August 13, 2018

Patients had the time of their lives on August 7 when eight Houston Texans cheerleaders paid them a visit and hosted their third Jr. Cheer Mini Camp at Texas Children’s Hospital’s Medical Center Campus.

After walking through a cheer tunnel with applause from on-looking employees, the event held on the fourth floor of the Pavilion for Women began with a brief introduction to and meet-and-greet with the cheerleaders followed by a small arts and crafts project.

The patients then were divided into groups with the cheerleaders and asked to come up with their own group cheer. After performing the cheer for everyone in the room, the ecstatic children got an opportunity to get each cheerleader’s autograph, along with their own set of pom-poms and a T-shirt. Excitement filled the room as the patients showed spirit for their hometown NFL team.

“This is the best day of my life!” said one of the patients.

Following the autograph and photo session, the cheerleaders visited patients who were unable to leave their hospital rooms. The cheerleaders brought the patients pom-poms and autographed posters.

“It is really important that we provide a normalized environment for the patients and their families,” said Child Life Department Manager Diane Kaulen, who helped organize the event. “The Texans are an integral part of our Houston culture and we want to be able to celebrate along with them for this upcoming football season.”

Texas Children’s teamed up with the Houston Texans four years ago to inspire children to lead healthier, more active lives through camps, programs and events all year long. We are working alongside the Texans through community engagement and education programs to give Houston-area kids the tools necessary to make healthy choices throughout their lives. This week’s Jr. Cheer Mini Camp is just one of many exciting events we’ll take part in throughout the year.

Click here to view the Texans official Cheerleaders hold camp at Texas Children’s video.

July 10, 2018

Texas Children’s teammates scaled monkey bars, slung ropes, hauled sandbags, climbed cargo nets, flipped heavy truck tires and even threw spears at our first obstacle course race boot camp, a free class recently offered by the Well-Being team in partnership with BC Fitness.

The boot camp course was designed to give employees and their families and friends an opportunity to try out the types of exercises included in popular and challenging races like the Spartan and Tough Mudder. After working their way through numerous obstacles while their colleagues amplified unity by cheering them on, boot campers lined up to run a full race.

Stay tuned for more information about your next chance to be part of the class.

For upcoming well-being activities, programs, partnerships and discounts visit the Well-Being page on Connect.

July 3, 2018

At Texas Children’s, we work hard each and every day to provide the best care for our patients and their families. Because we support you and your well-being, we are bringing back the 21-day H2O challenge, a fun and practical well-being challenge to help you consume more water every day.

One simple yet powerful way to enhance your overall health and wellness is to stay hydrated. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends adults take in at least 64 ounces of water per day.

Challenge details

  • The challenge begins on Tuesday, July 10. Click here to register!
  • Participants should consume at least 8 cups or 64 ounces of water every day for 21 days.
  • To kick off the challenge and keep up with their new healthy habit along the way, all Texas Children’s badge holders who register to participate will receive a tracking sheet and Texas Children’s water bottle after registration.
  • Check out this schedule to find out when water bottles will be distributed at your Texas Children’s location.

Challenges are usually more fun and successful with friends, so we encourage you to amplify unity by inviting your co-workers to participate with you! You can also help rock the ripple effect by sharing your water challenge photos on social media using the hashtags #TCHH2OChallenge and #TexasChildrensPeople.

For more information, visit the Well-Being site on Connect.

June 12, 2018

At Texas Children’s, taking care of our patients and their families begins with taking care of ourselves. In 2017, slips, trips and falls were the No. 1 cause of employee injuries across the organization, and Employee Health and Well-Being and Environmental Health and Safety are teaming up to raise awareness about these safety concerns and how they can be avoided.

There were a total of 184 slip, trip, and fall incidents among our employees last year, resulting in 892 days of restricted duty and 353 lost days of work. To address this important matter, Employee Health and Well-Being and Environmental Health want to help employees practice safe and simple behaviors to prevent slips, trips and falls.

WET FLOORS: Slippery floors are the No. 1 cause of slips and falls.

If you spill something or see a spill, please take responsibility by cleaning up the spill and/or reporting it to Facilities Services by calling ext. 4-5000.

Use caution around wet floor signs and encourage others to do the same.

Be especially cautious on rainy days, as water can be tracked into common areas.

STAIRS: While taking the stairs is great for your health and fitness and provides patients and their families’ priority access to the elevators, stairwells can be hazardous if you are not mindful. To prevent stairwell accidents:

  • Take your time when climbing or descending the stairs and never skip a step.
  • Firmly grasp the handrail at all times.
  • Stay focused and put down distractions such as your phone, food or beverages. As a reminder, food and drinks should not be consumed in common areas.

TRIPPING: To avoid tripping, please be mindful of your surroundings. Often the smallest misstep can cause the greatest injury.

Be alert; always watch where you walk. Keep your cell phones down and make eye contact with our patients and families as well as your colleagues.

Wear shoes with good traction.

If you notice a potential hazard, such as an electrical cord or box, please take the initiative to remove it.

Texas Children’s is proud to serve as a member of the Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety Initiative, with over 130 Children’s Hospitals working together to reduce patient and employee harm. Thank you for practicing these safe behaviors and taking responsibility to ensure we create a safe environment for your co-workers, patients and their families.

If you have any questions, please contact the Well-Being team at wellbeing@texaschildrens.org.

May 22, 2018

Here at Texas Children’s, we are a community devoted to caring for our patients and families. In fact, we are often so focused on caring for others that we overlook the importance of caring for ourselves – but taking care of yourself is paramount to living a happy and healthy life. That is why, this summer, we are challenging you to make self-care a priority in your life both at work and home.

To support you on your journey to self-care, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and health coaches will be hosting workshops and activities at no cost for all Texas Children’s badge holders during the summer months. The series will focus on three areas – Eat, Sleep and Play – all thoughtfully created using evidence-based research tools and techniques to promote overall happiness and well-being.

Below are the classes and activities by area:

EAT
Classes:
Become a Mindful Eater
Become a Lunch Prep Expert
Curbing Sugar Cravings

Activities:
Smoothie Demo
Intuitive Eating Demo

SLEEP
Classes:
The Biology of Sleep
Sleep Hygiene
Healthy Benefits of Meditation for Sleep

Activity:
DIY Lavender Pillow Spray

PLAY
Classes:
The Basics and Benefits of Pilates
Laughter Yoga
The Importance of Play
Soul Collage

Activities:
Pet Therapy
Self-Care Bingo
Fitness Walking
Wellness Wednesdays

For a detailed overview of the classes and activities, click here.

“We are so excited to offer the Summer Self-Care Series as participants will learn behavioral strategies and self-care practices to boost well-being in their daily lives,” said Allison Bell, Sr. EAP specialist. “Considering the total number of hours we spend weekly at work, it is just as important for our relationships and our well-being to practice self-care here at work.”

Register Today!
To register for a class, visit HealthStream on Connect and search the class catalog for EAP Self-Care.

Registration is not needed for activities. Classes and activities will be held at Main Campus, West Campus, The Woodlands and Health Plan.

Additional self-care resources such as book suggestions, online resources and podcasts can be found on the EAP page on Connect.

If you have any questions, contact the EAP Team at EAP@texaschildrens.org.

If your little one was born a performer, now is their chance to do it live at NRG Stadium! Texas Children’s Hospital is sponsoring an event that will give participants the opportunity to practice and perform with the Houston Texans cheerleaders on Saturday, August 18, during the pregame ceremonies of the Houston Texans vs San Francisco 49ers game.

There will be a mandatory uniform fitting on Saturday, June 16, at NRG Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. A mandatory rehearsal also will be held Sunday, August 5, at Houston Methodist Training Center where the children will learn their game day performance routine. Check-in begins at 1:30 p.m. and rehearsal will be from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Children ages 7-11 who love to dance and cheer are invited to participate. Registration is $199 per child and includes a Houston Texans Jr. Cheerleaders uniform, poms, Texans hair bow, post-performance dinner, online instructional video, video link to the game day performance and a one-of-a-kind Houston Texans experience!

Texas Children’s teams up with the Houston Texans to inspire children to lead healthier, more active lives through camps, programs and events all year long. We are working alongside the Texans through community engagement and educational programs to emphasize Play 60, the National Football League’s campaign to encourage kids across the country to get off the sidelines and be active for an hour a day or more to help reverse the trend of childhood obesity.

The Houston Texans Jr. Cheer Program is just one of many of the exciting events we’ll take part in throughout the year. Visit texaschildrens.org/texans to read more about Texas Children’s ongoing partnership with the Houston Texans.

Click here to register for and to get more details about the event.

May 15, 2018

On May 6, over 30,000 people from across the Greater Houston community laced up to participate in the 2018 March for Babies walk at the University of Houston, including around 400 Texas Children’s employees, patients and their families who all share the same passion for improving the health of babies.

This year, Texas Children’s contributed $103,000 as a sponsor of the 4.5-mile walk and our employees have personally raised more than $78,000 to date to support the March of Dimes. Baylor College of Medicine, US Anesthesia Partners and Morrison partnered with Texas Children’s and sponsored snacks and dessert, water, t-shirts, a tent and disc jockey.

Several months prior to the March for Babies walk, departments and units from across the organization formed their own teams to help raise money and rally support around this worthy cause. Creative teams across the organization hosted barbecues, designed and sold t-shirts, held bake sales, arranged bike tours and even paid to give their leaders a pie in the face to raise money and awareness. Each of the 30 teams raised an average of $2,600 all of which helped Texas Children’s exceed this year’s fundraising goal of $100,000.

“It was great to see everyone come together and support the March of Dimes’ mission for healthy moms and strong babies,” said Lynda Tyer-Viola, Vice President of Nursing for Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. “Since 1984, Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine have received more than $16 million from the March of Dimes to support research to prevent birth defects and prematurity. Our long-term partnership has helped significantly improve outcomes and quality of life for some of our most fragile babies – giving hope to patients and families when there once was none.”