RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — UNC and Duke Health officials say their hospitals will remain open during this weekend’s winter storm as some families in the Triangle worry about access to medical care.

Forecast models suggest the storm will start impacting the Triangle in the afternoon Saturday and continue into Sunday.

Duke University Hospital will remain open throughout the storm, but there are concerns about Duke’s outpatient clinics.

Duke University Hospital Chief Operating Officer Mary Martin says staff have already been in contact with patients.

“We actually have been proactively contacting some of our infusion patients, some of our dialysis patients, to see if we can do modified schedules,” she said.

Martin says they’ve also been giving a heads-up to patients about the increasing possibility of canceled appointments in the coming days.

“We’re particularly concerned about Monday, given that the roads may not be clear by then, and so we will be working, with our staff, on the outpatient areas to make sure our patients are well informed,” said Martin.

UNC Hospitals plans to keep its doors open during the storm, while there may be some impacts to outpatient clinics.

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UNC Medical Center Emergency Dept. Vice Chair of Operations Dr. Abhi Mehrotra says they are also urging their patients to take steps now to be prepared.

“Having medications that you may need for at least a week or so, and being prepared to have those filled, have it available,” he said.

Families like the Thorpes in Durham are still worried. Jacqueline Thorpe brings her husband in for dialysis treatment three times a week.

“They need to make a way where they can take dialysis at home,” she said. “Teach us, the ones that take care of them, what we need to do when they’re at home.”

She has to bring him in on Saturday before the storm and worries about whether they can make his appointment on Tuesday.

“I’m just praying that the weather holds back so that I can make it here safe and back home safe,” she said. “I pray that the power don’t go out, and I’m praying that they have some type of emergency assistance where they can come in this system because he cannot go without dialysis.”

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