January 4, 2017

1517plaintalkinside640On January 1, Texas Children’s started moving forward with a multi-phased plan to use plain language for emergency communications. The plan began with a change to our alert, or readiness, levels and retires all Carla-related language.

“At Texas Children’s, Carla has been used to indicate a significant, institutional emergency, but because the word is also the name of the infamous 1961 Category 5 hurricane, it typically is associated with a weather-related event,” said Melissa Murrah, director of Risk Management, Emergency Management and Environmental Health and Safety. “Unfortunately, the risks we face today are more varied and complex than just hurricanes, tropical storms or flooding, therefore, we need to move toward a way of communicating emergency events more clearly and efficiently across the organization.”

The move to plain language was recommended by Emergency Management and is in alignment with our partners at the Texas Hospital Association. Texas Children’s executive leadership and members of the Operations Coordinating Council approved the move last year.

The first step in this change for Texas Children’s is the replacement of our readiness levels and Carla language with simpler, more intuitive levels combined with plain language instructions. These new plain language readiness levels are:

  • Normal operations – passive monitoring
  • Advisory – active monitoring
  • Alert – preparing for action
  • Partial activation – some sections of incident command system set-up
  • Full activation – all sections of incident command system set-up

Our Emergency Operations Plan has been updated with this language. All future notifications will come in the form of specific instructions from Incident Command, which will help prevent confusion and ensure appropriate actions are taken at the right time.

Departments should work with Emergency Management to update departmental plans and replace the Carla language. In addition, please ensure you have updated your personal contact information in MOLI so that you receive all emergency notifications. Click here for detailed instructions.

If you have questions, contact Emergency Management at ext. 4-2139.

1517elsa640On December 21, Texas Children’s employees and staff got a chance to relax and de-stress by stopping by The Auxiliary Bridge to pet Elsa, Texas Children’s fun-loving pet therapy dog.

While Elsa spends a lot of quality time providing therapy to patients during their hospital stay, she is also making a positive impact on employees and staff, and everyone else she comes in contact with.

“Elsa is kind, gentle and full of love,” said Texas Children’s Chaplain Johnna Faber. “I had been dealing with some difficult issues for parents and patients that day, and being with Elsa took all of the tension and stress away from my thoughts for a few moments.”

Petting a kind animal has been known to relieve stress and help people feel more relaxed and optimistic, which was palpable from the many smiles and laughter Elsa brought to employees. Besides petting Elsa, staff also got a chance to take a selfie with the hospital’s beloved therapy dog.

Texas Children’s Health and Wellness team organized this event which was part of the 21 Days of Happiness Challenge that focuses on incorporating positive behaviors to increase happiness and life satisfaction.

December 21, 2016

122116westcampustoydonationpg640Riding on motorcycles instead of a sleigh, members of two area motorcycle clubs recently acted as Santa Clause donating a slew of gifts to Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.

Members of the Harley Owners Group/Mancuso Harley Davidson rode up to the hospital on December 3 to present West Campus President Matt Schaefer and Child Life Specialist Susan Eyre with several large bags of toys and a donation on behalf of Cypress Creek Christian Church.

On December 10, the Los Carnales Motorcycle Club arrived with several bags of toys for our patients. The club is comprised mostly of active duty and/or retired law enforcement officials.

Schaefer presented both clubs with framed art from some of our patients in appreciation for their generous donation.

December 20, 2016

122116trainexhibit640The Texas Children’s Choo-Choo Hut nestled into a wall at the entrance of the Abercrombie Building is decked in holiday cheer for all little boys, girls and grownups to see and hear.

The 28-foot-long display features various trains running through multiple scenes, all of which are decorated for the holidays.

Some trains are packed with presents while others are loaded down with doughnuts, cupcakes and candy. Santa can be seen waving to passersby and a snowman gripping a candy cane stands atop a hill looking down at the festive scene below.

You also can see a small sign next to another snowman that says: R.I.P. Craig Sager. The longtime Turner Sports broadcaster died Thursday after a more than two-year battle with cancer, leaving a legacy of sideline reporting and a special place in his heart for Texas Children’s Hospital.

Known as much for his outrageous wardrobe as his relationships with the NBA’s elite, Sager mentioned Texas Children’s Hospital this summer during his acceptance speech for the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at ESPN’s Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Awards.

During his speech, Sager talked about his journey battling cancer and the comfort he found in the model train exhibit at Texas Children’s Hospital, better known as the Texas Children’s Choo-Choo Hut.

Come see the intricate model train exhibit for yourself this holiday season. The exhibit can be viewed any time and the trains run from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Click here to read more about the history of the Choo-Choo Hut and here to read a personal account of the train’s impact on patients from one of its six original builders.

 

122116chdpajamasinside250When Anne Currie was 5-years-old, she underwent her first congenital heart surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital. Following additional procedures, Currie, now in her 30s, leads a happy and healthy life and comes back to Texas Children’s for regular check-ups with the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program (ACHD) team.

Texas Children’s ACHD Program enables patients with congenital heart disease to receive seamless continuation of care from birth to adulthood. Members of the multidisciplinary team, who are trained in both pediatric and adult congenital heart disease, offer a full spectrum of services and advise patients on the wide spectrum of medical problems that patients like Currie experience throughout their lives.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of her first surgery, Currie enlisted the help of her friend and fellow adult congenital heart disease patient, Holly Hancock, to surprise heart patients at the hospital with specially-designed pajamas from Heroic Hearts®, a company Hancock created.

Hancock, who underwent her first heart surgery at just hours old, spent time at Texas Children’s when she was 9 and continues to be seen by Texas Children’s ACHD team, too. As a young patient, she dreaded putting on a drab hospital gown as the excess fabric made it hard to move around and was thin causing her to always be cold. Little Heroes® by Heroic Hearts® offers comfortable, creative, hospital-friendly apparel tailored to young heart patients.

Recently, the pair, alongside Hancock’s husband and parents and Currie’s mom, gifted 10 current Texas Children’s heart patients and their families with pairs of the pajamas. The group shared stories with families about their time in the hospital and inspired them as the families were able to see how well the women are doing today. In addition to the pajamas, patients received stuffed animals named Ruby and Beau, who star in the hospital’s one-of-a-kind animated series of videos designed to educate families about complex heart conditions. To watch the series visit texaschildrens.org/hearteducation.

“My heart is so full and grateful going into this holiday season all because of you,” Currie said of the patients she met during her visit to Texas Children’s. “I hope they all understand that Texas Children’s is for life, not just for kids.”

The Texas Children’s family will always hold a special place in its collective heart for the staff, employees and Board of Trustee member we lost this year. Each will be greatly missed.

December 13, 2016

Texas Children’s employees enjoyed the hospital’s beloved holiday bread and wassail tradition earlier this month. Hosted by the Human Resources Department, the event helps employees kick off the holiday season with camraderie and joy. Please view the photo gallery below to see photos of the festivities.