Excited!!!!!

Chris, the Bowtie and Suspenders Doc (in a year and a half....)

I am really excited! Selena is coming home tomorrow at 5pm. The house still needs a lot of work but it is safe for her. Not all of the sheetrock is out of the house, but as long the mold is trapped behind the sheetrock. So I as long as the sheetrock is not disturbed it will be safe for her to be in the house. Galveston is also safe now. The water and the air quality is good. Selena has not been back to Galveston since 9/11 so that is almost 3 months. I can't wait to see Selena!!! I know I saw her a few days ago. But it is going to be so great to have her back home!!!

She is REALLY going to be shocked at the destruction and devastation here on the island. Over 85% of the houses on the island were damaged. The number of businesses closed is staggering.

Here a few links to some articles about what is going on in Galveston:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-12-01-galveston_N.htm

http://galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=f24ebcf02d15b099

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6145726.html

Another interesting little story about the hospital that seems to be almost on the brink of opening but never quite gets there:

STAFF EMAIL

As President Callender noted during yesterday’s all-staff meeting, every effort is being made to bring the hospital back online as quickly as possible. Given the instability of the campus infrastructure in the wake of Hurricane Ike and our commitment to maintain the highest levels of patient safety, we continue to closely monitor our air and water quality.

As a result of that rigorous testing, UTMB epidemiology staff last week found Legionella bacteria in the water supply in John Sealy Hospital. Thisis a naturally occurring pathogen found in fresh water but typically at levels insufficient to cause illness. Legionella bacteria cause Legionnaires’ disease, a respiratory infection characterized by high fever, coughing and pneumonia in people with compromised immune systems.No one has been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease at UTMB as of today.In fact, the disease is not at all common; it affected fewer than 18,000people nationwide in 2007. Most importantly, it can be treated quickly and effectively with antibiotics. We do not believe that employees and students are at risk. We have sent samples to the state health department laboratory for more detailed testing to determine the levels of bacteria. We believe the levels too low to be a health risk for anyone. We have also contracted with a specialized group from Pittsburgh that will arrive on campus next Thursday to begin retesting and removing any existing bacteria from the water system. In the meantime, we are installing special filters in the nurseries as a precaution. Our physicians and nurses are aware of the issue and are closely monitoring all of our patients.

UTMB has a stellar record of preventing infections in our hospitals, and we are committed to maintaining that level of safety for our patients, our employees and our students. If you have additional questions, I recommend you visit www.cdc.gov/legionella/patient_facts.htm to learn more.

Karen H. Sexton, R.N., Ph.D., FACHEInterim Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

UTMB Health System