Hurricane Harvey – Shield Updates

Shield HealthCare understands that not everyone will be able to get their medical supplies during an emergency like the one unfolding in Houston and the surrounding areas. If you are in need of formula, ostomy supplies, catheters, diapers (baby, child or adult) or our other products, please don’t hesitate to call us: 800.228.7150, or message us on Facebook (feel free to message us at any time and we will get back to you as soon as possible). We will do our best to get your supplies to you wherever you are, including temporary shelters. You do not need to be a current Shield customer to request supplies during this emergency – we will not be charging non-Shield customers within the disaster area for supplies.

Updates (as of 9/05/2017):

• Our Houston office is staffed and back up to fully operational status. Inbound calls and faxes are being received and managed by our Houston office.
• We are doing everything we can to get your supplies to you. We are drop-shipping to homes (even if you are with family or friends), shelters, temporary shelters, wherever you are. If you are in a different location than normal and need your supplies, please call us: 800.228-7150.
• Lone Star Overnight (LSO) is working as hard as they can to get your supplies to you. Based on conditions, you may be experiencing a delay. Feel free to call us if you would like an update on the location of your supplies: 800.228-7150.
• If your supplies have been damaged, or you had to leave them behind, please call us to let us know, and we will do our best to get replacement supplies to you: 800.228-7150.

If for whatever reason, you are unable to reach us via phone, please message us on Facebook and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

For information specifically about diabetes supplies, click here.

If you’re a victim of Hurricane Harvey, please use this resource list from the Texas Tribune.

Rescue and evacuation

• Find an open shelter near you by texting SHELTER and your zip code to 4FEMA (43362). You can also use the FEMA mobile app.
• If you’re considering evacuating your home, the Houston Chronicle is compiling a map of flooded streets.
• Several counties have issued mandatory or voluntary evacuations over the past several days. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is keeping a running list of those counties on his website. Keep in mind, the director of the federal Hurricane Harvey relief efforts has warned people in flooded regions not to get into their cars, which could put more lives at risk and drain resources that could be used to rescue citizens elsewhere.

Shelter and relief

• The U.S. Department of Education activated its emergency response contact center Tuesday. Education stakeholders seeking informational resources and relief from Department-based administrative requirements are encouraged to email HarveyRelief@ed.gov.
• Following reports that several Texans are missing in midst of the storm, the Red Cross is encouraging people to list themselves and their families as safe by clicking here. You can also receive disaster assistance from the Red Cross by calling 877-500-8645, or find a list of open shelters here.
• Call the United Way Helpline at 211 for information on shelters and other forms of assistance.
• The Texas Association of Business has established a hotline to provide resources to business owners affected by the storm. Call 512-637-7714 or see the website.
• Call the State Bar of Texas legal hotline at 800-504-7030 for toll-free answers to basic legal questions in English, Spanish or Vietnamese. If you need a lawyer, call the State Bar’s Lawyer Referral & Information Service at 800-252-9690.
• If you lost your job because of the hurricane, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits. Apply here.
• To report a missing child, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-866-908-9570.
• For those looking for refuge, Texas State Park camping is free to hurricane evacuees.
• Talk to a professional about emotional distress by calling the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or texting “TalkWithUs” to 66746.
• Harris County: Call 713-308-8580 to locate your towed car.
• TekDry is headed to Houston shelters to help victims dry and recover their wet cellphones and other devices. Representatives plan to be at the George R. Brown Convention Center by 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. For location updates, follow them at @TekDry or call CEO Adam Cookson at 720-625-1984.
• Victoria: Grocery store H-E-B has a host of emergency measures in place, including a mobile kitchen serving meals today in Victoria.
• Dallas: Mayor Mike Rawlings announced Monday that the city will start receiving people flown out of the flooded region this afternoon. The city will also open three emergency evacuation shelters at Samuell Grand Recreation Center, Walnut Hill Recreation Center and Tommie Allen Recreation Center.
• San Antonio: Several shelters are open for storm refugees, according to the governor’s website. Both San Antonio Shelter Hub and San Antonio’s American Red Cross Shelter are hosting those who have evacuated from the floods.
• Austin: The Austin Disaster Relief Network also activated a call center to provide both resources and information to families impacted by the storm. You can reach that hotline at 512-806-0800.

Information About Diabetes Supplies

Assistance for the T1D Community Affected by Hurricane Harvey – provided by JDRF

As part of an emergency response, JDRF is working with a number of diabetes organizations, most notably the American Diabetes Association and Insulin for Life USA. Insulin for Life is an organization that delivers insulin and testing supplies to people in need.

Through this partnership, Insulin for Life has secured and shipped more than 3,750 pounds of supplies to the Houston, Galveston, Harris County and Corpus Christi communities, which will arrive by Friday, September 1, 2017. The supplies include syringes, pen needles, alcohol pads, blood glucose meters, glucose test strips, lancets, and insulin—in both analogue and human insulins and vial and pen forms.

Where to Find Insulin for Life supplies:

The first delivery of one pallet is for immediate distribution by the Houston Health Department to evacuees with diabetes who are sheltered at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The second pallet will be distributed by Senator Larry Taylor’s office to the Galveston communities of Clear Creek, Friendswood, League City and Victory Lakes. Two pallets are being delivered to the Harris County Health Department. The fifth pallet is going to the City of Corpus Christi Health Department.

How to Contribute:

If you would like to support this effort, you can donate diabetes supplies to Insulin for Life.