LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) – When the winter storm hit East Texas, most businesses and stores were forced to close their doors.<\/p>\n
But for many hospitals, and at St. Luke\u2019s Health Memorial Hospital in Lufkin, the doors stayed open, and healthcare workers from across the region stepped in to serve their community.<\/p>\n
As the cold weather swept through East Texas, the hospital maintained these goals: Keep essential services running while ensuring the safety of both staff and patients. <\/p>\n
\u201cMost healthcare people have is a passion for medicine, a passion for care,\u201d said John Oglesbee, associate residency director at St. Luke\u2019s Health Memorial Hospital.<\/p>\n
Generators were set up to ensure continuous power, supplies were stockpiled for patients, and sleeping arrangements were created for staff who needed to stay overnight. <\/p>\n
This gave healthcare professionals the ability to focus on what matters most: Patient care.<\/p>\n
Nurses traveled from as far away as Louisiana, Houston and Dallas to work during the storm.<\/p>\n
Hospital leadership made a strategic decision to overstaff the facility to reduce stress on professionals during this critical period.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the nurses were really motivated and they were grateful for the opportunity to have somewhere to stay and be safe inside the hospital,\u201d said Willie Spikes, nurse manager at St. Luke\u2019s Health Memorial Hospital.<\/p>\n
Francisco Torres, a registered nurse at St. Luke\u2019s, was on staff during the winter event. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt started out fairly quiet, which is a little bit unusual, but little by little, we started seeing more and more patients that delayed coming in,\u201d Torres explained.<\/p>\n
As temperatures dropped, the hospital saw a increase of pneumonia cases and infections. <\/p>\n
Ken Jobe, the hospital\u2019s safety officer, made sure no detail was overlooked including something as simple as the parking lot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to make sure they were safe in the parking lot. The de-icer was critical mass for getting people in and out safely,\u201d Jobe said.<\/p>\n
The hospital\u2019s leadership praised the remarkable collaboration that made it all possible. <\/p>\n
Eric Robinson, president of St. Luke\u2019s Health Memorial Hospital, reflected on the effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think our team did a fantastic job this weekend. Not only our leaders but our staff members dedicated to the work that they do here, making sure that they were ready and available to take care of our patients,\u201d Robinson said. <\/p>\n
For the healthcare workers who answered the call, the motivation is simple: Service. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe become nurses to help people and help the community. We\u2019re definitely dedicated to what we do, just helping people get better and serving the community,\u201d Torres said. <\/p>\n
Ken Jobe echoed the sentiment, expressing deep gratitude for those who went above and beyond.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t say how much we appreciate those staff that came and stayed and spent the night, and some of them spent up to three nights here away from their families and away from their homes. We really appreciate what they did for the citizens of Angelina County,\u201d Jobe said. <\/p>\n
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