A message from Executive Director Tami Annable

Dear Friends,

Here at the Temple Health and Bioscience District (THBD), our mission is to grow twenty-first century jobs by fostering bioscience education, research and healthcare in Central Texas. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the THBD team is shifting the ways we serve so that our community can continue to benefit, but from a safe distance and with precaution.

Please note:

  • Hours: THBD will be closed to the public until further notice.
  • THBD Visitors and Tours:  Take a virtual tour of the lab!
  • Webinar ONLINE ONLY: To limit undue risk of coronavirus exposure, the THBD E-Learning Webinar series will be conducted online only until further notice. If you registered to join us in Temple, please tune in online from the comfort of your home. For any questions, please contact Shannon Wetherbee at 254-316-1992.

THBD wants to let you know how much we appreciate the sacrifices each and everyone of you are making to keep our communities safe. Thank you to all of the tireless medical personnel who are putting themselves at risk everyday to save lives. COVID-19 has brought the world together with a singular sense of purpose.

I invite you to explore the resources below to help navigate the current challenges we face. We will overcome this pandemic and be stronger for it.

Sincerely,

Tami Annable
Executive Director
Temple Health and Bioscience District

(254) 935-3963

tamia@templebioscience.org

COVID-19 Resources

As we strive to stay up-to-date on the rapidly changing global situation, many resources are available for Texas residents and business owners. Explore and utilize these health care, financial and local news outlets.

SBA South Central Regional Office – https://www.sba.gov/offices/regional/vi

For small businesses and startups in need of relief, take the time now to apply for an Small Business Administration (SBA) loan. $50 billion has been allocated to the SBA for COVID-19 related disaster relief. Their mandate is to directly provide loans of up to $2 million to affected businesses nationwide at an interest rate of 3.75%. Whether or not your business has been impacted so far, you should be applying for this loan right now. Applications will be processed in the order they are received and there’s going to be tremendous backlog – You want to be as close to the front as possible.

Governor Greg Abbott announced a series of Executive Orders relating to COVID-19 preparedness and mitigation. Click here for more informationl

On May 18, 2020  Governor Abbott announced further guidelines towards the safe and strategic reopening of the Texas economy. Link to full information:
https://gov.texas.gov/organization/opentexas

For best practice safety guidelines, visit
https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus/opentexas.aspx#protocols

Governor’s “Open Texas Report”
https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/organization/opentexas/OpenTex as-Report.pdf

Texas Workforce Commission Employer Hotline: (800) 832-9394

Texas Workforce Commission  https://www.twc.texas.gov/contact-information

Opportunities for Innovators

We have the tools to provide the medical equipment in need with 3D printers, laboratory facilities and modern technology. Join innovative thinkers in the mission to save lives and save our community.

The COVID-19 ATX Exchange (ATXCE) is an online portal for smart minds in technology, health and engineering to come up with creative solutions to the challenges we face ahead. The exchange is a project of Dell Medical School at The University of Texas in collaboration with Austin Public Health and other community partners. Behind the scenes, they are bringing together experts, innovators and leaders from across our community to help us vet, triage and coordinate needs and close the loop with the requesting organizations amidst COVID-19.

With potentially 70 percent of the population on the brink of being infected by COVID-19, our worldwide health care systems are currently being strained beyond their limits. Even now, there aren’t enough ventilators to save everyone who needs respiratory support. We encourage everyone to enter the Code Life Ventilator challenge. Launched by the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and powered by Agorize, the challenge is open to everybody. The goal is to design a ventilator that can serve the COVID patients, in an emergency timeframe. Three finalist teams will be selected and share a cash prize of at least $200,000 CAD. Their designs will be available for free download to anyone who needs them, saving lives immediately. The deadline to submit a project is March 31, 2020, 11:59 pm EST. Enter here.

Now that you may find yourself with more time to explore and learn, it is the perfect time to engage with THBD’s online webinars. Engage and learn with recent webinar topics for small businesses and startups on our website. Learn about IP protection, prototyping, navigating the marketplace and more!

Also be sure to tune in online live with us for this month’s webinar on Tuesday, March 31. Dr. Katherine Stephenson of Dyad Engineering will be speaking about the myriad of ways 3D printing is changing the medical device landscape. Register now.

Join our LinkedIn group that was created to help health and life science startups, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem supports find helpful and relevant information in the Central Texas area during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Created by Capital City Innovation, a non-profit facilitating the emergence of Austin’s Innovation District, the group formed through a partnership with organizations across Central Texas that want to see the communities we serve survive and create pathways to resilience.

Supporting organizations include STAR Park at Texas State, ACC Bioscience Incubator, Texas Health CoLab at Dell Medical School, MedtoMarket, Austin Technology Incubator, Drug Dynamic Institute, and Temple Health and Bioscience District.