MD Anderson cancels appointments; Memorial Hermann Sugar Land closes amid epic Harvey flooding

Credit: MD Anderson

Renowned Texas cancer treatment hospital MD Anderson Cancer Center has canceled all appointments for Tuesday and will be closed Wednesday as well, the center tweeted on Tuesday. It is one of many institutions besieged by Tropical Storm Harvey, which first made landfall Friday night as a category 4 hurricane, continues to batter Texas and the Gulf Coast region with heavy rain and flooding.

"We're grateful for all of our employees who are here providing exceptional care for our patients during #HarveyStorm," the center tweeted.

It will still be caring for current patients, the system said.

[Also: Hurricane Harvey devastates critical access hospital, forces closure]

Another Texas giant, Memorial Hermann has closed their Sugar Land facility until further notice. Patients from that hospital were transferred to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.

All other major Memorial Hermann hospitals remain open and operational, the system said on their website.

Memorial Hermann First Colony Hospital is also closed until further notice as are several of their Convenient Care locations including the Sienna Plantation, Summer Creek and Spring locations. Affected services include the 24-hour emergency rooms, imaging centers, and diagnostic labs.

[Also: HHS declares public health emergency in the wake of Hurricane Harvey]

"Memorial Hermann has been actively preparing for the severe weather that is anticipated. We have already taken the necessary steps to ensure each of our facilities has adequate amounts of food, water, medications, generator fuel and other supplies to last for several days. If for some reason a transfer should become necessary, we will work with you and your family to do so in a safe manner and via the safest transport," the system said.

According to the Houston Chronicle, major trauma center Ben Taub also finally has an evacuation plan in place. The hospital's basement flooded Sunday.

The region's Catastrophic Medical Operations Center has informed them that hospitals have been found for every patient the hospital wants to transfer, including critical care patients, and the transfer process will begin "whatever pace Ben Taub requests, provided roadways are open," the Chronicle report said.

Meanwhile, HHS has set up an on-site medical care station at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where score of storm victims are sheltering. It is scheduled to be operational Wednesday.

The station will be staffed by professionals from the HHS National Disaster Medical System and U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Additional stations have been set up in Texas, as well as two in Baton Rouge, which are ready to be deployed if needed, the agency said.

The agency is also assisting in evacuating hospital patients to facilities in unimpacted or less-impacted surrounding areas.

Twitter: @BethJSanborn
Email the writer: beth.sandborn@himssmedia.com