News Releases

One Year Later, Memorial Hermann Remembers 9/11; Outlines Increased Preparedness

Houston, Texas, September 11, 2002 -- In the year since Sept. 11, 2001, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, like most every other hospital system across the country has examined its emergency preparedness plans and stepped up training for response to potential nuclear, biological and chemical emergencies. As a result, "our hospitals across the Greater Houston area are better prepared a year after 9/11 than we have ever been before," said Dan Wolterman, senior VP, Memorial Hermann, and chairman of its Emergency Preparedness Task Force.

In 1997, when the federal government officially labeled Houston one of the nation's top five potential bioterrorist targets, four Memorial Hermann hospitals - Hermann, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest -- were among the original eight area hospitals designated as treatment sites for bioterrorism victims. Today, ten hospitals comprise this group. Memorial Hermann Hospital, a level 1 Trauma Center, has been recognized by the federal government and city officials for its superior organization and skills during several citywide drills.

"Over the years, Memorial Hermann Hospital staff have treated thousands of trauma victims, including responding to several chemical plant explosions with dozens of injured. Since 9/11, we have adjusted our plans to include response to mass casualties across our service areas," Wolterman explained. "To do that, we have included in our plans our other four acute-care hospitals - Memorial City, The Woodlands, Katy and Fort Bend. A bioterrorist attack could occur anywhere. If it did, people would naturally go to the nearest hospital. All of our hospitals must be prepared."

Memorial Hermann also has addressed staffing issues based on a bioterrorism scenario. "Most hospitals have the fewest resources during the night shift," explained Tom Flanagan, director of Emergency Services/Life Flight at Memorial Hermann Hospital. " So we elected to train not only Emergency Center nursing staff, residents and faculty, but we made it mandatory for the staff of the clinical observation unit and the Life Flight team. That's more than 200 people at Memorial Hermann Hospital alone - all trained in advanced decontamination procedures."

Wolterman said that, because it operates a system of hospitals spread across the Greater Houston area, Memorial Hermann has a unique opportunity to ensure a coordinated response at its hospitals. "We have created a central depot for protective gear, medication and other supplies and we have allocated to each hospital a stock of personal protective equipment. In the event of a bioterrorist act, this central depot will be notified and will disperse equipment to meet the needs of the hospital or hospitals closest to the event."

Memorial Hermann hospitals and their emergency response partners in the community respond daily to victims of trauma-working together to help assure the community of prompt, appropriate response.

This week, all Memorial Hermann hospitals across the Greater Houston area are displaying, at their Emergency Center ambulance entrances, American flags and banners that proclaim: "Remembering 9/11. Honoring Our Emergency Response Partners." The system's more than 14,000 employee partners are wearing red, white and blue lapel pins.

For more information, contact Media Relations.