UTMB Whole Community Preparedness & Response

Joint Vaccination Effort

In January of 2021, the State of Texas designated Galveston County and UTMB as hubs for vaccination. These institutions along with the community partners listed below formalized a Unified Command and Vaccination Incident Command Team. Walter Hall Park in League City was chosen as the location for the mass vaccination hub because that area was conducive to such efforts and it also had the highest concentration of Covid-19 cases in Galveston County at the time. 

The first distribution of vaccines at Walter Hall Park occurred a week later via drive through injections, the effort largely staffed by volunteers. Pictures to the right (provided by the Galveston County Health District) provide a snapshot of these efforts. Other vaccination hub locations were St. Matthews Baptist Church in Hitchcock, the Lake Jackson Civic Center, and St. Vincent's House for underserved communities on Galveston Island.

Community partners: Galveston County Health District, Office of Emergency Management, and Sherriff's Department; Brazoria County Health District and Health Department; League City Office of Emergency Management; University of Texas System; Department of State Health Services; and the Medical Reserve Corps. 

 

LEPC for Chemical Incident Preparedness

Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) provide information about chemicals in the community to citizens and local businesses. Because many of our patients and facilities are located near industrial chemical plants, UTMB remains at a constant state of readiness. We are part of the Galveston County LEPC, conduct exercises with industry, and we have a priority list of chemical risks and their medical counter-measures. 

More information on LEPCs: https://www.epa.gov/epcra/local-emergency-planning-committees

The Southeast Texas Poison Center (SETPC) is a 24-hour poison emergency treatment and information resource for health care professionals and the public in southeast Texas. It is located at UTMB and is a valuable resource for the community, industry, and local businesses.

More information on SETPC: https://www.utmbhealth.com/services/poison-center/poison-center 

 

UTMB Chem Symposium

Chemical Incident Preparedness Symposium

Community/County Hurricane Preparedness

UTMB is a valued partner of hurricane preparedness activities organized by Galveston and Brazoria Counties. We assist in the pooling of resources, provide insight on medical preparedness, and inform about healthcare services during an emergency. UTMB will remain open for most storms.

Other "Whole Community Preparedness" Activities

Active Shooter Exercise
Active shooter exercise and training at UTMB with campus police, Galveston police, EMS, Fire, UTMB students & faculty.
Operation Blindside - Patient influx from active shooter exercise with scenario taking place at the Kemah Boardwalk.