It takes a village
Extraordinary stories of compassion and camaraderie through a challenging week of severe winter weather.
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Many caregivers stayed several days in the hospital to make sure they could be there for patients despite the challenges presented by the weather.
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From freezing temperatures and travel issues to power outages and bursting pipes, our communities endured many challenges during the winter storm that settled over Texas in February 2021. Through it all, our staff and care providers stepped up to continue serving our patients and care for each other.
Many staff stayed on-site at our hospitals or in nearby hotels to make sure they could arrive safely to care for patients, rotating shifts to cover for coworkers who could not safely travel to work. Team members volunteered to give rides to essential workers, tow vehicles stuck in the snow, and made sure their coworkers had safe shelter and other essentials at home.
With limited staff available, team members worked multiple consecutive shifts and floated among departments to help where needed. Many took on extra duties, helping to prepare food for patients and staff, assisting the maintenance team, or even clearing snow and ice from parking lots and infrastructure.
Facilities, Emergency Management, Security, Hospitality, and all our teams behind the scenes worked around the clock to keep the hospitals functioning. When vendor trucks could not deliver supplies, some used their personal vehicles to bring in food and water from local stores.
We are incredibly grateful to all our staff, their families, and our communities for all they did and continue to do to support our patients and team members. We are truly in it together!
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