BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — Local healthcare systems are focusing on "staffing and stability" as they brace for the incoming weather event. Many facilities are requiring staff members to stay on-site to maintain operations during the storm.
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"So depending on how bad it is, a lot of times hospitals do ask them to stay in-house, and just spend the night, you know, at the hospital so that preparedness is there for treating and tackling those emergencies that we still expect to see," said Dr. Fahmi Farah, CEO of Bentley Heart Medical Center.
Beyond staffing preparations, medical teams are winterizing exterior pipes and testing industrial backup generators. Healthcare workers expect to see an increase in patients this weekend due to icy road conditions.
"Road accidents are one of the biggest concerns right now, you know, there's usually a trauma team that's on call," Farah said.
Baylor Scott & White provided a statement that reads, in part: "Throughout the year, our teams host drills, practice emergency communications systems and more."
Local urgent care facilities are also committed to maintaining services during the storm. Dr. Stuart Quartermont, medical director of Aggieland Urgent Care, emphasized their dedication to remaining open.
"We have a provider that just lives 5 minutes away, so she said if she has to crawl here, she'll make it. And I'm just 7 miles away. So we'll be open and be happy to take care of anyone that has any issues," Quartermont said.
Medical professionals are also preparing for weather-related injuries beyond traffic accidents.
"This is also that same time when all that ice comes out, we'll see a lot of elbow injuries and knee injuries because as they're walking on ice, they're gonna slip and fall," said Dr. Eddy Dark, Texas medical director of Integrity Urgent Care.
Dark remains cautiously optimistic about weathering the storm.
"Depending on how these storms go in Texas, as we know, we can never tell, no matter what, no matter what I see or hear, I don't believe it until I see it kind of thing. So we're going to weather the storm just like everybody else," Dark said.
Healthcare officials remind residents that if they have a life-threatening emergency, EMS remains available and emergency rooms will stay open 24/7 throughout the storm.
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