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Answering the call: Austin doctors step up to volunteer at field hospital for COVID patients if needed

When Dr. Tina Philip opened her family medicine practice in Round Rock in early March, she didn't know that a shelter-in-place order would prevent most patients from visiting her new office, or that she would attend the majority of her appointments virtually.
"I'm in a really unique situation," she told Austonia.
While managing the demands of her budding practice, Dr. Philip also sought out volunteer opportunities to help with the local COVID-19 pandemic response.
Dr. Tina Philip
She registered with the Texas Disaster Volunteer Registry, a database maintained by the Department of State Health Services, and responded to a call for volunteers from the Travis County Medical Society, which is working to recruit physicians for a field hospital at the Austin Convention Center.
"Family medicine is one of those things that I think is really unique in that we really get trained to see and do everything," she said. "So it's a specialty that's perfect for things like that."
Dr. Philip has previous experience with disaster response, having volunteered in the wake of both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Katrina. "Obviously, it's a little bit scarier in this situation than those ones were," she said, not least because she still has her own patients and livelihood to look after.
But Dr. Philip's prepared to take on the additional workload—and believes others are, too. "In general, most physicians, I think, really do want to help," she said. "It's just one of those things that kind of goes with the job."
In search of staff
Dr. Philip joins 181 other area physicians who responded to a request for volunteers issued by the Travis County Medical Society. While ready to work at the convention center, they're on standby status for now.
Local officials delayed the July 21 opening of a 1,500-bed field hospital at the convention center after months of preparation, citing staffing concerns at area hospitals.
"Hospitals have the space, they have the stuff, they need the staff, so it makes sense for us to prioritize that they have the staff they need … before we start moving patients to the alternate care site," Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said at a press conference on Wednesday.
As a result, hospitals and local officials are requesting additional staffing support from the federal government, other states and area staffing agencies.
The first priority is finding staff to support frontline healthcare workers at area hospitals, who are overworked and reporting higher rates of absenteeism, as many recover from COVID-19 themselves or care for family members who have been infected.
But if hospitals reach capacity, the convention center will need staff to care for noncritical spillover patients.
TCMS President Dr. John Abikhaled said the request for volunteers received a "strong and supportive response" in an email to Austonia.
While some respondents are retired, most are actively practicing and willing to work shifts on nights and weekends. Specialties include surgery, pediatrics and emergency medicine.
Because Dr. Philip works five days a week at her practice in Round Rock, she would likely only be able to volunteer at the convention center on weekends. "It'd be a lot of work," she said. "[But] if we can even contribute one shift, one shift is still something."
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Popular
(Shutterstock)
Airbnb is moving to make its COVID-induced ban on house parties permanent—but from the affordable housing shortage to
"Under 25" bans, the short-term rental service may be losing its shine in Austin.
In 2019, the company moved to prohibit “open-invite” parties that were advertised on social media and “chronic party houses." By 2020, its ban broadened to all parties and events "until further notice," which was officially coded into policy Tuesday.
From August 2020 to January 2022, Airbnb denied over 48,000 reservations in Texas from serial party offenders, and around 3,300 reservations were declined through the "Under 25" system in Austin.
For some Austinites, the party ban may be the last straw.
Society has progressed past the need for Airbnb's https://t.co/44rTBDQPX1
— Caleb (@ipleadthef1th) June 20, 2022
But Airbnb has already caught plenty of flack for its possible contributions to the nation's housing shortage.
In Austin, short-term rentals are required to be registered through the city. And while the city reports around 1,900 rental units in the rental registry, according to city demographer Lila Valencia, data collection site Inside Airbnb has tracked close to 12,000 in the area.
Inside Airbnb founder Murray Cox said that too many Airbnbs in Austin could shrink the available housing market.
"If the housing units (have) been taken off the market, that's displacing people, it's making housing more scarce. And it's probably driving the cost of housing up," Cox told Austonia.
Short-term rentals could also eat into new housing in Austin, from apartment buildings to accessory dwelling units on single-family properties.
"If new housing has been built, and it's being tied to Airbnb, that's also really just servicing the tourism industry as opposed to the housing needs of the city," Cox said.
Because a large portion of its customers are tourists, Airbnbs may also tend to crowd around desirable areas, such as downtown or South Congress. South Congress's average rent now rivals New York City, according to Austin Business Journal.
"When that happens, you're taking away housing units in an already densely-populated area where there is more of a shortage of housing," Valencia said. "And so then the people who historically once lived there are no longer able to afford to live there, and the unit itself isn't even going to somebody who could afford to rent it on a more permanent basis, but rather to people who are coming in and visiting for a weekend or two."
Despite the pandemic—and growing frustration among homeowners and renters—Airbnb saw a record year in 2021. But two of Airbnb's billionaire founders have quietly sold $1.2 billion in company stock in the last year, a possible premonition of what's to come.
And while some have created an Airbnb "empire"—one company owns 338 available listings in Austin—many priced-out Austinites are fed up with big investors' influence in the tight housing market.
Empire?
These are not imperialist conquerors; they’re over leveraged milk toast millennials who probably borrowed money from their wealthy boomer parents and be bailed out by the same #housingmarket#airbnb#recessionpic.twitter.com/K6DM8bT730
— Texas Runner (@OGtexasrunner) June 21, 2022
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(Valencia Hotel Group)
Live music and beer? Say no more. With a location in Austin, and others throughout Texas, the court hotels by the Valencia Hotel Group have a new offering for weekend stays: Live Music & Longnecks.
Enjoy live music all weekend long and check out the hotels’ state-of-the-art amenities between sets. Make a splash in the pool, enjoy outdoor fire pits, or challenge your friends in a yard game while enjoying a weekend full of live music! Did we mention the package includes deluxe accommodations and a bucket of beer? Oh, and if you needed more convincing, this pet-friendly hotel means the whole family can join in on the fun.
The hotels
Explore any of the Court Hotels by Valencia Hotel Group for a memorable escape. Each property offers a unique experience remnant of yesteryear but with all of the modern amenities that make for a fun and comfortable stay. With acres of landscaped courtyards, relax and unwind in an outdoor environment perfect for doing everything or absolutely nothing at all. With locations in Austin, College Station, Irving, and Lubbock your urban retreat has never been so close.
The music
Locals and travelers alike are invited to enjoy the deep roots of Texas music all summer long with a robust lineup of live performances. From the banks of the San Antonio Riverwalk to Irving’s manicured streets, Valencia’s hotels are a place to gather and reconnect, offering uniquely Texan settings for the weekly performances.
“We’re proud of the community we’ve fostered among Texas musicians and the many rising stars who perform at our properties,” says Amy Trench, corporate director of brand marketing & PR for Valencia Hotel Group.
In Austin, you can catch good ol’ fashioned Texas country by Drew Moreland and Clayton Gardner, bluegrass by Reagan Quinn, and much, much more.
With unique programming at each of Valencia’s properties, there’s something for everyone to enjoy all summer long.
The perks
If you’re a Valencia Hotel Group Rewards member, the perks are plentiful. Enjoy up to 10% off the Best Available Rate, and for a limited time, members can save up to 15% off a stay of 2 nights or more, for select stays in 2022.
But that’s really just the beginning. At select locations, you can enjoy discounts on weeknight stays, a complimentary third night, or curated packages for a romantic getaway or a night of watching the Verde at Q2 Stadium. You’ll also find special rates for AAA and AARP Members, educators, and front-line heroes including military, law enforcement, fire, and rescue workers.