Ascension Texas Disaster Recovery and Medical Response Unit Aids Unhoused Community After Floods

Toby and Kimberly carried boxes of medical supplies and care kits to a small collection of folding tables and chairs in the woods. Joining three other community support organizations, they helped set up a Pop-Up Resource Center (PURC) near an encampment where about 18 unhoused people live.

Toby Hatton, MA, RN, BSN, CHSP, CISM, and Kimberly King, RN, work full-time for the Ascension Texas Disaster Recovery and Medical Response Unit. Their mission is to support, assist and educate individuals and communities, particularly those who are vulnerable. For this “pocket” or mini-PURC, the team collaborated with local officials who know this particular community well and brought in healthcare resources to serve them where they live.

Toby, Director of Programs for the unit, said bringing preventative healthcare to unhoused communities makes a big difference for their short- and long-term well-being. 

“There’s potential for cuts and scrapes and scratches everywhere they go,” he said. “They don’t have readily accessible facilities to clean wounds and keep them clean. So we visit them as much as possible to prevent them from getting infected, needing emergency care and having serious problems later.”

Toby said the Medical Response Unit represents Ascension at monthly PURCs alongside 15 or more local organizations each month. These events connect unhoused people with essential healthcare, state and local resources and even support for their pets. Volunteers also offer applications for medical assistance and other programs to help them get back on their feet.

The Disaster Recovery and Medical Response Unit also jumps into action when disasters strike such as the Central Texas Floods this summer. They took hygiene kits, weather radios and other necessities to those who had lost homes and property to the floodwaters. They also contributed clinical support for first responders and volunteers as well as psychological first-aid to those traumatized by the devastation. 

The unit receives funding for supplies and other needs from Ascension Texas Foundations. The team also provides classes for CPR and preventative medicine education in the community. 

Published: December 12, 2025