donations of all blood types are needed, especially O types.
This is a wonderful opportunity to unite to support our fellow Texans during these tragic events.
Thank you in advance for your efforts.
Warmly,
apm
Angela Peterman Mihalic, MD
Hometown: Austin, Texas
UT Southwestern 