As Texas braces for the incoming winter storm, local hospitals and pharmacies have tips for how to keep yourself safe \u2014 and what to do if you need medical care during the storm.<\/p>\n
The state is expecting a major storm system, including the potential for ice accumulation and power outages, which will be at its most severe over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the wintry weather, pharmacies are recommending that residents double check and refill any needed prescriptions. Hospital leaders, meanwhile, are reminding Texans that emergency rooms will remain open and fully operational throughout the storm. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no changes in the care available in the emergency department during wintery weather or any kind of weather,\u201d said Dr. Terence McCarthy, the medical director of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth\u2019s emergency department.<\/p>\n
That means that you can get any emergency care you need, both during and after the storm hits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always have to be open and ready for anything,\u201d McCarthy said.<\/p>\n
Here are some things to keep in mind as the storm bears down on Texas \u2014 and what to do if you find yourself in a medical emergency over the next few days.<\/p>\n
Before the storm hits, Texans should check their prescriptions and make sure they have enough to last through the winter weather. <\/p>\n
Timothy Morrison, a pharmacist and a CVS Pharmacy District Leader in the Dallas area, said the pharmacies may also be able to work with residents who need an early refill, to help them get that filled before the storm hits.<\/p>\n
For Texans who aren\u2019t able to get their prescriptions filled before the storm, or who need other medical supplies during, representatives of both CVS and Walgreens said the pharmacies will stay open if possible.<\/p>\n
Both chains have store locator tools on their websites, which representatives of the chains said will be updated with any store closures. Patients whose usual pharmacy location closes during the storm will be able to access their prescriptions at the next closest pharmacy location in the same chain.<\/p>\n
Dallas police are investigating an incident that occurred at a CVS location downtown on Friday evening, according to a spokesperson for the pharmacy. Police received more than a dozen reports of a shooting on the 1400 block of Main Street shortly after 11 p.m. Friday, according to active call data.<\/p>\n
Chase Rogers \/ The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Emergency rooms remain open and fully operational throughout natural disasters and other major events.<\/p>\n
Edmundo Casta\u00f1eda, the chief operating officer at Parkland Health in Dallas, urged patients not to delay needed medical care.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anybody\u2019s got any kind of clinical concern, they should not hesitate,\u201d Casta\u00f1eda said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be here in the emergency room ready to take care of patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
This applies to all types of medical emergencies, including medical events that are unrelated to the winter weather.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re worried that you\u2019re having a heart attack or a stroke or having severe difficulty breathing, for instance, then by all means come to the emergency room,\u201d McCarthy said.<\/p>\n
For North Texans who need emergency care but feel the road conditions are too severe for safe travel, both McCarthy and Casta\u00f1eda said residents can call 911 for ambulance transportation to the hospital.<\/p>\n
Casta\u00f1eda said he doesn\u2019t want the EMS system overwhelmed with transportation calls, but he advised patients to err on the side of caution and to call 911 if they think it\u2019s best for the medical situation they\u2019re experiencing.<\/p>\n
During winter weather, health leaders said, emergency rooms often see injuries from car crashes and slip-and-falls.<\/p>\n
Both McCarthy and Casta\u00f1eda urged residents to stay home during the incoming storm and the subsequent icing of roads. Walking outside can also pose dangers, too, especially if it\u2019s icy. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make sure that people are very cautious getting around,\u201d Casta\u00f1eda said, \u201cbecause we do expect ice accumulation over the course of the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCarthy said emergency rooms see a lot of fall-related injuries during winter weather, including head injuries and broken bones. McCarthy particularly worries about patients who are on blood thinners, because those patients are more susceptible to head injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really great idea to just stay home and get cozy by the fire, drink some hot chocolate,\u201d McCarthy said.<\/p>\n
For non-emergency situations, such as mild flu or cold symptoms in an otherwise healthy person, McCarthy recommended patients stay home.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re generally a healthy person with cold and flu symptoms, you really probably don\u2019t need to come to the ER,\u201d McCarthy said. \u201cThose kinds of things generally pass on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n
If patients have any medical questions or concerns, though, Casta\u00f1eda said they should contact their medical provider.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir medical provider should be able to help them navigate the situation,\u201d he said<\/p>\n
With the storm hitting the hardest over the weekend, fewer patients\u2019 scheduled medical appointments will be impacted.<\/p>\n
For people who do have appointments over the weekend \u2014 or if the storm\u2019s severity continues into early next week \u2014 health care leaders recommended patients call their doctor\u2019s office or pharmacy before going to any appointment.<\/p>\n
Patients who feel safe commuting to a doctor\u2019s appointment may be able to attend the appointment, unless the medical office is closed due to the storm. Patients who are concerned about traveling or need to take care of children or family members will likely be able to reschedule or shift to a video appointment if appropriate.<\/p>\n
Many medical offices and pharmacies have already begun contacting patients whose scheduled appointments might be impacted by the storm.<\/p>\n
Winter Storm Preparations: Staying Safe and Accessing Medical Care As Texas braces for the incoming winter storm, local hospitals and pharmacies have tips for how to keep yourself safe \u2014 and what to do if you need medical care during the storm. The state is expecting a major storm system, including the potential for ice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":21085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21083","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/SZ6LU7E2CJAQLLN3D7HFJXAQRM.JPG?auth=3d4258804eb0dd899fcf0344b65983d330d88c1d6a595d6c0a384e12e800f8c0&quality=80&width=1200&height=630&smart=true","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21083"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21083"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21086,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21083\/revisions\/21086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}