By Jennifer Bendery, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
Despite some 400 nurses already responding to the state's request for medical volunteers in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita, Texas First Lady Anita Perry Tuesday announced that there is still an urgent need for nurses to volunteer to care for people in special health needs shelters in East Texas.
Flooding and power outages in several East Texas counties north of Hurricane Rita's initial strike zone have led to an increased need for skilled health professionals, she said. Seventeen counties are without power and water, said the Texas First Lady, and there is particular concern when it comes to assisting people with special needs.
"We need volunteer nurses, doctors and other medical professionals to go to East Texas to give time to the most vulnerable Texans," she said. Perry said she is asking hospitals and doctor's offices to "assist nurses to volunteer, even for a day or two," and suggested giving such nurses paid days off to assist hurricane victims.
There are currently two VA hospitals in Waco in "dire need" of health care professionals, she said. The two hospitals need 108 nurses, 54 medical assistants and 19 doctors, said Perry. "We are looking for 30 doctors statewide." When asked about bringing nurses in from out-of-state, the Texas First Lady said efforts are being made to facilitate the issuance of nursing licenses to those persons.
Perry said nurses who can volunteer should call 1-800-942-5540, the nurse hotline at the Texas Department of State Health Services. The phone line is staffed after 7 a.m. and nurses also can volunteer online at the Texas Department of State Health Services website.