The Auxiliary Gift Shop recently opened its new location on the first floor of the Pavilion for Women.
The gift shop replaces the Pavilion Express gift shop near the Fresh Bistro and is conveniently located for patients, families, employees and volunteers just off the main lobby of the Pavilion for Women.
The shop features a variety of gifts, fresh flowers, candy, snacks and drinks. Its hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Texas 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 several 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.
Radio Lollipop is searching for volunteers who can bring energizing music to patient rooms through the volunteer-run radio station at Texas Children’s Hospital Main Campus.
Radio Lollipop broadcasts to all patient rooms from the Kids’ Own Studio located on the 16th floor of West Tower. Children can phone in song requests, sing along to the songs on the radio, tell jokes and serve as a guest DJ every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For children who are not able to make it to the studio, volunteers visit them in their rooms where they do crafts, play games and participate in call-in contests to win prizes. Volunteers deliver prizes to the winning patients on their floors as well as patients who need an extra pick me up to brighten their evening.
“We depend entirely on our volunteers to keep our radio station up and running,” said Texas Children’s Child Life Activity Coordinator Leslie White. “In the past month, we had to cancel our Radio Lollipop services three times due to not having enough volunteers which means we missed out on visiting more than 500 patients. We hope to get an adequate amount of volunteers this year so we can continue providing this amazing program to our patients and families.”
As a completely volunteer-run program, Radio Lollipop is always looking for energetic, committed and dedicated volunteers who want to add fun to the lives of our patients while making their hospital stay more enjoyable and less frightening.
Radio Lollipop volunteers must be 18 years or older (no high school students) and commit to Radio Lollipop for at least six months. Orientation is offered to new volunteers and individuals are welcome to shadow Radio Lollipop volunteers to watch the radio program in action before making a commitment to volunteer.
No radio experience is necessary. If you have what it takes to be one of the few, the proud, the silly, click here to access the online application form. Be sure to indicate that you want to volunteer for Radio Lollipop under the “Please provide any additional information about yourself,” portion of the application form.
For more information about Radio Lollipop including a virtual tour of the studio, click here.
Mother Teresa once said that no one should die alone and that everyone should die with the sight of a loving face. Spiritual Care is making Mother Teresa’s words a reality at all Texas Children’s Hospital campuses, where unfortunately some of our patients don’t survive.
Most of those patients have loving family members or friends who are by their sides when it’s time for them to go but there are circumstances that don’t make that possible for everyone. For example, the family of a child who is rushed to our hospital for state-of-the-art care can’t make the trip or the mother of a newborn who remains inpatient far away and is the baby’s only family.
For patients such as these, it has typically been the care team’s responsibility to be there for the patient when they pass. The team’s other duties, however, don’t always make that possible. That’s why Spiritual Care has adopted the national, volunteer-centered program “No One Dies Alone,” which provides dying patients without family or friends available with a compassionate individual sitting with them at the time of death.
At Texas Children’s Hospital, that compassionate individual, called a compassionate companion, is an employee who has volunteered to be part of the “No One Dies Alone” program and who has gone through a two-hour training session that addresses the logistical and emotional aspects of being a compassionate companion.
When called to task, the volunteer’s expectation is simple: Quiet reading, perhaps holding a small patient or the hand of an older one. Being there is most important. The volunteer is invited to write in a journal about what happened during their shift. The journal will be given to surviving family or friends.
“The goal of the ‘No One Dies Alone’ program is death with dignity,” said Interim Social Work Manager Ellie Wallace. “Through this program, we can provide companionship to patients in the dying process who are truly alone, and in so doing, provide a gift of respect and dignity to another human being at the end of life.”
Spiritual Care is looking for people who are interested in becoming a “No One Dies Alone” volunteer. Below is some more information about the program and what your responsibilities would be as a volunteer. To sign up or for more information, please call Ext. 4-7223 or visit Spiritual Care’s website.
What is NODA?
“No One Dies Alone” is a national volunteer-centered program that was started at PeaceHealth in Eugene, Oregon in 2001 that has since been adopted for use at Texas Children’s Hospital. Its goal is to provide companionship and support for dying individuals so that no patient dies alone. To accomplish this, compassionate companions are notified by a volunteer phone coordinator to keep vigil. Compassionate companions will rotate through three-hour shifts until the patient passes. During the shifts, the compassionate companions can talk to the patient, hold hands or just be a comforting presence in the room. “No One Dies Alone” began at Texas Children’s Hospital because we believe that every person has worth. Dying is a time to remind individuals of their value to society. Compassionate companions do that as well as ensure that individuals are remembered.
Who can volunteer for NODA?
Any employee at Texas Children’s Hospital can volunteer. This can include students who are present at Texas Children’s Hospital for clinical training or administrative training.
What training is required to be a NODA volunteer?
We require a two-hour training session before you can become a “No One Dies Alone” volunteer. It will help address the logistical and emotional aspects of being a compassionate companion. Volunteer training sessions are held once a month.
How long would I need to commit for a vigil?
You are not expected to stay any longer than your three-hour vigil shift.
Do volunteers come in during all hours of the night?
Yes, the “No One Dies Alone” program is designed to provide the dying patient with continuous company until he or she passes. Volunteers will be scheduled for three-hour shifts until the patient passes.
I’m not religious. Can I still volunteer?
Yes, religious behavior is to only be initiated by the dying patient or family member and not by the companion. At the patient’s request or family members, you can find religious implements and sacred texts in the supply bag along with contact information for the chaplain. Regardless of your religion/non-religion, it should be noted that religious tolerance on both the part of the patient and compassionate companion is expected.
How will I be notified that a vigil is taking place?
Compassionate companions are asked to volunteer to be on call for three-hour blocks. If the program coordinator activates a “No One Dies Alone” vigil, the program coordinator will send an e-blast and begin calling the volunteers who expressed their availability for a vigil.
When are vigils activated?
Being a compassionate companion has been a very emotional experience. How do other people process and deal with it?
As a “No One Dies Alone” volunteer, you are privy to one of the most personal aspects of an individual’s life. We understand the significance of what you are experiencing and know the importance of connecting with other compassionate companions to discuss your experiences. Lunch meetings are held once per quarter to get feedback from volunteers. Another suggestion is that you find a way to record your experiences, whether it is painting, poetry or journaling.
This summer, the city of Houston is honored to host the 2014 Transplant Games of America. Running from Friday, July 11, to Tuesday, July 15, this biannual, Olympic-style event celebrates patient and family athletes who have been touched by the life-saving gift of organ transplantation. Participants from all over the country will journey to Houston to compete in a variety of sporting events from track and field to swimming, among many other events.
As a major sponsor of this event, Texas Children’s Hospital would like to extend the opportunity to its employees to volunteer. Anyone interested should register through the Transplant Games of America website. All times are tentative and are subject to change.
Visit http://www.teamtexastransplant.com/ for more information about the Transplant Games of America.