November 2, 2020

It’s easier than ever this year to make your flu shot plan. By getting vaccinated against the flu, you are helping to keep our patients and families, our workforce and our community safe.

For a step-by-step guide to making your flu shot plan, visit texaschildrensbenefits.org/flu. On this site, you can:

  • View information on the new and convenient ways to receive the flu vaccine. These options include attending an on-site or car-side event at Texas Children’s; visiting the Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice where your child receives care; and getting your shot from your primary care provider or a retail pharmacy.
  • View our robust on-site event schedule, which includes new dates and locations across the system to better accommodate our team members’ needs.
  • Complete consent forms online in support of a touchless experience.
  • Review answers to the most frequently asked flu questions.
  • Upload proof of vaccination with a mobile device.

Thank you in advance for receiving your flu vaccine and helping to protect the safety of our patients and their families, our entire workforce and the community we serve.

The patient is at the center of the 21st Century Cures Act in order to provide more power in the delivery of their health care, which includes access to their medical information.

In 2016, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology passed federal legislation called the 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule that puts patients in charge of their health records, which is a key piece of Health and Human Services (HHS) work toward a value-based health care system. The ONC Final Rule enables the health care delivery system to deliver an “app economy” to providers and patients, physicians, hospitals, payers, and employers with innovation and choice.

Through the delivery of modern smartphone and software apps, patients and providers will see benefits in accessing electronic health information (EHI). Patients will have more convenient and easier options to gain on-demand access to their EHI whenever and wherever they need it. In addition, there will be the increasing ability for patients to choose apps that will assemble and read their records. The interoperability, information blocking, and patient access to data and electronic health record certification requirements outlined in the 21st Century Cures Act will go into effect in multiple phases and will impact our patients, health care providers and health IT software developers.

To learn more about this effort, click here.

Changes go live with the Epic upgrade on November 8. Texas Children’s will release data via MyChart, and other patient portals, in order to make information more accessible and not require patients to go through the traditional medical record release process. Several other changes on the horizon include:

  • Patient Access API – Beginning December 31, 2022, CMS-regulated payers (including Medicaid MCOs) are required to implement a secure, standards-based application programming interface (API) that allows patients to access their claims, encounter information and some clinical data.
  • CMS Payer-to-Payer Data Exchange – This provision will require CMS-regulated payers to share certain clinical data with each other and other payers. This allows the patient to take their information with them as they move from payer to payer over time to help create a cumulative health record with their current payer.
  • United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) standard expands – Starting in October 2022, under ONC’s rule, the definition of EHI will expand beyond the USCDI. The EHI definition will include the full HIPAA electronic designated data set.

To prepare, educate, and ensure compliance across the organization, a workgroup has been assembled to carefully review the regulation, review our policies, procedures and business practices, and develop a system wide communication plan to ensure our providers are compliant with this new federal regulation. All Texas Children’s team members are invited to learn more about this regulation and its implementation via a virtual Town Hall for providers; see details below:

Provider Virtual Town Hall Hosted by Dr. Giannoni
Wednesday, November 4 | Noon to 1 p.m.
To join via MS Teams, click here.

Stay tuned to Connect for more updates on the 21st Century Cures Act and the organization’s implementation efforts. In the meantime, we invite you to review this site, which provides details on what you need to know, including a crash course, handouts and much more.

2021 Annual Enrollment is available through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17.

Let’s focus on taking care of you. For more information on our 2021 benefits, click here or visit Texas Children’s Benefits website today to learn more.

Thank you for participating in Annual Enrollment!

October 27, 2020

Thank you to all of our team members who have completed their Annual Required Training (ART) for 2020.

If you have not yet completed ART, you still have time. Please get started today by clicking here to log in to HealthStream. By participating in this important course, you have helped sustain Texas Children’s high standards for care and commitment to excellence.

ART completion rates as of Friday, October 23
  • Texas Children’s Hospital, West Campus and The Woodlands – 78 percent
  • Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Urgent Care – 83 percent
  • Texas Children’s Health Plan and The Centers for Children and Women – 84 percent
What you need to know about ART
  • New content was added around Diversity and Inclusion as part of our ongoing effort to cultivate an organization where every team member feels valued and accepted.
  • All workforce members are required to complete ART, except for:
    • New Texas Children’s employees (including Texas Children’s physicians) who were hired after January 1, 2020.
      (Note: if you have been rehired to Texas Children’s during 2020, this exception does not apply to you. You will be required to take the course.)
  • Employees who are on a leave of absence are required to complete ART within 30 days of their return back to work.
  • Please only complete the course during your standard work hours and check with your leader for guidance on the best time for you to complete the course.
  • To receive credit, all required workforce members must review all course slides and sign the attestation to confirm they met the completion requirements.
  • Joint Commission and OSHA require staff to renew their knowledge on an annual basis regarding key components such as Patient Safety, Bloodborne Pathogens, Hand Hygiene and several other important topics. In keeping with HIPAA guidelines, Texas Children’s also requires staff to review their knowledge regarding Privacy, Compliance and Information Security.
To access ART from Connect
  • Click on the “ART/Learning Academy/HealthStream” link on the Connect homepage under the ‘Quick Links’ heading.
  • Log in to HealthStream.
  • On the “To Do” tab click on the ‘Start’ link next to the course titled: Texas Children’s 2020 Annual Required Training.
Need help?
  • If you are experiencing issues accessing HealthStream, please contact the IS Service Desk at 832-824-3512 (option 2).
  • If you have questions about the course, please email healthstream@texaschildrens.org.
  • If you are having an issue with the course not giving you a completion status once you have signed the attestation, or if it will not allow you to advance to the end of the course, you may need to clear your browsing history. For instructions on how to clear your browsing history, click here.

Thank you for completing ART and helping Texas Children’s sustain a safe and ethical environment in which to work and receive care.

To help ensure Texas Children’s is a place where every member of our team can feel they are valued and belong, all employees are invited to participate in the first Amplify Unity Waggl survey on diversity and inclusion before it closes this Friday, October 30.

Waggl is a pulse survey tool that provides an easy and interactive way to hear directly from our team members, while also keeping respondent identities confidential. To participate, follow the link below or text TC VOICE to 797979. From there, take the steps below:

  1. Answer the question, “What is one thing we should start doing to cultivate more open and honest conversations on diversity and inclusion?”
  2. Vote on your colleagues’ anonymous responses.
  3. Return to the pulse often to see results in real-time, and continue voting to help determine the top responses.

Click here to anonymously share your insights

As we’ve seen this year amid the ongoing fight for equality, inclusion, and justice for all, meaningful change almost always begins with open and honest dialogue that allows each of us to tell our own unique story, while also learning from the experiences and perspectives of others. Launching the Amplify Unity Waggl expands our commitment to lead tirelessly in supporting diversity and inclusion by providing a platform for every voice to be heard.

After the Waggl closes, our team members’ thoughts and ideas will be incorporated into tangible action that more deeply grounds our culture in equality, inclusivity and compassion. Updates on the pulse – as well as more information about Texas Children’s ongoing diversity and inclusion initiatives – will be provided in the coming weeks.

October 20, 2020

Courtney Prewitt shares creative ways our nurses can stay connected virtually and non-virtually while adhering to social distancing guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety. Read more

October 19, 2020

What’s your voting plan for the 2020 general election?

Will you vote by mail? At the polls?

On what day? At what time?

If you don’t have a plan, you are planning to fail. And with so much at stake during the 2020 election, everyone’s voice should be heard.

Early voting starts Tuesday, October 13 and ends Friday, October 30. The general election is Tuesday, November 3. During Early voting and on Election Day, more voting options will be available to you depending on your county of residence. These include 24-hour poling locations, drive-through voting, and county-wide voting.

This information along with all you will need to help make your plan to vote can be found at TexasChildrens.org/Vote. See below for additional resources.

Facebook Live event

Texas Children’s will be hosting a “Voter Plan” FB live event with the Harris County Clerk’s Office, the League of Women Voters, the East Harris County Empowerment Council and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials to discuss the voting process and the tools available to every voter during this election season. Join the conversation for helpful tips or to ask questions about create your voter plan!

Log on at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 15, using this link to the East Harris County Empowerment Council’: http://www.facebook.com/ehcec

Our providers urge you to go to the polls

Once you’re registered to vote, it’s important to make a voting plan. In this video, Texas Children’s Dr. Shubhada Hooli shares why it’s important to be prepared when you head to the polls. Whether you’re voting early from October 13 to October 30, voting by mail or in person on Election Day on Nov. 3, make sure you’re prepared and informed. Visit the League of Women Voters of Houston’s website at lwvhouston.org to find a polling location near you.

Social Media reminders

Social media is a great way to share glimpses of your life with family and friends. Engaging on social media is a part of our daily routines, so it’s more important than ever that everyone at Texas Children’s understands their responsibilities around social media use, especially as it relates to the upcoming election.

With that in mind, the Marketing/PR and Human Resources departments developed a short video about the appropriate use of social media. You can watch the video here and keep it front of mind whenever you use any social media platform.

VOTE! Then tell us about it – post a photo of yourself with your “I voted” sticker on social media, tag @TexasChildrens @OneAmazingTeam and include the following hashtag: #IVoted

Texas Children’s Time Off to Vote policy

Texas Children’s employees are expected to vote either before or after work, and encouraged to cast their ballot during the early voting period, October 13 to 30. More information available here time off for voting in section seven of the Texas Children’s Time Off policy.

Texas Children’s non-partisan voter education activities are executed in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital Association guidelines on Permissible Nonpartisan Candidate and Voter Education Activities, found here. Texas Children’s policy on non-solicitation and distribution is found here. All materials and publications associated with Texas Children’s voter education and registration activities are in no way intended to reflect an endorsement for, or opposition to, any candidate or political party.