August 9, 2016

81016nursingday640Texas Children’s Nursing Professional Development and Education Council hosted the 2016 Nursing Professional Day at the Pavilion for Women Conference Center on July 14 and 15. The purpose of the event was to enhance the knowledge of Texas Children’s registered nurses in an effort to improve professional practice and patient outcomes. The Nursing Professional Day agenda was driven from the results of the Annual Learning Needs Assessment.

Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, kicked off the event with opening remarks on the value of lifelong learning and its impact on patients and nurses. To support the value of education, the event was broadcasted via telehealth to eight different sites in an effort to reach all Texas Children’s nurses.

Nursing Professional Day provided the opportunity for nurses at all levels to participate either on the planning committee, as podium or poster presenter, facilitator of a skill station or educate at an exhibit table. Twenty of the topics presented offered continuing nursing education hours.

More than three hundred nurses in attendance had the opportunity to collaborate with 15 nursing schools as they look to advance their education. Twenty-five internal exhibitors were available for the nurses to learn about obtaining their certification, joining a professional organization and how other department’s value and support the nursing role.

The presentations are available to view on the Nursing Professional Development team site. Nursing Professional Day will be held at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus on Tuesday, September 13. Encourage your nursing colleagues to attend.

August 1, 2016

8316chroniclephilanthropy250Texas Children’s is the honored sponsor for every Tuesday’s “Houston Legends” series. For more than 20 weeks, we will showcase the legendary care Texas Children’s has provided since 1954, and focus on milestone moments in our unique history. Also, a complementary website offers a more detailed look at our past, our story and our breakthroughs.

On the right is the Texas Children’s ad that is featured in this week’s Chronicle. Click the ad to visit our companion website at texaschildrens.org/legendarycare. The website will change weekly to complement the newspaper ad, which will be published in section A of the Chronicle on Tuesdays for the next 10 weeks. We also will spotlight this special feature weekly on Connect, so stay tuned to learn and share our rich history.

Click here to visit the Promise website.

July 26, 2016

train 640

Almost 14 years ago, Dr. Jamil Azzam waited in anticipation for the dedication of what he now calls his legacy – the Texas Children’s Choo-Choo Hut, an intricate model train exhibit nestled into a wall at the entrance of the Abercrombie Building.

A boy attending the ceremony with his mother drew the curtain on the hut to reveal what Azzam and his wife, Charlotte, donated to the hospital in hopes of enchanting both the young and the young at heart. Almost instantly, the Azzams’ wish became a reality.


Children and their families who were walking in the halls near the newly opened Choo-Choo Hut flocked to the display, pressing their faces against its glass wall to get a glimpse of the detailed scenes that range from a carnival, an urban area with skyscrapers, a castle and a fishing harbor.

One patient in particular, however, stood out to Azzam, who, at the time, was a pediatrician with Baylor College of Medicine. This patient, Azzam said, had cancer and did not have long to live. As a result, the patient told Azzam and his wife that her dying wish was to be the first person to push the buttons on the display to activate the trains running through the various scenes.

The little girl got to push the buttons. She died the next day.

“Every time I think about the train I think about that young girl and I get tears in my eyes,” Azzam said during a recent phone interview. “I am happy that I could grant her a dying wish and I am left with heartfelt enjoyment that I gave something worthwhile to Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine and the City of Houston.”

The Choo-Choo Hut recently got national accolades from popular sideline reporter Craig Sager during his acceptance speech for the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, or the ESPY Awards. During his speech, Sager talked about his journey battling cancer and the comfort he’s found in the model train exhibit at Texas Children’s Hospital.

“Now I don’t know why I am so brought to this train set,” Sager said. “Perhaps it’s my life coming full circle. Maybe it’s just the kid inside all of us. Or perhaps it’s a few minutes of my life that leukemia can’t take from me.”

Don Bozman, the professional model builder Azzam hired to construct the train at Texas Children’s Hospital, still helps manage the maintenance of the train and said during a recent interview that over the years he’s seen both children and adults receive a moment of refuge from engaging with or simply watching the display. Some of the people he’s seen come in wheelchairs, others use walkers and at least one patient came with a prescription from a doctor who ordered her to go see the display.

“Even though it’s brief, it’s an escape,” Bozman said. “And people, especially children, have great memories, so it stays with them.”

Like Azzam, Bozman said making the Choo-Choo Hut a reality for Texas Children’s Hospital has been the most rewarding thing he’s done in life and that it’s mean a great deal to see the look in people’s eyes when they see it.

“It’s wonderful,” he said. “I’m glad it’s positively affected so many people.”

train story - inside pics

July 19, 2016

72016jrreporters640A team of nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists from Texas Children’s Hospital’s Main Operating Room recently participated in a medical mission in Antigua, Guatemala.

The mission was coordinated by Faith in Practice, a Houston-based organization dedicated to the medical care of indigent people in Guatemala. The 44-member team that went consisted of medical and surgical staff from hospitals in the Medical Center and out of state. Among the volunteers from Texas Children’s were Drs. Olutoyin Olutoye, Oluyinka Olutoye, Robert Power, David Mann and Stephanie Cruz; certified registered nurse anesthetists Nate Jones and Megan Koudelka; and registered nurses Karen Bustos, Debra Batiste and Juan Sale.

Focusing primarily on pediatric patients, the team performed nearly 140 surgeries in just four days, including inguinal and umbilical hernias, orthopedic surgeries, podiatric cases, and dental extractions conducted in support of the people of Antigua.

“It is always a humbling experience to go on this mission trip,” said Bustos, who has been on the mission five times now. “These people come from villages eight to 10 hours away and come to us full of trust that we will make their children well.”

Sale, a first-time volunteer, said the trip was “an amazing experience, especially when you get to help the children.”

Glass, the group coordinator for Texas Children’s, said she has been participating in similar mission trips since 2002 and has gone to Guatemala 15 times.

“This activity is open to all surgeons, operating room nurses, anesthesia staff, recovery room nurses, and especially bilingual people,” Glass said, adding that financial donations will help support the mission as well as donation of unused OR supplies.

According to the organization’s website, Guatemala is considered extremely impoverished in comparison to other South American countries. Half of Guatemala’s 14 million people live in poverty, which is defined as living on less than $2 per day. In addition, the vast majority of Guatemalans have virtually no access to public health care.

In spite of these deficiencies, The Faith in Practice organization has made a significant impact on the people of Guatemala. In 2015 alone, 1,200 US volunteers travelled to Guatemala to participate in the mission activities coordinated by Faith in Practice. As a result, a total of 2,400 surgical procedures were performed and 25,000 Guatemalan patients were seen by the medical mission teams. Texas Children’s Hospital is extremely proud of this team and their selfless dedication to service.

July 7, 2016

This week a year ago – July 6 to be exact – Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark Wallace kicked off his One Amazing Team tour, visiting Texas Children’s team members at all of our locations throughout Greater Houston. The whirlwind, 73-stop tour took more than three-and-a-half months, covered about 750 miles and touched nearly 1,800 Texas Children’s staff and employees.

In case you missed it, here’s an awesome video capturing all the excitement of last year’s One Amazing Team tour!

 

July 6, 2016

7616HeatherShady175Heather Shady of Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star employee. “The patients and family members have a difficult time being out of their daily routine, and I find it very rewarding to bring out the best in a difficult situation,” Shady said. Read more of Shady’s interview and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Heather Shady. I am a Patient Care Assistant, chairman of skin champions in Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and a safety coach. I have worked at Texas Children’s Hospital for three and a half years.

What month are you Super Star for?
June 2016

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
I was asked to come to a meeting for the skin champions and was told they needed my input on a few things. However, when I arrived they yelled surprise! I was given a party showing their appreciation. It was very nice and thoughtful.

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?
Receiving this award has been the highlight of this year for me. It is amazing to win such an award. I really do go above and beyond to help patients, family and coworkers. This organization has provided me with support and boosted my confidence. Specific mentors at Texas Children’s have guided me with my goal to achieve my BSN.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
A super star at Texas Children’s is a committed, kind hearted, compassionate person who truly loves what they do. We are all superstars.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
The exceptional coworkers I work with every day. Everyone is always so helpful and happy. It really makes a difference in how the day goes. The patients and family members have a difficult time being out of their daily routine, and I find it very rewarding to bring out the best in a difficult situation. Watching my patients with a congenital heart defect (CHD) grow up and achieve their goals motivates me to achieve my goals.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Everyone’s positive attitude and willingness to help others. Texas Children’s motivates you to always be better.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
Everyone is considered a leader because he or she takes ownership in the role they have. My definition of a leader is someone who wants to excel in what they do, stands up to do what’s right, and doesn’t give up.

Anything else you want to share?
Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look harder.

7616CedricAugust175Cedric August of the Food Court is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star employee. “My definition for being a leader is to be a good role model to people that are looking up to me,” August said. Read more of his interview below and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Your name, title and department.
Cedric August, Food Court Specialist, Food Court

What month are you Super Star for?
July 2016

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
I was told during our line meeting.

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?
It means I am doing a great job. The organization has helped me be motivated a lot to be a better person.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
They show they are a hard worker.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
The people I am working with and also my family.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Seeing the wonderful kids and the people I work with.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
My definition for being a leader is to be a good role model to people that are looking up to me. Everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader by working hard and helping everybody else.

Anything else you want to share?
I am grateful to work hard at Texas Children’s.