Posted: August 31, 2005
UNT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER MEDICAL PERSONNEL AID HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS AT FORT WORTH SHELTER
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UNT Health Science Center doctors of osteopathy, physicians assistants and medical students spent the labor day weekend attending to victims of Hurricane Katrina at the Will Rogers Colliseum in Fort Worth.
Faculty, staff and students continue to man a station at the Will Rogers providing medical care while Fort Worth awaits another wave of evacuees.
"We'll be available as long as we're needed," said TCOM Dean Marc B. Hahn, DO, who was one of the attending physicians this past weekend.
On the health science center campus, several organizations have begun benefits to raise money or get donations to help aid Hurricane Katrina victims.
What follows is a list of ways to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The Forensic Investigative Research & Education Group (FIRE) is now accepting clothing donations. They will send the clothing donations to the Salvation Army shelter in Dallas Sept. 9. Donation boxes are located in the atrium, Kiva lounge, the Stairwell Café, and the first floor lobby of the Center for BioHealth building. For more information, e-mail the group at FIRE@hsc.unt.edu.
The Employee Benefits Action Committee will place buckets in the atrium of the Education and Administration Building and the Stairwell Café to collect monetary donations for Hurricane Katrina victims. Money will be picked up on a daily basis.
The Office of Student Affairs and the Public Student Health Association (PSHA) will hold a pizza fundraiser from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sept. 16 in the atrium at the health science center. People will be able to purchase a slice of pizza and a soft drink for $5. All money raised will go to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Effort.
The Chisholm Trail Chapter of the Red Cross needs volunteers. An orientation training session will take place at 9 a.m. Sept. 3. There is a need for local volunteers to staff shelters, work the phone banks as well as disaster site volunteers. Call 817-336-8718 for more information.
UNT Health Science Center’s regularly scheduled blood drive has been moved to Sept. 6 to address the immediate need for blood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The original blood drive was scheduled for Sept. 13, but health science center officials moved the drive to Sept 6 to respond to critical needs. Collection hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Atrium of the Education and Administration Building on the health science center campus.
“We know how caring the Fort Worth community is, and we urge everyone who can to donate blood,” said Ronald Blanck, DO, health science center president.
As the damage from Hurricane Katrina continues to mount, community blood supplies in the affected areas are declining rapidly due to the inability to collect and process blood donations. Because of the current and lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina, these community blood centers anticipate needing assistance for up to three weeks as the areas recover.
The blood drive on the health science center campus is in association with Carter BloodCare. A donor must wait 56 days between donations. Donations will help ensure that Carter BloodCare meets local need and provides assistance in the areas hardest hit by the hurricane.
Check the UNTHSC web site periodically for up-to-date information to find out how you can help aid Hurricane Katrina victims.
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Contact: Kay Colley 817-735-2553, cell 817-980-5090, e-mail
kacolley@hsc.unt.edu.
Contact: Andrea Arterbery 817-735-5152, pager 817-216-0345, e-mail
aarterbe@hsc.unt.edu.
If you are with the media and need additional information or would like to
arrange an interview, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 817-735-2446.