It was August 2017, Meridian Springs Primary Care had only been open for over 3 months at that point. Hurricane Harvey hit Houston during a weekend in late August. We only had a handful of members at the time and they were all used to reaching us virtually through video chat or phone calls if needed. We did not really have any worries about closing the clinic due to bad weather.
Fear grips the city
We were preparing to hunker down and bracing ourselves for a direct hit. We also kept an eye on the social media – whatsapp and facebook groups, to get helpful real time information.
Fear had gripped the city. People with sick children were panicking because all the healthcare facilities were shut down due to fear of flooding. People had nowhere to go.
We were smack dab in the middle of the storm, the waters were rising fast on the streets and we were powerless to do anything but just be helpless spectators.
As panic calls for medical help rose on social media, we also saw employed doctors helpless to do anything due to the various constraints of the insurance based healthcare system.
Restaurants, stores and other businesses were opening up their free services to help people. Social media would carry these helpful lists of vendors and their contact information. There were all kinds of services available except for healthcare!! That’s when we got the idea.
Free to do what is right
As privately owned clinic, we were never under any insurance contraints to providing care. We were also enabled to provide virtual care from day 1. Why not offer our services for free to non-members suffering through the storm?!
We mentioned it to a friend from a non-profit organization called Sewa International. He added us to his widely distributed lists on WhatsApp and Facebook groups. In just a couple of hours, we were on all the WhatsApp and Facebook group shared not only in US but across the globe.
We even had family members from the other side of the globe telling us they saw our name on WhatsApp messages or mentioned on TV news.
Still remember comments on a facebook post of our free medical service offer. One person was asking the group if this was really true that free medical care was provided, others would reply they had verified the number was a genuine clinic number. Thus started what would turn out to be an unforgettable week.
Enabled to Make a difference in our community
We had our set up in our dining room ready for calls. EMR was open, phones charged and google map handy. It slowly started.
The first call was from the father of a sick child. Dr. Rao and me would repeat the drill over a 100 times in the next 10 days. Dr. Rao would open the chart for the patients, listen to the concerns, diagnose the issue and e-scribe the prescriptions. I would check the patient location and figure out which pharmacies were open near them and have it sent there.
As the flood waters receeded and Beltway 8 and 99 were made Toll-free, people from as far as Katy, Pearland and Sugarland came to visit the clinic to get free care. Seeing people helpless and so grateful for the care received, we were even more inspired to embark on this path to make a difference in the community.
Community recognizes Dr. Rao
Around later part of 2018, Shell oil had announced that it wanted to recognize people who served the community during Harvey on a “Wall of Heroes” in Discovery Green park, downtown Houston. There was a request to people to send their nominations.
We were pleasently surprised when one day we received an email from Shell notifying us that Dr. Bhavana Rao was highly nominated for providing free healthcare service during Harvey.
Later that week, her picture was displayed on the wall of heroes along with many others in Discovery Green park. It was one of our most proudest moments in our journey as a direct primary care clinic.
Thank You
We are very thankful to be in a community that has supported us from the beginning. As a healthcare clinic, it is important to be part of the community spreading awareness on health issues. It is our responsibility to help make our community a healthier place to live and work.