June 7, 2020

Every year, the Department of Organizational Resilience holds a Hurricane Preparedness Bridge Event on The Auxiliary Bridge to offer tips on how to get ready for the year’s hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

Due to COVID-19 and the safety measures Texas Children’s has put into place to protect our staff, patients and families during the pandemic, this year’s event has been moved online via Microsoft Teams Live. Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Thursday, June 11, the event will include presentations from Texas Children’s Wellness Team and Employee Assistance Program, Texas Children’s Social Work Team, Texas Children’s Amateur Radio Team, Texas Children’s Decontamination Team, Organizational Resilience Team, Harris County Flood Control District, and the National Weather Service.

All presentations will repeat every 15-20 minutes with question and answer sessions. National Weather Service and Harris County Flood control district have two schedule sessions each.

To join the event, click here:

Social Work

Amateur Radio

EAP/Wellness

Organizational Resilience

Decontamination Team

Harris County Flood Control District Session 1: 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Harris County Flood Control District Session 2. 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

National Weather Service Session 1. 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

National Weather Service Session 2. noon to 12:30 p.m.

There will be a virtual bridge event bingo game. Each presenter will end their presentation with a key word. You will write the key word down for that spot on the bingo card. When done, write your name and email address on the bingo card and email it in for a prize drawing. Instructions are on the card. Click here to view the bingo card.

The Department of Organizational Resilience also is offering virtual hurricane preparedness presentations to requesting departments. This year, these presentations will be given virtually via Microsoft Teams. To request a presentation, please email EmergencyMgmt@texaschildrens.org.

For more information on how you can prepare for this year’s hurricane season, click here.

June 2, 2020

National Running Day is just around the corner and what better time than now to become more active. All across the country Wednesday, June 3 is the annual appreciation for running as a sport — and as an avenue to overall health and well-being.

Getting out and exercising — especially during this pandemic — can help keep your stress levels down and your spirits high. In a world where social distancing is becoming normal, we can still get out and exercise with peers as a way to stay connected to one another. Now more than ever it is important to know that we are not alone during this pandemic. We are encouraging you to mask up, get out for a jog and consider becoming part of the Texas Children’s running community.

“Running has such great benefits for our physical health, emotional health and mental health,” said Kelley Hernandez, running team coordinator for Texas Children’s Hospital. “As we all continue to navigate life with the coronavirus, it’s especially important that we manage our stress as well so that we can take care of ourselves and others.”

What’s even better is that you can get healthy and support Texas Children’s Hospital at the same time through the Chevron Houston Marathon/Aramco Houston Half Marathon “Run for a Reason” program.

If you are interested in running the Chevron Houston Marathon/Aramco Houston Half Marathon — Sunday, January 17, 2021 — on behalf of Texas Children’s Hospital register at texaschildrens.org/houstonmarathon.

June 1, 2020

During the 2019-2020 school year seven students interned at Texas Children’s Health Plan as part of Project Search, a national organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities find employment. And although challenged with a global pandemic, they each persevered to complete the hands-on training.

They will enjoy a virtual graduation on Thursday, June 4. The graduates and their accomplishments are as follows:

Brian Buckingham
Ross Shaw Sterling Aviation High School
What were the main responsibilities of your internship?
I worked in the Marketing department, mainly in the warehouse. My main responsibilities were filling orders, loading the docking truck, and keeping the maintenance up on the trucks.

In what ways did the internship make you stronger?
The internship has helped me to be more confident. I no longer have a problem asking for help.

What are your future plans or desired profession?
I’d like to get a job within the warehouse industry.

Do you have any advice for students coming to Project Search at TCHP?
My advice to incoming students would be to finish what you start, follow directions and be on time.

From the Project SEARCH team:
It has been a great pleasure watching Brian grow into a mature, responsible, hard-working man. He is a fast learner who excelled at his internship in the Marketing Warehouse. He was able to move inventory, load and unload trucks, operate a pallet jack, take and fill orders, and make deliveries throughout The Health Plan. Brian has a calm demeanor and has expressed his interest in working in a warehouse or being a delivery driver assistant. With the ability and leadership he has shown during his internship, I know Brian will be successful in that job environment. Brian, we wish you all the best on future endeavors! We know you will be successful!!

Stacy Calvo
Sharpstown International School

What were the main responsibilities of your internship?
I worked in the Marketing department, as well as the Claims department. My main responsibilities were using Excel, making copies, shredding papers, organizing the Managed Care binders and other clerical duties.

In what ways did the internship make you stronger?
The internship has made me a better communicator and more confident. I am now more willing to make eye contact when speaking to people.

Future plans or desired profession?
I would like to work in a hospital in housekeeping or as a patient escort.

Do you have any advice for students coming to Project Search at TCHP?
My advice to incoming interns would be to follow directions and make eye contact when speaking to others.

From the Project SEARCH team:
Stacy has proven to be one of the most responsible, trustworthy, and dependable interns the Project SEARCH program has ever had the honor to work with. Not only does Stacy comply with rules and policies, but she exceeds expectations of integrity and professionalism. She is a fast learner and always has a smile on her face and a friendly word for others. It has been a pleasure working with Stacy and watching her grow and bloom into the professional woman she is. Stacy is anxious to enter the world of work and there is no doubt that she will be very successful in the path she chooses. We wish you well Stacy, and we look forward to hearing about all the accomplishments you will achieve!

Josseline Lopez
Northside High School

What were the main responsibilities of your internship?
I work in the StarKids department. My main responsibilities are assisting with the preparation for the TCHi orientations, organizing and sorting, and putting packets together for everyone that is hired at TCHP.

In what ways did the internship make you stronger?
I have become more independent and a lot more self-sufficient.

Future plans or desired profession?
I would like to work in a hospital.

Do you have any advice for students coming to Project Search at TCHP?
I would tell the incoming students to follow the rules and instructions. Everyone is here to help you.

From Josseline’s Mentor, Aracely Olmeda:
Joselin has blossomed from a shy and timid intern to a bold and vivacious coworker. She was celebrated as a coworker in Care Coordination and it has been my honor to mentor her. She has excelled in time management and developing education training materials for new hires. She also has conquered the daunting task of organizing the 14th floor storage room and has taken an active role in managing inventory for new hire equipment. She is a quick learner and is adaptable to anything thrown her way! Congrats Josseline

Kirk Cole
Westbury High School

What were the main responsibilities of your internship?
I managed the TCHP Concierge Service. I worked on all floors, delivering supplies, mail, cleaning the common areas, and I made sure that each printer was stocked with paper on every floor.

In what ways did the internship make you stronger?
The internship has made me more responsible in many ways.

Future plans or desired profession?
My internship improved my job skills so much that our job coach was able to secure a job for me at my home church. I love working in my church and would hope that I am promoted to full-time soon.

Do you have any advice for students coming to Project Search at TCHP?
My advice to incoming interns would be to work hard, do your best and be honest.

From Kirk’s Mentor, Shamera Beckham:
Mr. Kirk, I am so proud of you! It was amazing to watch how you’ve grown throughout the duration of your internship. You did an awesome job in managing the Concierge Service at TCHP, and everyone looked forward to working with you. I am certain that you will be a great asset in working at your church and I hope that you keep in touch. We are always here rooting for you!

Christopher Batiste
Ross Shaw Sterling Aviation High School

What were the main responsibilities of your internship?
I worked in Claims, Member Services, and Contracts. My main responsibilities in Claims were data entry and quality improvement. In Member Services I was responsible for receiving and sorting mail. In Contracts, I was responsible for entering all information into Excel.

In what ways did the internship make you stronger?
The internship made me more confident and more comfortable working with others.

Future plans or desired profession?
I’d like to work in a grocery store or in an office setting.

Do you have any advice for students coming to Project Search at TCHP?
Be honest and be on time. Enjoy Project Search and make good friends because everyone is helpful.

From Christopher’s Mentor, Ann Miller:
I would like to say it has been a great pleasure to work with Chris throughout this year. Even though it ended sooner that we wanted it to, I could not have asked for better help. Chris was very polite and never hesitated to accomplish anything ask of him. I would like to end with “Be bold, be courageous, be your best.” … I hope to see you again soon!

Bryan Barrera
Lamar High School

What were the main responsibilities of your internship?
I worked in the Finance and Control/Compliance Department. My main responsibilities were working together with my mentor, Ms. Donna, entering data into excel, sorting, printing, and other clerical duties.

In what ways has the internship made you stronger?
The internship has made me more independent and confident to do things on my own.

Future plans or desired profession?
In the future, I’d like to work in a grocery store, checking expiration dates, sorting things, etc.

Do you have any advice for students coming to Project Search at TCHP?
I would tell an incoming intern to follow instructions from your mentor and the Project Search Teacher, Ms. Lisa.

From Bryan’s Mentors, Donna Jackson and Tzaddi Yanez:
Bryan, you will be dearly missed by us all on the 14th floor. Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication. All the best and keep in touch – Donna Jackson
Congratulations, Bryan! Thank you for all of your help this past year. Keep your head up and stay determined! Prayers and blessings for all of your future endeavors! – Tzaddi Yanez

George Barrientos
Wisdom High School

What were the main responsibilities of your internship?
I worked in the IS department. My main duties were imaging computers and helping to deliver passwords and logins to new hires. I also installed replacement equipment, like a mouse or keyboard.

In what ways has the internship made you stronger?
It taught me what a real job is like. Like taking lunch, being on time, and being prepared.

Future plans or desired profession?
My goal is to be a video game creator. I want to get a job in store with a game department like Best Buy or Target.

Do you have any advice for students coming to Project Search at TCHP?
I would tell them to take all these opportunities. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

From the Project SEARCH team:
It has been a pleasure getting to know George and watching him learn new skills. He was friendly, well-liked by all his coworkers, was a fast learner, and very independent. The IT department was a good fit for George, as he enjoyed working with computers and had a good understanding of technology. He learned quickly how to reimage and configure computers and was a great help to the IT department. George has expressed his interest in getting a job in the computer field. We wish you all the best George, in your future endeavors!

When Jennifer Brinkley got a call from Texas Children’s asking if she wanted to reschedule her son’s dermatology appointment with the drive-through clinic, Patient Express, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“We are being very cautious, and to be honest, I was reluctant to come to the hospital for a minor procedure,” Brinkley said. “So, when I heard about the drive-through clinic I was thrilled! All we had to do was drive up. There was no wait and we were in and out in 20 minutes. It was great!”

Texas Children’s Dermatology is offering the drive-through service to patients who need basic dermatological treatments for conditions such as warts and/or molluscum. The clinic is set up near the ambulance bay at Wallace Tower. Patients call about five minutes before arriving, pull up and are seen by one of our dermatologists.

To ensure everyone’s safety, all patients and family members are asked a series of COVID-19 screening questions, their temperatures are taken and they are required to wear a mask. If they do not have a mask of their own, we will provide one for them. Texas Children’s employees participating in Patient Express are required to wear personal protective equipment including a mask, gown, gloves and facial shield.

“Patient Express is a great way for us to provide family-centered care while addressing people’s concerns about COVID-19,” said Rachel Brock, the practice administrator for Dermatology. “We are providing treatment in a new way that corresponds with the environment we are currently living in.”

View photos of the clinic below.

The first Patient Express clinic was held on May 14 and brought in 9 patients. The second happened on May 28 and 13 patients were treated. Brock said for now the clinic will be held every two weeks as a way to increase patient access to dermatologic care as concern for appropriate social distancing currently limits the number of daily patient appointments in the Mark Wallace Tower Dermatology Clinic.

Dr. Raegan Hunt said she is grateful to be able to serve patients in a way that is both convenient and safe. Although conditions such as warts and molluscum are common and relatively easy to treat, Hunt said they have an impact on patients and families.

“These conditions can cause itching or pain, and they can be stigmatizing,” she said. “In addition, early treatment of molluscum may reduce spreading and lessen the number of overall legions.”

Based on feedback she’s received thus far from patients and families, Hunt said she feels that Patient Express is a win-win for everyone involved.

Texas Children’s Well-Being team has launched a new series of Virtual Self-Care Sessions to help our team members focus on their own well-being, and better manage the stress that health care workers around the world are feeling during this pandemic.

Click here in to begin watching the series of short videos that explore five different self-care topics: mindfulness, deep breathing, stretching, progressive muscle relaxation and unwinding before bed. Facilitators also help viewers experience the effects of each practice by taking them through guided exercises that can be done practically anywhere, at any time.

In the Mindfulness Guided Meditation sessions, Employee Assistance Program Specialist Pilar Valenzuela Silva explains how mindfulness is the practice of actually being present in the moment – which in turn trains us to become more mindful throughout the day – and takes you through a guided meditation.

Mindfulness Guided Meditation – Part 1: https://youtu.be/Kc1bgwtl_PI
Mindfulness Guided Meditation – Part 2: https://youtu.be/ieMTWbjG-K8

Silva returns for the Deep Breathing sessions, which explain how breathing from the belly instead of the chest can induce relaxation. You’ll also have the opportunity to try out the proper deep breathing technique.

Deep Breathing – Part 1: https://youtu.be/KA0RtzmuRlM
Deep Breathing – Part 2: https://youtu.be/vhHZ97_diJ4

Relax your muscles and increase your blood flow in the Stretching sessions, where Health Coach Jackie Pacheco speaks about how stretching loosens tight muscles and leads you through some simple exercises.

Stretching – Part 1: https://youtu.be/dwchISuKIxQ
Stretching – Part 2: https://youtu.be/_rtdkEQUII4

Registered dietitian and Cigna On-Site Health Coach Staci Tobolowsky Astrein leads the Progressive Muscle Relaxation sessions, demonstrating how the practice can be used to tame stress and increase awareness of the sensations associated with tension.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Part 1: https://youtu.be/-S00SRQZA_A
Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Part 2: https://youtu.be/ZcLXywCEBbM

Astrein also leads the Unwinding before Bed sessions, which discuss how being mindful before bedtime can boost the quality of your sleep and help you sleep longer – while also relieving stresses during the day, and helping you fall asleep faster.

Unwinding Before Bed – Part 1: https://youtu.be/7cOZYa5LzSw
Unwinding Before Bed – Part 2: https://youtu.be/80ZF-AqlDAE

The pandemic has been a challenging time for all of us. We want you to know that you are not alone and that if you find yourself feeling stressed about the situation, there are resourses available that can help support your mental, physical and spiritual needs. If you have any questions, please contact the Well-Being Team at wellbeing@texaschildrens.org.

Texas Children’s is always looking for ways to improve the experience of our patients, families and employees during their time with our organization. We are especially sensitive to our breastfeeding moms and tube feeding parents.

To better support these groups, Texas Children’s has purchased a Mamava, which is a self-contained, mobile pod with benches, a fold-down table, an electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump, and a door that can be locked for privacy. The 4-foot by 8-foot suite is meant for individual use, but can fit more than one person, as well as mothers with babies and other children in tow.

Named the “Baby Bistro Suite” in honor of our ongoing commitment to breastfeeding moms provided at the Baby Bistro, the pod was recently installed on the fifth floor of Wallace Tower and is now open for use. To use the pod, a visitor or employee will reserve their time using the Mamava app or request a keypad-code from guest services. Information about the suite will also be added to wayfinding signage.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer our breastfeeding moms and tube feeding parents such a comfortable, clean, distraction-free space to nourish their children,” said Nancy Hurst, director of Women’s Support Services. “I also am proud of Texas Children’s for its continued commitment and dedication to the overall well-being of these patients, family members and employees.”

Texas Children’s is the first hospital in Texas to unveil a Mamava suite at one of its facilities. Employees from several departments including, Infection Control, Facilities, Supply Chain, Contracts, Surgery, Patient Experience, Marketing and Women’s Services came together to make it happen.

The effort began more than a year ago after Patient Experience conducted some employee focus groups about ways we could improve our overall patient experience. One thing that came up was a need for more private spaces for moms to breastfeed or pump. Often times, these moms use exam rooms, which can interrupt employee workflow, or bathrooms, which are less than ideal. Other options included the Mamava.

“Our executive steering committee signed off on the idea shortly after we presented it to them, affirming that purchasing the pod was the right thing to do,” said Katie Daggett, director of Patient and Family Services. “Creating a private, peaceful space for our breastfeeding moms and tube feeding parents shows we are a family-centered organization that cares about not only our patients, but their entire family.”

Sascha Mayer, co-founder and CEO of Mamava said she is extremely excited to support breastfeeding mothers at Texas Children’s.

“We believe that all mamas deserve a clean, comfortable, and dignified place to use a breast pump or breastfeed distraction-free — anywhere, anytime,” Mayer said. “Mamava pods provide flexibility for facilities and easy access for moms.”

Mamava is an expert in lactation space design, thoughtfully designing solutions for breastfeeding moms on-the-go. With both analog and digital products, Mamava celebrates and supports the 21st century breastfeeding mama. Mamava is women-owned, made in America, and a proud member of the B Corp community. The Mamava app, free for iOS and Android, helps moms find pumping and breastfeeding friendly locations (never a bathroom!), unlocks Mamava pods through a proprietary smart technology system, and delivers useful breastfeeding content. To learn more visit mamava.com.

Since the global pandemic began three months ago, our Pathology team and collaborative partners across the Texas Children’s system continue to lead the way in diagnostic testing for COVID-19.

On April 29, Texas Children’s became the first hospital in the Texas Medical Center to launch rapid molecular testing and antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2, which has enabled the organization to provide care to patients who have delayed diagnosis or complications due to COVID-19, and those patients who may have symptoms of the multi-system inflammatory syndrome of children associated with COVID-19.

To date, over 12,000 patients across our campuses and community locations have been tested for COVID-19. Texas Children’s has also provided testing to nearly 1,000 inpatients at Harris Health System as part of our efforts to support our peer institutions in the Texas Medical Center. Today, Texas Children’s has the capacity to perform 800 COVID-19 tests per day and are rapidly approaching 1,000 tests per day.

While these numbers are impressive, Texas Children’s Pathologist-in-Chief Dr. Jim Versalovic says our measurement of progress is not solely about increased volume, but more importantly, how we apply these tests to create the greatest impact for our employees and patients, while keeping everyone safe.

“We now have an expanded menu of COVID-19 tests available,” said Versalovic. “As part of our robust surveillance testing program, we have the ability to rapidly test patients within 2-3 hours who need emergent medical procedures, surgeries and obstetrical emergencies at our three hospital campuses. Additionally, we are taking advantage of our drive-through COVID-19 testing capabilities. All of these efforts combined have made a profound impact on the quality care that we provide to our patients.”

Along with Employee Health and our Infection Control partners, Versalovic says we also have the capacity for more COVID-19 surveillance testing of our employees to ensure their health and safety.

Leveraging new technology

Coupled with the organization’s ability to provide additional COVID-19 testing options, Texas Children’s launched the Hologic Panther Platform on May 13, a new, state-of-the-art technology that has helped the organization expand its testing capacity and capabilities, accelerate turnaround times from specimen collection to results, leading to remarkable improvements in workflow efficiencies in the laboratory.

Prior to using this testing platform, the pathology team conducted 400 COVID-19 tests per day. Once the results came in, the data had to be manually inputted into the patient’s electronic medical record in Epic. Now, as test results flows into the Panther Platform system, they are automatically populated into Epic. Through the use of the Panther Platform, Texas Children’s has close to doubled its testing capacity.

“When combined with other testing options, the Panther Platform puts us well within the range of 800 to 1,000 tests per day,” said Dr. Jim Dunn, director of Medical Microbiology and Virology. “As results come off the Panther Platform machine and are electronically interfaced with Epic, the lab technologists can quickly review each result and then release it to the patient’s chart. This automated testing process has significantly improved our workflow efficiency by reducing turnaround times from 10 hours to six hours.”

In addition to leveraging this technology, cross-training technologists from other areas of the laboratory – Molecular Oncology, Cancer Genomics – has allowed Pathology to expand its daily hours of operation, which along with other factors, have helped the organization expand testing capacity and capabilities.

“Our approach to doing as much as possible for our patients, employees and staff regarding SARS-CoV2 testing has really been a collaborative team effort,” Dunn said. “We’ve been able to marshall all possible resources including both new and existing instruments, reagents, other supplies, and personnel.”

COVID-19 testing task force

Texas Children’s COVID-19 Testing Task Force has also played an instrumental role in COVID-19 testing. The task force is comprised of multi-disciplinary team members from Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Infection Control, Infectious Diseases, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Pathology, Nursing and Human Resources.

Over the past two weeks, this group has worked tirelessly to develop a prioritization schema for SARS-CoV2 PCR testing using the best available evidence and incorporating current and projected volumes. The prioritization schema identifies those patient populations – patients scheduled for an appointment or procedure and patients who are presenting for care — for whom testing is prioritized to best meet the overall goals of promoting the health and safety of our patients, their families, employees and staff.

The task force developed a process map outlining patient eligibility criteria to help providers identify patients eligible for testing either in the ambulatory setting or prior to their arrival, at one of our COVID-19 drive-through testing sites at the Medical Center Campus, West Campus and The Woodlands Campus.

“As variables change, including patient volumes and our ever increasing testing capacity, the eligibility criteria for testing will require changes in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Brent Kaziny, medical director of Emergency Management. “While there are many worthy reasons for COVID-19 testing, it is important that we continue to conserve and prioritize this limited resource. We encourage our providers to keep us informed about other populations that should be considered for testing eligibility.”

For more information about COVID-19 testing at Texas Children’s, go to the COVID-19 Communications Page on Connect where you will have access to the electronic Testing Request Form, patient eligibility criteria for COVID-19 testing, Frequently Asked Questions and a list of drive-through testing locations.