Annabelle Gonzales, the first Texas Children’s employee to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, shares her experience and why she encourages every person who is eligible to get vaccinated. Read more
January 12, 2021
January 11, 2021
As Texas Children’s One Amazing Team, we have continued to successfully navigate and traverse the unprecedented times accompanying the Coronavirus. Our collective workforce has adapted to new norms and protocols in day-to-day workflows to ensure the ongoing safety of patients, families, and staff throughout the organization.
One of the new protocols that has become an integral aspect within staff’s daily routine is the screening process. As staff members have received a unique, colorful wristband at the beginning of each work shift, many team members have begun collecting their wristbands. Inspired by this initial desire to reflect, commemorate, and make meaning of one’s experience as a front-line worker during this global health care crisis, Texas Children’s would like to expand the opportunity for support and reflection hospital wide.
Two art therapists at Texas Children’s will be offering an opportunity to promote staff self-care, increase community, and decrease stress through art and creative processing. Within open studio art sessions, staff members will be able to create imagery on their wristband that expresses personal perceptions and experiences through expressive writing and art making. This individual wristband art will later be collaged into the shape of the Texas Children’s Logo.
If you are interested in participating, our art therapists encourage you to be saving and collecting your wristbands for the collaboration. Please stay tuned for further communication on dates, locations, and details for this staff member self-care opportunity to be provided at the beginning of 2021.
Health care hero Godly Abraham shares why he chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Our vaccine efforts continue as we have administered more than 9,500 doses to our workforce. To opt in or learn more, please visit the vaccine website.
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Members of our One Amazing Team express why getting vaccinated is important to them.
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After providing online tools to help our patients and their families better understand the costs associated with our exceptional care, Texas Children’s has taken steps to make our pricing and quality information even more transparent and available.
In response to rule updates from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that went into effect January 1, Texas Children’s has expanded our online self-estimate tool for patients.
CMS said the rule, which includes several additional requirements for hospitals nationwide, is intended to promote price transparency that helps empower patients to take charge of their health care and make more informed decisions.
“We have always been committed to transparency,” said Kabby Thompson, Assistant Vice President, Revenue Cycle. “We strive to provide the best care possible with rates that are comparable to other children’s hospitals, and it is important to us that our patients and families know and understand their financial obligations.”
Texas Children’s began posting its chargemaster online in 2019 to comply with the initial transparency provision of the CMS rule. Knowing that our patients want to understand their financial responsibility, Texas Children’s also created and launched in 2019 an online, self-service estimate tool to help families determine their actual out-of-pocket expenses before arriving for their scheduled visits.
As part of our effort to provide greater clarity around the cost of care and continuously improve the patient experience, Texas Children’s had been providing families with out-of-pocket estimates over the phone for more than a decade before bringing the estimator tool online.
Consumers need access to reliable and understandable price and quality information to be able to assess the value of their health care, much like they assess the value of other goods and services, Thompson said.
“The government expanding its transparency requirements is also an opportunity for us to expand on our commitment to transparency,” she said. “Demonstrating our quality and sharing patient stories will help patients make informed decisions about their care and the value of services at Texas Children’s.”
The chargemaster pricing estimator tool and negotiated rates can all be found on Texas Children’s website. Our physicians and providers are encouraged to review these Frequently Asked Questions for more information about how Texas Children’s is addressing the CMS final rule on hospital price transparency, and key details to share with our patient families who may have questions.