May 22, 2018

The Department of Surgery hosted the ninth annual Edmond T. Gonzales Jr. Surgical Research Day May 18 at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women providing a forum for researchers across the department to showcase their work.

This year 110 abstracts were submitted for review, 11 of which were chosen for oral presentations and 99 were accepted for poster presentations. This year eight students vied for the Best Presentation award and three faculty members were chosen to present their research.

The 2018 keynote speaker was Chandan Sen, who holds various roles at the Ohio State University Wexler Medical Center, including the John H. and Mildred C. Lumley Chair in Medicine, professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Surgery, associate dean of Translational Research, director of the College of Medicine, director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell-Based Therapies and executive director of the Ohio State Comprehensive Wound Center. Sen spoke about the regenerative medicine frontier and the reprogramming of tissue function in vivo.

Awards presented at the event were the Samuel Stal Research Award for outstanding research by a resident or fellow, the Research Mentor Award, and Best Oral Presentation and Best Poster Presentation.

  • The Samuel Stal Research Award was presented to Dr. Rodrigo Zea-Vera in Congenital Heart Surgery. The award is named after Dr. Samuel Stal, former chief of Plastic Surgery at Texas Children’s.
  • Pediatric Surgeon Dr. Sundeep Keswani was honored with the Research Mentor Award. The award is given on an annual basis to honor a Department of Surgery faculty member who serves as a research mentor through career development, professional guidance or cultivation of research interests.
  • Best Oral Presentation award was given to Urology Fellow Dr. Jeffrey White. He presented his work on the mining of CNV databases discovering a role for RBFOX-2 in penile development.
  • Best Poster award was given to researcher Jennifer Brown from otolaryngology for a poster on the implementation of a tracheostomy educational program for outpatient otolaryngology nurses.

Recipients of the 2018 Clayton Awards, former known as Surgical Seed Grant Awards, were announced as the grand finale of Texas Children’s Hospital Surgical Research Day. This grant program, funded by the Department of Surgery, allows surgery researchers to generate the preliminary data necessary for National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications and other extramural funding. 2018 Clayton Awards recipients are as follows:

Dr. Arvind Chandrakantan, Anesthesiology
Obstructive sleep apnea in vitro: A novel approach for cellular and molecular discovery

Dr. Erin Gottlieb, Anesthesiology
Antithrombin Levels in Neonates and Young Infants Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery

Dr. Julie Hakim, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
Understanding the Role of Estrogen in Vaginal Scar Tissue Formation

Dr. Brian Kelley, Neurosurgery
Molecular and Structural Mechanisms of Diffuse Axonal Injury

Scott Manson, Ph.D., Urology
Myofibroblast-Targeted Therapies for Renal Fibrosis in Obstructive Uropathy

Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria, Pediatric Surgery
Promoting Safe Firearm Storage in Households with Children

Dr. Irene Tung, Ophthalmology
The Effect of Oral Omega-3 Supplementation in Children with Meibomian Gland Disease and Chalazia

Xinyi Wang, Ph.D. Pediatric Surgery
The Role of Hyaluronan in Renal Tubulointerstitial Fibrosis

May 15, 2018

The 2017 Texas Children’s Annual Report website highlighting last year’s growth and success with compelling stories, videos and graphics about our patients, staff, clinical programs and expanding facilities is here! This is the second time the Texas Children’s annual report has been released in a website format offering a dynamic representation of the breadth, depth and growth of our organization.

Titled Texas Children’s Strong, this year’s website illustrates in a special section how Texas Children’s successfully weathered Hurricane Harvey with strong leadership, a unified culture and fierce determination. It also includes an archive page that houses previous Texas Children’s annual reports, giving readers a centralized location to find such rich information about our organization.

Each section of the site – news, notes and numbers – gives readers an opportunity to experience how and why Texas Children’s health care system continues to set records organization wide. You also can hear directly from our President and CEO Mark Wallace in a video address about our accomplishments and what’s to come.

“I’m pleased to share some of the amazing work and triumphs that happened last year at Texas Children’s,” Wallace said. “We were incredibly busy in 2017.”

Read all about it at texaschildrensannualreport.org. Share the link to the online report with friends and colleagues, and encourage them to do the same.

Each year as we salute nurses across the country during National Nurses Week from May 6 to May 12, Texas Children’s celebrated our incredible team of more than 3,000 nurses for their many successes, accomplishments and contributions to patient care.

This year’s theme for Nurses Week was Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence. From developing Texas Children’s first-ever Nursing Innovations Solutions Council to partnering with families in the design of patient care rooms in Legacy Tower, our nurses play a key role in developing novel strategies to optimize the care we deliver to our patients and families.

During Nurses Week, the Nursing Retention Council organized several activities that centered on health and wellness to remind our nurses how important it is to take care of themselves so they can provide the best care to their patients. Activities included educational presentations including a presentation on financial wellness, blessing of the hands, massages, a photo booth, cupcakes and punch and special cookie deliveries for all of the units.

On May 9, Texas Children’s Nursing Excellence Awards ceremony honored six recipients for their commitment to improving nursing care and patient outcomes.

The award honorees included:

Staff Nurse of the year: Imelda Salcedo
Preceptor of the year: Melissa Campbell
Rookie of the year: Tanya Facio
Leader of the year: Kerry Sembera
APRN of the year: Emily Charles
Advanced degree: Miranda Rodrigues
Friend of Nursing: Dr. Binita Patel

Jillian Aragon was awarded the 2018 David and Polly Roth Nursing Education Scholarship Fund. This education fund will provide tuition assistance for Texas Children’s employees who have worked in the organization for at least three years and are interested in pursuing a professional nursing degree.

Leanne Petters and Janae Harris received the Molly Mae LeBlanc Nursing Education Scholarship. The scholarship was named in memory of Molly Mae, daughter of Texas Children’s employees Jill and Andy LeBlanc, who passed away at Texas Children’s on May 6, 2017. The purpose of the scholarship is to perpetuate Molly Mae’s memory and recognize nursing staff members for going above and beyond their required job duties to enhance the quality of life for Texas Children’s patients and their families.

The Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses included Rhonda Bolin from the Spina Bifida Clinic and Allison Carter from Transition Medicine who were among the top 15 award recipients. Click here for more on the Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses honorees.

In addition to the two nurses honored in the top 15, 23 Texas Children’s nurses were recognized as being among the top 150 in the Greater Houston area.

Max Abogador (Progressive Care Unit)
Heidi Aghajani (Bone Marrow Transplant Unit)
Sandy Alfaro (14 West Tower)
Lauren Altendorf (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit)
Cynthia Baker (Texas Children’s Health Plan: The Center for Children and Women)
Elizabeth Bernard (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 2)
Jennifer Dalton (Community Clinics)
Lisa Davenport (The Woodlands – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)
Casey Fontenot (Hayslett) (DSRIP – Pulmonary)
Stacey Foshee (Cardiovasvular Intensive Care Unit)
Stephanie Gonzales-Hughes (Labor and Delivery)
Lauren Harsany-Salinas (Cardiovasvular Intensive Care Unit)
Judy Holloway (West Campus – Nursing Operations Leadership)
Lastenia Holton (Cancer Center and Hematology Center – Outpatient)
Jennifer Hopkins (15 West Tower)
Rachel Leva (Newborn Center)
Winsyl Montojo (Operating Rooms)
Sharon Moreau (Progressive Care Unit)
Lisa Pali (The Woodlands – Multispecialty)
Melissa Silvera (Nursing Operations)
Lynda Tyer-Viola (Nursing Executive)
Emily Weber (Nursing Administration)
Rhonda Wolfe (14 West Tower)

Congratulations to our Texas Children’s nurses for their commitment to our patients and families.

On April 20, The Woodlands Recognition and Rewards Committee proudly presented the second-quarter Shining Star award to Esmeralda Miranda and Dr. Ammar Yamani.

The employee-recognition award was launched after the opening of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands in April 2017 and honors those who go above and beyond to provide exceptional care to our patients, families and staff in The Woodlands.

Miranda, department secretary with Facilities Operations, was nominated by her co-workers and described as “promoting all of the core values day after day not only in her work but in all her interactions with patients, visitors, and fellow Texas Children’s Hospital workers.

“Her willingness to assist by adapting to different roles at Texas Children’s proves the type of character she is,” her co-workers said. “We need and value individuals like her who set those core examples without even knowing how much positive influence that are promoting within our Texas Children’s foundation.”

Yamani, an anesthesiologist in The Woodlands, was nominated for his holistic approach to patient care and was described as “someone who surpasses his duties as an anesthesiologist and consistently creates an environment of comfort, support, and safety for outpatients and families. He also is a joy to work and collaborate with on our multidisciplinary team in surgery.”

A huge congratulations and thank you to Miranda and Yamani for being the Shining Star and going above and beyond for our patients, families and co-workers.

Texas Children’s Hospital is proud to announce Dr. Edward Buchanan as chief of plastic surgery effective May 9.

Buchanan, who specializes in pediatric plastic surgery and craniofacial surgery, joined Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine in 2011. Throughout his tenure, he has served in numerous leadership roles and has been integral in many complex cases, including the successful separation of two sets of conjoined twins.

“I am honored to be named to this esteemed leadership position,” said Buchanan. “Our team is committed to helping our patients function at the highest level so they feel and look their best. I am excited to continue to expand our world-class multidisciplinary programs as well as our surgical research and innovation.”

Buchanan earned his medical degree from The Medical University of South Carolina and completed his residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. He also completed a fellowship in craniofacial/pediatric plastic surgery at Seattle Children’s Hospital/Harborview Medical Center. His areas of interest include pediatric craniofacial surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, facial trauma, maxillary and mandibular distraction, and pediatric oncologic reconstruction.

To learn more visit texaschildrens.org/plasticsurgery.

The Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) recently gave two Texas Children’s trainees national research awards for their outstanding research on kidney disease at this year’s annual Pediatric Academic Societies’ SPR meeting.

Joseph Alge, a medical resident in the Pediatrician-Scientist Training & Development Program (PSTDP) at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), received the SPR House Officer Research Award, and Rachel Shenoi, a junior at The University of Houston and participant in the 2017 SMART program at BCM, received the SPR Student Research Award. The SPR annually honors students engaged in pediatric research to encourage pediatricians in training to pursue careers in academic pediatrics.

According to Dr. Michael Braun, Texas Children’s Hospital physician, these accomplishments are worth celebrating because it is rare for an institution to receive one award, let alone two awards in the same research area.

“It’s very exciting,” said Braun. “These awards are not only a recognition of the quality of the science being done, but also the individuals working at Texas Children’s Hospital.”

Dr. Scott Wenderfer, Texas Children’s physician and BCM Assistant Professor, has been Rachel Shenoi’s mentor throughout her research process.

“Rachel is exactly the type of person we want to be bringing into Texas Children’s Hospital and into Pediatric Nephrology,” said Wenderfer. “Investments in ambitious and talented undergraduates will provide exposure to the unmet needs and growing opportunities for Pediatric Research. Her success has been a pleasure to witness as a mentor.”

SPR’s mission is to create a network of multidisciplinary researchers that can connect and collaborate all while working to improve child health.

May 1, 2018

On April 29, Dr. Lisa M. Hollier became the 69th president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) during the Presidential Inauguration and Convocation ceremony.

Hollier is a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, serves as chief medical officer of obstetrics and gynecology for Texas Children’s Health Plan and is the medical director of obstetrics and gynecology for The Health Plan’s Centers for Children and Women.

Hollier has held many roles in ACOG over her career. She was assistant secretary of ACOG and served on many college committees and Presidential Task Forces and work groups. She chaired the Committee on Professional Liability, the Committee on Credentials and the Work Group on Women’s Health Care Team Leadership. Additionally, she served as the ACOG representative to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine board of directors for five years. Currently, she is chair of the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force.

Past president of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and past chair of District XI of ACOG, Hollier has throughout her career been dedicated to caring for the underserved and improving women’s health by advancing women’s health policy.

She earned her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and her master’s in Public Health from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. She completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, followed by subspecialty fellowship training in maternal-fetal medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

Texas Children’s congratulates Hollier on this well deserved recognition and honor.

Click here to read the text of Hollier’s speech.