The weather system known at various times this week as Tropical Depression Imelda, Tropical Storm Imelda, remnants of Imelda and, simply, “a low-pressure system” created a number of challenges for the UTMB community this week. Forecasts changed quickly and, even at that, our Southeast Texas region received an unexpected—and in some places, unprecedented— amount of rainfall.

Lives depend on what we do at UTMB. Ours is hard work, made harder this week by the severe weather. I want to thank each and every one of our faculty, staff and students for rising to the occasion and making sure our mission held strong through the storm. Because of you, we were able to continue to improve health at a critical time for our region. And we will stand with the communities we serve as they recover.

I also want to encourage everyone to be mindful that some of our own colleagues and students are in recovery mode after Imelda. I know we will be supportive of those among us who have been directly affected by flooding or who have close friends and family who were affected. 

I wish everyone a peaceful (and I hope, dry) weekend. Get some well-deserved rest. And thank you again for working together to work wonders.

Ben G. Raimer, MD, MA, FAAP

President ad interim