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On a typical day, a 100-member team cares for the ¡®animal patients¡¯ that are vital to MD Anderson¡¯s discovery of new cancer treatments.

As rising water from Hurricane Harvey threatened the institution¡¯s North and South Campuses, a dedicated lean team of about a dozen people worked long hours over several days at both sites to make sure the animals were fed, watered, cared for and clean.

¡°Despite not knowing what their personal circumstances might be at home, the people here were 100% focused on getting the job done,¡¯¡¯ says , chair, Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, who headed the recovery team. ¡°We¡¯ve planned and drilled, and I¡¯m so relieved and proud that no harm came to any of our ¡®animal patients¡¯ during the storm.¡±

Sense of urgency

According to Tamika Collins, an animal resources manager in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery who was on the ride-out team on the North Campus, many days started at 7 a.m. and ended at midnight.

¡°We had a sense of urgency to care for the animals and check the facilities,¡¯¡¯ she says. ¡°We really worked together like a family. We were grateful for the meals we received, but we did raid the vending machines a couple of times to keep us going!¡±

Animal Resources Supervisor Arturo Barrera was stationed on the South Campus, and says some staff members came in on foot when they couldn¡¯t drive through high water. 

¡°It was hard not to be with our families or to help our community, but we were where we needed to be,¡± he says.

Moving research forward

, deputy chair and associate professor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, led the ride-out team. Although no one knew how many days they would need to be on-site, there were no complaints, and everyone had smiles, says Jensen, whose husband and daughter had to evacuate their home while she worked through the storm. 

¡°Everyone pitched in, no matter what their role or title,¡± she says. 

When she wasn¡¯t involved in direct care of animals, Jensen was busy sharing information and reassuring concerned researchers.

¡°We take pride in what we do,¡± she says. ¡°These animals are the source of what could be new discoveries, new treatments for patients ¨C we¡¯re all here to support our mission and to move research forward. I¡¯m very happy to be part of this team called MD Anderson.¡±