TDA news
Hurricane Harvey
Disaster Relief
n August 25 th , 2017 Hurricane Harvey made landfall
in Texas. Harvey was the first major hurricane to hit
the U.S. since Wilma in 2005. Because Harvey was
an unusually slow-moving storm, some areas in South East
Texas were flooded with more than 40 inches of rain. Harvey is
now the wettest tropical hurricane on record in the contiguous
United States.
O
Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas at its peak of inten-
sity. The storm then stalled, weakened to a tropical storm, and
hovered over the Houston area, dumping an unprecedented
amount of rain. Harvey created massive devastation along the
gulf Coast ranging from the Texas-Louisiana border down the
coast to Rockport and Corpus Christi.
Harvey has caused at least 83 confirmed deaths and billions of
dollars in damages. The devastation and damage covered a wide
swath across South Texas. Governor Gregg Abbott declared a
state of emergency and FEMA and the National Guard were ac-
tivated. Evacuations caused traffic jams and gasoline shortages.
Heartbreaking stories of damage and loss were the top news
stories for the next two weeks. Heroes were lauded, recovery
efforts began, and Texans showed their resilience.
Some dentists lost both their homes and their practices. TDA
immediately activated its Disaster Relief Committee. The DRC
along with the TDA and the ADA released funds as quickly as
possible to those dentists in need of emergency provisions.
Dr. Susan Jolliff of Brady, Texas chairs the DRC. “We were given
a very big challenge to help o ur colleagues in the affected areas.
We have so far received 67 applications for aid, and our com-
mittee has worked almost every day reviewing each application
very carefully. The scope of the damage and number of dentists
affected includes 11 TDA Districts and over 3,600 dentists who
live or work in the area. These dentists are our friends as well
as our colleagues. The Relief Fund Committee is dedicated to
helping those affected. We truly are dentists helping dentists”.
Donations started rolling in even before the storm was over.
Dr. Rita Cammarata, pediatric dentist in Houston and past TDA
president, had one eye on the storm and the other on the relief
efforts. “As we were focused on the weather in Houston, it did
not dawn on me that as we watched Harvey deliver its damage
to Southeast Texas, others were already preparing how they
could help the dentists of Texas. Immediately, we were con-
by Dr. Mary Swift
b Northeast Division Director
TDA
tacted by our ADA Trustee, Dr. Rick Black, the ADA Founda-
tion, Henry Schein Cares, MCNA and Patterson Dental. Other
state dental associations were calling or emailing to offer their
support and words of encouragement. Then the donations
began to arrive into our Relief Fund. I am amazed at the speed
with which people acted and without hesitation said they
wanted to help in any way they could be useful. I think this is
all above and beyond the call, but really it is what we do as a
profession and an organization – help our colleagues and our
fellow members.”
The relief fund was established to provide financial assistance
to members of the dental profession who have immediate, basic
needs as a result of a natural disaster or catastrophe. This fund
is not being used to help rebuild a damaged office or compen-
sate for lost wages – it’s for food, water, shelter and medicines.
To date, the committee has received 67 applications and will
continue to accept applications till November 1 st . The number
of members potentially impacted in the 11 districts involved is
expected to reach approximately 3,600.
On September 23 rd , Henry Schein, Inc. and Henry Schein Cares
joined forces with the Texas Dental Association, the American
Dental Association, the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation,
the Greater Houston Dental Society, and the UTHealth School
of Dentistry PACE center to host an expert-led symposium to
help dentists re-open their practices. Experts from FEMA, SBA,
and the TWC were on hand to answer questions regarding avail-
able funds and how to request them. The event was recorded
and is available on the Henry Schein site. Look for a link to the
Henry Schein’s Road to Recovery Resource Center.
Harvey’s damage was historic and unprecedented. The DRC
had no “blueprint” to work from in terms of a disaster of this
size and scope and we learned a lot. Those of us on the com-
mittee applaud TDA for its leadership and guidance. The com-
mittee would like to thank the TDA staff, especially Mr. Terry
Cornwell for assistance in expediting applications and funding.
Texas dentists are united and strong, and as evident from the
generous donations, we have a profession that truly takes care
of its own.
Donations are still being accepted. If you want to
help, please visit TDA.org. for more information.
www.houstondentistrymagazine.com
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HOUSTON DENTISTRY
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