Tyler

By CINDY MALLETTE
Staff Writer

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt praised Tyler for its care of Hurricane Gustav special-needs evacuees after he toured a federally managed medical station at Glass Recreation Center Tuesday.

The medical station provided care for more than 60 special-needs evacuees from the Beaumont area. Tyler officials said their city was picked for the center because of its proximity to high-quality hospitals.

"I want to express appreciation for the fact that we were ready and we have done what I think to be a creditable job," Leavitt told city leaders and volunteers at the center. "We're getting better and better at this. Was this perfection? No. I'm here today because I want to learn the areas where we can improve, where the federal government can add resources at just the right moment for state and local governments who are responsible to conduct and manage these efforts."

Leavitt spoke with local, state and national-level emergency management providers about their experiences three years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, met with Leavitt at the Glass center to give updates on Texas' response.

"There's been a lot of work at the local level and the state level to make sure we're ready for whatever disaster occurs. ... With any event you look at opportunities to improve. For us at the state level, we have to look at what happens five days out from when the hurricane hits," Lakey said. "There's a difference between having a plan that's on the shelf and having a plan that you've gone through, identified the gaps and then worked to solve those gaps. That's what's been going on throughout Texas."

Lakey told city of Tyler officials they had been "tremendously successful" in taking care of the special-needs evacuees.

"Having been here before, I know that this is a community effort -- how the hospitals have come together, how the volunteers in this community come together to provide services, how the Texas State Guard comes together -- all of these different components have to work together to be successful," he said. "You had 3,300 individuals in the city, 12,000 in this area. That obviously puts a tremendous demand on the health resources. It's because of partnerships like this that the community has been able to meet those needs and continue these services."

In a press conference after the tour, Leavitt urged residents to have a plan of action for future hurricanes.

"There is a virtual conga line of storms of the coast working their way here, and we hope that none of them will develop into storms that will disrupt lives, but it's quite possible. If so, we want to be ready."

Dr. Julia Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also toured the Glass Recreation Center medical facility on Tuesday. She, too, told residents to have a disaster preparedness plan ready.

"In addition to thanking Tyler for an extraordinary job and the effort of everyone here, I would like to thank the citizens of the community. For those who prepared we appreciate it. I know there's a big campaign in Texas to make sure people have a specific plan of preparedness, and whenever there's a catastrophe like this, it reminds people how important planning is," she said.

The federally managed center was one of three medical shelters providing care for more than 200 special-needs evacuees in Tyler. City officials said they've begun preparations to transport the evacuees back to Beaumont by the end of the week.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt visits the special needs shelter at Glass Recreation Center on Tuesday.
(Staff Photo By Tom Turner)