March 4, 2014

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There are always people who stand out. Who go the extra mile even without being asked. Who stay late to comfort a patient family. Who have a passion for the mission and give their all to ever part of their job. Texas Children’s is full of these employees. That’s what makes us such a special place to work and the best place to receive care.

West Campus leadership is looking for those people amongst us. They’re developing a plan to recognize and honor those individuals who excel in exhibiting the characteristics outlined in the Texas Children’s Hospital Guiding Principles, demonstrate excellent customer service attributes, and deliver the finest possible work to our patients and their families.

As West Campus continues to grow, it is very important to recognize employees who work diligently each day to provide that WOW! customer service experience, treats everyone they meet with courtesy and respect, and always exhibits trustworthiness in all aspects of their job.

This new award will be named “Best of the West” and will be presented quarterly to a deserving West Campus employee, contractor or provider.

Read the criteria and fill out the nomination form now!

You may fill out the electronic form online and submit it, or you may place paper nominations in one of five (5) ballot boxes located around the campus. Ballot boxes are located in the Human Resources suite, within the third-floor Chapel lobby area, outside the entrance to DOTS Kitchen, within the Main Lobby, and in the second-floor corridor nearest the Emergency Center entry area.

Recipients of the “Best of the West” award will receive:

1. Use of specialized parking spot for the quarter
2. A paver stone with their name inscribed on it installed on the West Campus grounds
3. Their picture and biography on the monitor mounted outside of the Conference Center leading to DOTS Kitchen, and
4. Coupons for a free meal at DOTS Kitchen and a free drink from The Coffee Spot.

This is an opportunity to recognize the dedication of the entire team that is making Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus the very “Best of the West!”

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An article in the March 3 edition of Time magazine titled “Young Kids, Old Bodies,” raises the issue of obese children aging too quickly, and the dramatic health decline some are seeing as a result.

Dr. Siripoom McKay, a professor of pediatric endocrinology at Texas Children’s, and Dr. Sanjiv Harpavat, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Texas Children’s, were both quoted in the article, after noting the many health issues plaguing (and aging) this generation’s obese children.

“I am thinking that we will have people in their 30s, 40s and 50s who should be at their most productive,” said McKay, “who will be on dialysis or have had several heart attacks.”

Researchers are starting to see signs of accelerated cellular aging at the molecular level in obese children. The extra pounds on children can affect the body in multiple ways, including early signs of puberty, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver and cirrhosis.

In order to combat the problems, many doctors are prescribing medications that were originally only intended for adults (typically over the age of 40). Unfortunately, these drugs can present side effects in children such as stomach pains, muscle weakness and fatigue. But without the medication, some children may face worse alternatives such as heart attacks or liver transplants.

Hoping to stop (or at least slow down) one obese patient’s liver decline, Dr. Harpavat has plans to put the boy on a drug trial that’s testing whether cystamine can improve the symptoms of fatty liver. If it works, the patient may be saved from an early downward spiral in his health.

Top gastroenterologists, endocrinologists and other specialists at Texas Children’s are constantly researching improved ways to treat symptoms of child obesity and fight the signs of premature aging in this generation’s obese boys and girls. But for now, beyond medications, lifestyle strategies like a healthier diet and more exercise are still among the best ways to improve health in obese children.

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When my husband Matt and I found out we were pregnant with our daughter Finnley, we both knew we wanted to use a midwife instead of an OB. A midwife is different than an OB in the sense that they usually have a more natural/holistic approach to care. While they are trained to deliver babies, they usually care for women with a normal, non high risk pregnancy. For example, instead of going to drugs to help progress labor, they are more likely to suggest things like walking, using a yoga ball, and changing position. An OB may start with Pitocin, or have a more technical approach to care. Midwives are just as capable to assess a pregnant woman, diagnose problems, and remedy them as needed, but will transfer care to an OB if the patient becomes high risk. We chose a midwife because I knew that I wanted to have a natural delivery without any medications and I wanted our baby to come when she wanted to, without anything speeding her along. My husband and I believed that with a midwife, the birth that we wanted was more likely to happen.

After doing tons of research we decided to use the midwife group from the Women’s Specialists of Houston. Luckily for us, they are housed here at the Pavilion! The group consists of six Certified Nurse Midwives, meaning they are Advanced Practice Nurses that are certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. Not only has the group been around since 1994, they work in collaboration with the physicians in the practice, just in case you need a higher level of care. The midwives are on-call 24/7, just like the doctors, and do all prenatal visits themselves (they also provide well-woman, family planning and post-partum care).

One of my favorite things about the midwife group was that at each visit you see a different midwife. This was especially important to me and my husband because there was no way to know who would be on-call when we went into labor. I couldn’t fathom getting to the hospital and finding out the doctor on-call was someone I had never met. Because of this practice, I knew each midwife personally, formed a relationship with and trusted each one. I knew that whoever was on-call would be someone that had been a part of my care from the very beginning and I trusted my life and most importantly, my child’s life in their hands.

There are a few questions I get asked all the time by people that aren’t familiar, or even know you have a choice, when using a midwife.

  • Don’t all midwives do home births?

No, some midwives work in hospitals and birthing centers, there are some that only do home births though, if that’s what you’re interested in!

  • What if you had to have a C-Section?

Thankfully I didn’t, but if there was an emergency that could only be handled by an OB, there is always an on-call physician present in the Pavilion in the event a problem arises that isn’t under the scope of practice of the midwife.

  • Does having a midwife mean you can’t get any pain medication?

No! I chose to go the drug-free route and was so proud of myself for having a pain medication free childbirth. But, having a midwife doesn’t mean you have to do that. You can still get an epidural, or the pain medication of choice. Having a midwife doesn’t prevent you from having the birth you have planned. They are there to help, support and give you what you need on one of the most exciting days of your life!

If you are considering using a midwife in the future, I would suggest sitting down with your partner and discussing what sort of childbirth you imagine and ask yourself some questions. Do you want to attempt a drug free birth? Do you imagine yourself trying alternative methods for pain management such as being in the bath or shower, massage, aromatherapy oils and changing position? Do you want to have some freedom in your labor by having the option of moving around? Or, would not having an OB cause you anxiety? Feeling comfortable and confident in your decision is extremely important, so take your time, do your research and follow your gut!

Using the Midwife Group at the Women’s Specialists of Houston was one of the best decisions I made during my pregnancy (besides having a Doula, but that is another story for another time).

Now that Matt and I are expecting baby Curie #2 (SURPRISE!), I am so excited to be using the midwives again. I know we will get the time and care that we need to grow and thrive. I am so thankful for what they do every day and thankful that Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women gives those like me the opportunity to have the pregnancy and birth that we want, even if it is a little unconventional.

Read Bump Watch next week to see one mother’s experience through a videotaped midwife delivery.

The Virani family is donating $2 million to Texas Children’s Cancer Center to establish and support research efforts at the Faris D. Virani Ewing’s Sarcoma Research Center, located on the 10th floor of Texas Children’s Hospital’s Feigin Center. The gift honors their 8 year old son Faris Virani’s battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in the bone or soft tissue. Diagnosed in January 2013, Faris is still in treatment but does not have any active disease.

The research efforts will aim to develop better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and for a cure to become a reality for children with Ewing’s sarcoma. At a ceremony celebrating the new center, Faris presented pediatric oncologist, Dr. Jason Yustein, with a piggy bank containing the first gift towards the new research center.

Ewing’s sarcoma is the second most common bone tumor in childhood and one of the most prevalent pediatric tumors. Over the past 30-40 years because of the lack of understanding of the biology of Ewing’s sarcoma, only marginal advancements have been made in the care and management of patients with this disease. In order to develop better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and a cure for Ewing’s sarcoma, more research need to be conducted so that efforts can be focused on improving treatment approaches.

Unfortunately, many patients with Ewing’s sarcoma experience metastatic disease that spreads to multiple sites in their body and a significant portion of patients that do respond to therapy eventually relapse. In the last 15 years, only one new chemotherapeutic agent has been introduced to the treatment regimen for patients with this disease and currently treatments are extremely intensive and may have both short and long term effects that can negatively impact lifestyle and quality of life for these patients.