June 13, 2017

Molly Mae LeBlanc, daughter of Texas Children’s employees Jill and Andy LeBlanc, passed away at Texas Children’s on May 6, 2017. Molly was diagnosed with Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD) prior to her birth. She battled her kidney and liver disease valiantly and spent much time being cared for at Texas Children’s by many different services and members of our health care team. Molly was a beloved member of the Texas Children’s family and will forever be remembered as an exemplary model of hope and love.

Jill and Andy have chosen Texas Children’s as the beneficiary of donations made in Molly’s memory. The monetary gifts received will be used to benefit the child life program and to establish a nursing scholarship in Molly’s name. Donations may be directed to Texas Children’s Hospital, Office of Development, Suite 5214 PO Box 300630, Houston, Texas 77230-0630. Please specify that the donation is in memory of Molly Mae LeBlanc.

You may also submit your donation online by clicking here. Specify donation amount and type. Under gift designation, click “other.” Under my gift info, click “in memory of,” then type in “Molly Mae LeBlanc.” Complete the online form by entering your contact and payment information. If you have any questions about making a donation, contact giving@texaschildrens.org  or call ext. 4-6806.

Also, please join us for Kendra Gives Back Party from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, in Rice Village at 2411 Times Boulevard, Suite 120, Houston, TX 77005. Twenty percent of the proceeds will benefit Texas Children’s Hospital for The Molly Mae LeBlanc Nursing Scholarship.

Lynlee Boemer, a miracle baby who underwent fetal surgery performed at Texas Children’s Fetal Center to remove a large tumor (Sacrococcygeal Teratoma) growing from her spine, celebrated her first birthday on June 6.

Last week, Jeff and Margaret Boemer were at Texas Children’s for their daughter’s follow-up clinic appointment with Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, co-director of the Fetal Center. Since their daughter’s surgery, Lynlee is meeting all of her milestones and is very active. She loves to crawl, pull up to stand and has several favorite words she likes to say like, “hi, bye-bye and Mama and Da-Da.”

“She has been in physical therapy, and thankfully, we have been able to take a break from that since she is doing so well,” said Lynlee’s mom Margaret Boemer. “She’s pulling up and almost walking. But we’re also seeing other doctors to check for GI and urology type issues. But other than that, she is doing really, really well.”

Boemer says one of the biggest blessings of sharing Lynlee’s story has been that other women pregnant with babies who have the same diagnosis as Lynlee are reaching out to her via social media, and she is able to give them hope and often refers them to Texas Children’s Fetal Center.

Boemer was 23 weeks and 5 days pregnant with her daughter Lynlee when she underwent emergency fetal surgery to remove the baby’s Sacrococcygeal Teratoma (SCT), a large vascular mass. Occurring in only 1 in 40,000 pregnancies, Lynlee’s SCT was robbing her blood supply and would eventually cause heart failure.

Lynlee had a 50/50 chance of survival. Olutoye and a surgical team worked for approximately five hours to remove the tumor growing from the baby’s tailbone, which was almost larger than the baby herself.

During the surgery, Lynlee’s heart stopped and had to be re-started and she was also given a blood transfusion. Surgeons made an incision in Margaret’s uterus and pulled out the baby from her legs to her torso so they could remove the tumor. Once the incision was closed, Lynlee was placed back inside of her mother and Margaret’s uterus was sewn shut and she was on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Surgeons were able to remove about 90 percent of the tumor, but as the pregnancy progressed, the tumor began to grow again.

Margaret was 36 weeks pregnant when Lynlee Hope was born for the second time via C-section on June 6, 2016 weighing 5 lbs., 5 oz. Lynlee was taken to the level 3 NICU for an evaluation, but was doing so well she was transferred to the level 2 nursery. At 8 days old, Lynlee underwent a second surgery to remove the rest of the tumor from her tailbone including some that had grown inside of her body.

Olutoye removed the remaining SCT tissue and Lynlee recovered wonderfully in the NICU and was able to go home just weeks after her surgery.

The family, from Lewisville, Texas, is now enjoying life at home as a family of five and they come to Texas Children’s for check-ups as Lynlee grows.

“We’re thankful that we gave her a chance at life,” Boemer said. “And we’re very grateful for all that the doctors at Texas Children’s have done to give her that life and all the wonderful care that they gave me and Lynlee while we were here.”

Seventeen-year-old Angelica Aulbaugh has been swimming since she was 4 years old. Her high level of training for a competitive team conditioned her to be tough, but nearly two years ago she noticed her left hand was swelling to an abnormal size.

Most often, it would swell after she swam a long distance or ate salty foods. Eventually, however, Angelica’s swelling episodes grew more and more frequent and her hand began to throb when she was exercising. Her mom, Pam, an emergency room nurse, grew concerned and sought answers from the medical community. After talking to several physicians, her search led her and her daughter to Texas Children’s Hospital, specifically to Dr. Chris Pederson, a pediatric plastic surgeon with expertise in microvascular hand surgery.

During his first visit with Angelica, Pederson asked the teenager to raise her arm above her head. As he observed, the pieces started coming together, and following a battery of tests, Pederson diagnosed Angelica with an extremely atypical case of thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that typically presents closer to the clavicle and occurs when blood vessels or nerves are compressed.

In Angelica’s case, her axillary vein, a major vein in her arm that carries blood to her heart was being occluded 70 to 80 percent, putting her at very high risk for a blood clot. To relieve the constriction, Angelica underwent surgery in November. Shortly after the procedure, her hand began to look and feel normal again.

“Dr. Pederson potentially saved my life and opened the door to the possibilities of my future dreams,” Angelica said. “He not only listened to me, but he fought for my life and my health.”

After being sidelined for more than a year, Angelica is back in the pool doing what she loves. She made it to the final two swim meets of the season and started playing water polo, too. Recently, Angelica visited Pederson for a follow-up appointment and he noted afterwards, “She’s perfect.”

Expertise in hand problems, injuries and abnormalities

Pederson is one of three hand specialists at Texas Children’s Hospital who can treat the most common hand problems like fingers, deep cuts, carpal tunnel, and scars to the more complex cases like contractures, extra digits, tendon injuries and other hand traumas. The specialists, all of whom are surgeons, also provide treatment of congenital hand and upper-extremity anomalies, as well as those as a result of infection trauma and tumors.

“This is a group that is capable of taking care of everything from the most basic hand injuries to the most complex problems involving nerves and microvascular surgery,” said Dr. Larry Hollier, associate surgeon-in-chief for clinical affairs and chief of plastic surgery at Texas Children’s. “Very few hospitals in the world have surgeons such as these focused completely on pediatric hand problems.”

Hollier added that Pederson is one of the most experienced and best known hand surgeons practicing in the United States. “I cannot think of anyone more capable of growing and developing the hand and upper extremity team we are developing at Texas Children’s Hospital,” he said.

Chief of Orthopedics Dr. John Dormans said Pederson has unified and solidified Texas Children’s complimentary, multidisciplinary pediatric hand and upper extremity program and team, which includes Drs. Edward Reece and Bryce Bell. “We are so fortunate to have these super-sub-specialists who focus on rare and difficult pediatric conditions,” he said.

For more information about the hospital’s hand services, click here. To read a first person account of Angelica’s experience at Texas Children’s Hospital, read her post on the Texas Children’s Blog here.

The Texas Children’s Hospital Department of Surgery recently announced the recipients of the 2017 Distinguished Surgeon Award. The award is given to those who have forged a path of innovation in surgical excellence, research and education within the hospital’s Department of Surgery. Leaders in the department chose the recipients and announced this year’s winners on June 2 at the department’s annual dinner event. Two of the four award recipients were honored posthumously. All of the distinguished surgeons have significantly contributed to the legacy of the Texas Children’s Hospital Department of Surgery.

This year’s Distinguished Surgeon Award winners are:

Dr. Grady L. Hallman (1930-2017)

In 1962, a young cardiovascular surgeon named Dr. Grady Hallman just out of cardiovascular surgical residency asked Dr. Denton A. Cooley, the founder of the newly established Texas Heart Institute, if he could join his practice and assist in his pioneering surgical work at Texas Children’s Hospital. Impressed with Hallman’s work, Cooley accepted him as his first associate at the Texas Heart Institute. Together, the surgeons collaborated for decades on innovative surgeries for children with congenital heart disease.

A native Texan born in Tyler, Hallman attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with honors. He went on to Baylor College of Medicine where he received a medical degree with honors in 1954, and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. After serving his surgical residency in the Army Medical Corps, he returned to Baylor to complete his surgical training under Dr. Michael E. DeBakey. Hallman then joined Baylor’s Department of Surgery, when cardiovascular surgery was in its infancy. This is where he was introduced to Cooley.

The work between Cooley and Hallman led to many of the early advances in the field of congenital heart surgery and resulted in numerous publications, including the first comprehensive surgical textbook on the subject in 1966, Surgical Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease, and its revised editions published in 1975 and 1987. Hallman’s and Cooley’s other early contributions to the literature included journal articles on cardiovascular surgery in the first year of life; on congenital conditions such as coarctation of the aorta, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great vessels, vascular rings, ventricular septal defects; and correcting congenital cardiovascular anomalies in adults. Throughout the course of his career Hallman authored 309 peer-reviewed papers.

Hallman was a member of many professional societies and gave generously of his time, serving as president of the Houston chapter of the American Heart Association, chairman of the membership committee of the Society for Thoracic Surgeons, and advisor to the State of Texas’ Crippled Children’s Services Program. He was the 1993-1994 Medical Honoree of the American Heart Association. Hallman was also honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of Baylor College of Medicine in 2003.

Dr. Thomas G. Luerssen

Dr. Thomas G. Luerssen is a neurosurgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital and professor of neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine. He was chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Texas Children’s from 2006 until 2016, and was Chief Quality Officer for Surgery from 2009 to 2017.

Luerssen attended Purdue University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973. He attended medical school at Indiana University, graduated in 1976, and completed his neurosurgery residency at Indiana University Medical Center. After residency, Luerssen entered private practice. His career in pediatric neurosurgery started in 1983 with fellowship training at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia under the direction of Dr. Luis Schut. After fellowship, Dr. Luerssen joined the faculty at the University of California San Diego. Working with Dr. Lawrence Marshall, he developed a clinical interest in pediatric neurotrauma which continued throughout his career. In 1988, he returned to Indiana University and spent 18 years as director of the pediatric neurosurgery service at the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children.

In 2006, he was recruited as chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Texas Children’s to build upon the service started by Dr. William R. Cheek. Luerssen expanded the division by recruiting surgeons focused on subspecialties within pediatric neurosurgery. These subspecialties included: epilepsy, congenital abnormalities of the brain and spine, hydrocephalus, fetal conditions, neurotrauma and craniofacial abnormalities. He encouraged his faculty to apply innovative surgical techniques such as minimally invasive surgery and laser ablation that improved patient experience and surgical outcomes. He also saw the future of big data research and was an early proponent of value-based modeling.

At the time of his arrival, the hospital was completely revamping its Quality and Safety organizational structure. Luerssen was asked to undertake advanced training in quality improvement and patient safety. New positions of chief quality officers for medicine and surgery were created in 2009, and Luerssen was appointed chief quality officer for surgery.

In his quality position, Luerssen insistence on using data in an honest and transparent way to influence quality improvement laid the groundwork for many projects that are now considered standard operating procedure at Texas Children’s and the country. Among those are the pre-op time out, the use of surgical checklists, and the creation of the Surgical Quality Committee. He has also been a foundational participant in the hospital’s Daily Operational briefings version 1, 2 and now 3.0.

As one of the original partners on the Texas Children’s U.S. News & World Report project, Luerssen worked with the multidisciplinary teams to improve the quality of each service line as the ranking would follow the quality improvement. He has also been actively involved in the peer review process for surgeons on the Professional Practice Evaluation Committee at Texas Children’s.

He and his faculty at Texas Children’s and Indiana University have trained 18 fellows, most of whom remained in academic medicine. He has given more than 200 presentations at national forums and has published more than 200 articles or book chapters.

Dr. Melvin Spira

Dr. Melvin Spira served in the U.S. Navy during World War II where he completed his pre-dental studies. He graduated from Northwestern University Dental School with a dental degree in 1947. Soon after, he began practicing dentistry with his father in Chicago, IL. Called back to active duty in 1948, he served aboard the USS Philippine Sea and the USS Leyte where he had dental responsibilities for 700 Marines in the Mediterranean. After release to the reserves in 1950, he entered Northwestern University Graduate School intent on obtaining a master’s degree in oral surgery. However, he soon decided to focus on a career in plastic surgery. He spent three years in a general surgery residency at Duke University Medical Center and then completed his plastic surgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine in 1961, training at Jefferson Davis Hospital.

Spira joined the Plastic Surgery faculty at Baylor College of Medicine under Dr. S. Baron Hardy. When Hardy stepped down in 1976, Spira was appointed chief of Plastic Surgery by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey. Spira also served as chief of Plastic Surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital, Methodist Hospital, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston and Ben Taub General Hospital. Spira retired as a full-time faculty member in 2003, moving to his home in Snowmass, Colo. He remained part of the Plastic Surgery faculty until his full retirement in 2012.

Beginning in the 1970s, Spira improved upon and developed microvascular surgery techniques used to reattach scalps, fingers, and eventually limbs. In addition, he did pioneering work with masseter-to-facial nerve transfers to reanimate facial muscles paralyzed by damaged facial nerves. The techniques he developed are still the standard used today. He also performed numerous surgeries to correct facial deformities, and improved on surgical techniques to correct clefts lips and palates, and associated nasal deformities. And he performed aesthetic cosmetic surgeries. In 1976, he was among the first physicians to call for Maxillofacial Surgery to be named as a distinct medical specialty.

During his career, Spira authored over 181 peer-reviewed articles published in many scientific journals, and authored 41 book chapters. For most of his professional career, and even after retirement, Spira volunteered with several organizations that sponsored surgical missions around the world. As an educator, Dr. Spira remained devoted to teaching the next generation of medical students and residents the important lessons he learned from his own professors and teachers.

Dr. Gunter K. von Noorden (1937-2017)

Dr. Gunter K. von Noorden was the first chief and founder of the Texas Children’s Hospital Department of Ophthalmology. He was known as one of the “fathers of pediatric ophthalmology” for his contributions to strabismus surgery and overall leadership in the field for more than 40 years.

Von Noorden committed his entire career to the study and treatment of strabismus and amblyopia. He was a pioneer researcher in the area of visual neurophysiology and transferred those new discoveries in strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia into improved clinical care. Through his relentless efforts and inspiration, ophthalmologists worldwide acquired new knowledge and understanding in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.

Born in Germany in 1928, Von Noorden’s family moved to Berlin in 1937. This had a profound impact on his life – exposing him to Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship and Nazi propaganda. Following his involvement in Battle of Berlin in 1945 and the end of WWII, Von Noorden was determined to dedicate his life to healing others, and he worked his way through medical school at the Johann-Wolfgang Goethe University.

Von Noorden began his medical career as a resident at the University of Iowa in 1957, which was followed by a fellowship at the University of Tuebingen Eye Clinic in Germany. He then returned to the University of Iowa, spending two years as an assistant professor of ophthalmology. In 1963, Von Noorden became a professor at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. In 1972, he moved to Houston to direct the Ocular Motility Service at Baylor College of Medicine.

Von Noorden was a professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics at Baylor, chief of the Ophthalmology Service at Texas Children’s Hospital, and adjunct professor of Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Houston from 1972 to 1995. Following an interval of retirement and appointment as professor emeritus, he rejoined Baylor as professor of Ophthalmology in July 2006 until October 2008. The Baylor Board of Trustees then appointed him Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology. Von Noorden passed away in Houston on February 18, 2017, at the age of 88.

In his lifetime, von Noorden published 310 scientific papers and authored 4 books, including Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility: Theory and Management of Strabismus. The book has been heralded as the “gold-standard text for ocular motility disorders.” He presented numerous lectures worldwide and received many honors.

In 2015, von Noorden was inducted in the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Hall of Fame as being “truly unique in his field and the ultimate triple threat: outstanding clinician, world-renowned teacher and author, and incredibly productive research scientist, highlighted by his path finding studies on the neuropathology of amblyopia.”

Drs. Hallman, Luerssen, Spira and von Noorden join the list of previous honorees, which includes: Dr. William Cheek, Dr. Denton Cooley, Dr. O.H. “Bud” Frazier, Dr. Ellen Friedman, Dr. Edmond Gonzales, Jr, Dr. Franklin Harberg, Dr. William Pokorny and Dr. David Wesson.

On May 10, Direct Energy, one of Texas Children’s faithful supporters, generously donated about 200 toiletry kits to the hospital. The kits will be distributed to families in an effort to make their stay at the hospital easier and to ensure their focus stays on their child.

About 80 Direct Energy leaders assembled the toiletry kits during a team building activity benefitting the community. The kits are packed with items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, antibacterial lotion, soap, shampoo, deodorant, shaving cream and more.

“Direct Energy is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, and one way we are doing that is through our partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital,” said Jessica Mahaffey, vice president of external affairs for Direct Energy. “Our employees find volunteering and supporting the mission of Texas Children’s Hospital a very meaningful way to give back to the community by helping children and their families when they need it most.”

In 2015, Direct Energy committed $5million to the expansion of Texas Children’s Heart Center, the largest corporate commitment ever made to a Texas Children’s campaign. In addition, Direct Energy and one of its family brands, One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating, have volunteered in many activities in support of the hospital.

To date, more than 500 Direct Energy employees have volunteered over 1,188 hours at both the hospital and at Direct Energy offices, assembling various craft packets for patients and families. Twice a month employees volunteer at the hospital, either creating themed crafts with the children in The Zone or making snow cones for patients and families, delivering tea and cookies to parents and delivering games, craft, toys, and smiles with the Direct Energy Fun Cart on patient floors.

Employees also collect toiletry items from Direct Energy colleagues, which are then delivered monthly to the Ronald McDonald House at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Direct Energy is also a proud partner and philanthropic supporter of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Funds raised for this network of 170 children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada, including Texas Children’s Hospital, are used to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care-all to save and improved the lives of children.

“Texas Children’s Hospital is so fortunate to have Direct Energy as a community partner. Volunteerism is a core value at Direct Energy and is modeled at every level of the organization,” Director of Patient Support Services Paige Schulz. “In just two short years, the employees at Direct Energy have made a meaningful and lasting impact on the patients, families and staff of Texas Children’s.”

About Direct Energy
Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest energy and energy-related services providers with nearly five million residential and commercial customers. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE: CNA), one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and four provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, please visit www.directenergy.com.

About One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating

About One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating® is currently ranked as the #1 HVAC franchise in Entrepreneur magazine’s annual Franchise 500 (January 2017) and #30 overall. One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating puts an emphasis on trust, customer service and courtesy. Franchised One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning locations are independently owned and operated businesses. One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning is part of the Direct Energy family of brands. ©2017 Clockwork IP, LLC

June 6, 2017

For Mark Wallace’s 20th anniversary as president and CEO, the Texas Children’s Board of Trustees created the Mark A. Wallace Catalyst Leadership Award in recognition of his commitment to leadership.

Since that time, Texas Children’s has recognized 30 of its finest leaders from all levels within the organization. Each has received a number of special honors which include mentoring by an executive, attending senior leadership meetings, being honored at the annual Employee Recognition Celebration, and for the past couple of years, a Texans home game made possible through our partnership with the Houston Texans. Additionally, the Catalyst Leaders of the Year were given the opportunity to further develop their talents by completing advanced training at a renowned leadership institution.

Wallace’s No. 1 maxim is, “Leadership always influences and determines outcomes – not some of the time but all of the time.” He believes each and every day people have a choice about what kind of leader they will be, no matter what role they serve at Texas Children’s.

In keeping with this maxim, people at all levels of the Texas Children’s workforce can be nominated for the 2018 Catalyst Leadership Award. Eligible nominees include all employees, formal leaders (excluding executives), physicians, and volunteers who have two or more years of service with Texas Children’s.

Everyone is encouraged to consider nominating someone whose personal leadership and contributions have positively impacted a team, a patient, a family, a process, an outcome, or any element of our mission while living our core values. Wallace will carefully review all nominations in partnership with other selection committee members, including representatives from Texas Children’s Board of Trustees, our senior executive team, and Human Resources after the nomination period closes at midnight on Friday, June 30.

You may visit the Catalyst Leadership Award website for complete details about the nomination process and this select leadership recognition and development program.

We all work with someone whose actions are the catalyst for the best possible outcomes. Who will you nominate?

Navada Jackson with the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star employee. “As a unit clerical assistant in the cardiovascular intensive care unit, my motivation for going above and beyond is inspired by the people – from the patients, to doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, patient care assistants and other unit clerical assistants.” Read more of her interview below and find out how you can nominate a Super Star

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Navada Jackson, Unit Clerical Assistant, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit; 24 years

What month are you Super Star for?
January 2017

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
I was asked by my manger to report for work early to discuss changes in shift reports. As I arrived in the break room, directing my attention to my manger, she announces my name indicating I was super star. I was totally surprise; with two cakes and punch to share with other co-workers and leaders. It was amazing.

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do? How has the organization helped you achieve your personal and professional goals?
To be acknowledged for my commitment to Texas Children’s Hospital feels really good. It has been an honor to be part of a team that has been ranked #2 in Children Cardiology and Heart Surgery.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
One who possesses hard work, commitment, caring, flexibility, and passion – all attributes that resemble super star status.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
As a unit clerical assistant in the cardiovascular intensive care unit, my motivation for going above and beyond is inspired by the people – from the patients, to doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, patient care assistants and other unit clerical assistants. Being able to help my co-workers and the patients have inspired me to do my very best.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
In my 24 years of service, I have experienced the growth of this organization and to narrow my perspective on the many wonderful things about being employed at Texas Children’s is impossible. I have had a supportive leadership. I value the organization’s mission and the willingness to promote teamwork in a professional, respectful, fun but healthy environment.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
Regardless of a personal title, everyone part of the health care team has the opportunity to leverage leader development. Having been a tenured employee at Texas Children’s, witnessing CVICU expanding in 2001 and the transition of now two floors, the sometimes fast-past environment has allowed people to fulfill a leader role given that everyone plays a vital role in the patient care. We all have pulled together to address life-threatening situations. To define leadership, would be one who effectively develops others, one who dismisses the “i” motto, helps others achieve their goals and has a positive influence on anyone in various roles.

Anything else you want to share?
The recognition of my hard work has been more than words can describe. My goal always will be my best to make it possible for others to succeed. Texas Children’s is an awesome place to work and I look forward to the future.