September 30, 2014

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The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) at Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine welcomed two new faculty members, Dr. Akash Patel and Dr. Mingshan Xue.

“I am thrilled to have Dr. Patel and Dr. Xue launch their independent research careers at the NRI,” said Dr. Huda Zoghbi, founding director of the NRI. “Dr. Xue has a stellar track record and is one of the most innovative scientists that I know. Dr. Patel is one of those rare neurosurgeons who chooses to do basic research while maintaining an active neurological practice.”

Akash Patel and Mingshan Xue launch their research careers at the NRI.

Dr. Akash Patel
Patel, an assistant professor in the department of Neurosurgery at Baylor and the NRI, is a neurosurgeon who specializes in the treatment of malignant and benign tumors of the brain and skull base. His clinical interests include neuroendoscopy and minimally invasive neurosurgery, awake craniotomy and brain mapping for tumors in eloquent regions of the brain, and surgery for deep brain tumors: intraventricular, pineal, insular and brainstem.

Patel is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He earned an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Rice University. While earning his medical degree at Baylor, Patel explored his interest in genetics and basic research by working in the laboratory of Zoghbi. He continued to work under Zoghbi’s mentorship as he completed his residency in neurosurgery at Baylor and MD Anderson, and developed a passion for research.

Patel’s research focuses on determining the molecular underpinnings of inherited and sporadic forms of various brain tumors, including gliomas, meningiomas, and acoustic neuromas. He is particularly interested in studying tumors that are part of inherited tumor syndromes as a means to gain insight into more common, sporadic forms of these tumors. His ultimate goal is to help translate these findings into targeted therapies to treat common and aggressive cases.

Dr. Mingshan Xue
Xue is an assistant professor in the department of Neuroscience at Baylor. He is also a member of the Cain Foundation Laboratories and the NRI.

Xue earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. He obtained his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Baylor and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of California in San Diego.

Xue’s research explores the communication mechanisms of cortical circuits in the brain that control motor, sensory and cognitive functions, and how dysfunction and abnormal neural circuit development can contribute to the pathogenesis of neurological disorders such as autism and childhood epilepsy. Xue’s primary goal is to translate these findings into new therapeutic interventions to treat developmental disorders.

Xue is eager to begin his contribution to the NRI, saying, “The NRI offers an exciting opportunity to collaborate with world-class researchers from diverse backgrounds to improve the quality of life for patients with devastating neurological disorders.”

The NRI at Texas Children’s and Baylor is a basic research institute committed to understanding the pathogenesis of neurological diseases with the ultimate goal of developing treatments to improve the quality of life for patients.

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Tens of thousands of people die each year from the flu. Although anyone can be affected, the elderly and young children – like the ones treated at Texas Children’s – are most susceptible to the illness.

Each year, an average of 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized because of influenza complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last flu season, more than 100 flu-related pediatric deaths were reported.

The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year. Many Texas Children’s patients, however, are too sick to receive the vaccination, which makes protecting yourself even more vital.

“We would never want to expose anyone to the flu,” Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Lori Armstrong said. “We have a responsibility to keep every patient healthy.”

About 4,000 Texas Children’s employees already have taken one for the team and gotten their flu vaccine. Now it’s your turn to do what’s right for you and your patients.

Employee Health is administering free seasonal influenza vaccinations to all Texas Children’s employees, Baylor College of Medicine employees working in Texas Children’s facilities, Texas Children’s medical staff and volunteers. Leaders from Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Health Centers and The Center for Women and Children will inform their staff about seasonal flu vaccination details.

Click here to view vaccination schedules for both Main and West Campuses. Employee Health strongly encourages you to get your vaccine at one of the times listed on the schedule. If you are unable to do so, please schedule an appointment to get the flu vaccine at the Employee Health Clinic after Wednesday, October 1.

And, remember, getting an annual flu shot is part of Texas Children’s P3 incentive plan, which is an important component of the total rewards you receive at Texas Children’s Hospital. As part of P3 , we are striving for at least 90 percent of our staff to get vaccinated by Monday, December 1. As of September 30, we were less than half way there.

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“Today was a banner day at Texas Children’s,” said Chief Quality Officer Dr. Angelo Giardino. “We have figured something out.”

Giardino, who attended the debrief of a two-day nursing care delivery summit, said he was hopeful for what the future of nursing at Texas Children’s has in store. The two-day summit brought together more than 60 frontline nurses, nursing leaders, representatives from human resources and leaders from across the organization. The frontline staff made a huge impact on the summit by bringing their ideas from the bedside to the leaders and investing in the re-design. The intent of gathering this particular group was to generate ideas, share concerns and form suggestions about the way nursing care is delivered by our 2,500 nurses.

“We felt the support of our leadership and other disciplines,” said Clinical Specialist Joellan Mullen. “They recognized the importance of the role of the nurse in patient care and quality outcomes.”

The strategy was to form groups that would then visit an area of the hospital unfamiliar to them. The groups each captured a day in the life of a nurse in order to determine the best strategy to improve the role of the nurses in that unit. By identifying challenges, they were able to understand what stands in the way of delivering the best possible care. Challenges included the need for better collaboration between the physicians and nurses during rounds, cluttered work spaces, a lack of standardization in pods, struggles with translation services, juggling the many duties of a nurse and role confusion.

“What I need from each of you is to be patient and hopeful,” said Chief Nursing Officer Lori Armstrong who listened to all of the reports.

It was a chance for not only Armstrong, but other leaders, including representatives from Human Resource,s to hear the needs of this dynamic group of employees at Texas Children’s and how their work can greatly impact patient outcomes. The three main overarching goals that were determined as a result of the summit are:

  1. Bring the RN closer to the bedside
  2. Ensure that the right discipline has the right responsibilities
  3. Ensure that there are no gaps in supplies, equipment or services needed to deliver care

“The Summit reinforced Texas Children’s commitment to empower the nursing staff to advocate for safe care for ALL patients by focusing on the right task done at the right time, by the right person,” said Patient Care Manager Tina Babb. “The Summit showed that Texas Children’s is committed to the future of nursing, health care, and our patients.”

As a result of the summit, an executive summary has been developed, a governance structure has been established with an executive steering committee, project steering team and work teams. The committee will begin meeting this fall and teams will kick off their work in January.

“What we learned from the summit was what action needs to be taken immediately to help our nurses deliver the best possible care to every patient,” Armstrong said.

Patients walked the hallways of the Texas Children’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit for the annual “Be The Match” walk, which raises awareness for the global bone marrow registry.

View our gallery:

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By Dr. Carol Baker, vaccine and pediatric infectious disease specialist

As we prepare for cold and influenza (flu) season, which typically begins in late November or early December, getting a flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones. But what if you are pregnant? Should you still get vaccinated?

The answer is simple: YES. Pregnant women should get vaccinated against the flu.

Pregnant women, especially in the second and third trimester, are more likely to have complications from flu, rarely even death. In fact, the flu can lead to serious problems for an unborn baby, including premature labor and delivery. Getting vaccinated protects against these bad outcomes and also protects the baby against flu until the baby first can be vaccinated at age six months.

The best way to protect yourself and your unborn child from influenza is to get vaccinated. And it’s important to remember that pregnant women should only get the flu shot, not the nasal spray, known as FluMist. (FluMist contains live virus and should not be given to pregnant women because it may not be safe.) The flu shot is available at most doctors’ offices and all local pharmacies.

It takes up to two weeks for inactivated influenza vaccine to become fully effective. So the best time to get this vaccine is as soon as it is available. Even a late vaccination can be beneficial because the flu season can last through March and April.

According the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccination helps protect women during pregnancy and their babies for up to six months after they are born. One study showed that giving flu vaccine to pregnant women was 92 percent effective in preventing hospitalization of infants for flu.

As a pediatric infectious disease specialist and executive director of the Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research at Texas Children’s Hospital, I am dedicated to finding the best ways to stop children and their parents from getting preventable diseases. I know the dangers the flu can pose to pregnant women and their unborn children. So I urge you to disregard the myths and misperceptions that often circulate about the flu vaccine. The flu shot cannot cause a person to develop influenza because the virus in the vaccine has been killed.

During the 2013-14 flu season, about half of pregnant women protected themselves and their babies from flu by getting a flu shot. This is a significant progress. But almost half of pregnant women and their babies still remain unprotected from influenza. As I noted above, the flu shot is the single best way protect yourself and your family from the flu. Make sure to protect yourself and your baby – get vaccinated.

This website will help you find a location near you where you can get vaccinated. For more information about pregnant women and the flu, visit the CDC or download the PDF below by visiting here.

September 24, 2014

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News of Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases have increased in the media in recent weeks, just of many of us are bracing for the onset of cold and flu season. Texas Children’s leaders encourage staff and employees to arm themselves with the facts about EV-D68.

The issue isn’t the actual virus, rather it’s the severity of the person’s illness who may have it. Patients with underlying pulmonary disease are at increased risk of significant illness from EV-D68, said Dr. Jeffery Starke, Texas Children’s director of Infection Control. However, most children infected with the virus only have mild illness that is indistinguishable from other respiratory infections.

“It is not necessary to take children to the emergency room or rush to the pediatrician’s office,” Starke said. “Only children with significant symptoms need to seek care.”

Significant symptoms include intense wheezing, difficulty breathing or uncontrollable coughing.

Here are the other things you need to know about the rare respiratory illness that has cropped up this year in several states across the country:

What is the current situation?
For the first time since 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed several cases of EV-D68. So far this year, 160 people in 22 states have tested positive for the virus. No deaths attributed to the infection have been documented.

What is EV-D68?
EV-D68 is a rare form of enterovirus that affects the respiratory system. First identified in California in 1962, EV-D68 was rarely seen until 2009, when there were outbreaks in Japan, the Philippines and the Netherlands. Small clusters of cases were identified in the United States around the same time.

Who is at risk?
Infants, children and teenagers are most likely to get infected and become ill since they don’t have an immunity from previous exposures to enteroviruses. The most severe cases tend to involve children with asthma and other preexisting respiratory problems.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of EV-D68 are usually mild, barely distinguishable from a common cold. However, a small percentage of children develop intense wheezing, difficulty breathing or uncontrollable coughing.

Are there any treatments?
There is no vaccine to prevent EV-D68 and no drug to attack it. Parents can treat the pain and achiness with over-the-counter medications, and for more serious cases doctors have used albuterol and supplemental oxygen.

How is EV-D68 transmitted?
Like most other respiratory viruses, EV-D68 is transmitted through an infected person’s saliva, nasal mucus or sputum.

How can I avoid getting the virus?
You should:

  • Wash your hands often
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces

Is there anything else I should do?
Get your flu vaccine. Although it won’t help ward off EV-D68, it will help medical staff diagnose you if you get a severe respiratory infection.

For more information
For more information about EV-D68, click here. To find out how to get your flu vaccine, click here.

September 23, 2014

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Flu season is right around the corner and leaders at Texas Children’s want you to protect yourself and your patients by getting a seasonal influenza vaccine.

Throughout this year’s flu season, you will hear from leaders across the organization about why you should get vaccinated and how you can encourage your co-workers to do the same. Texas Children’s CEO and President Mark A. Wallace delivers the first message of this year’s flu campaign here:

Quick, Easy, Free

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts this year’s flu season will begin in October but recommends people get vaccinated now to ensure they are protected, explaining it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop and provide protection against the illness.

Texas Children’s is making that task quick, easy and free for all of its employees. Starting from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23, on The Auxiliary Bridge and from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. at West Campus’ lobby, Employee Health is administering free seasonal influenza vaccinations to Texas Children’s employees, Baylor College of Medicine employees working in Texas Children’s facilities, Texas Children’s medical staff and volunteers. Leaders from Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Health Centers and The Center for Women and Children will inform their staff about seasonal flu vaccination details.

Click here to view future vaccination schedules for both Main and West Campuses. Employee Health strongly encourages you to get your vaccine at one of the times listed on the schedule. If you are unable to do so, please schedule an appointment to get the flu vaccine at the Employee Health Clinic after Wednesday, October 1.

P3 Incentive Plan

In addition to helping you stay healthy, getting an annual flu shot is part of Texas Children’s P3 incentive plan, which is an important component of the total rewards you receive at Texas Children’s Hospital. Employees working in other parts of Texas Children’s have their own incentive plans, all of which encourage workers to get a flu vaccine.

As part of P3, we are striving for at least 90 percent of our staff to get vaccinated. We were successful in achieving that goal last year, and organization leaders are confident that with YOUR support we’ll reach our goal again this year.

“Getting your flu vaccine is a big part of our compensation program, but most importantly, it’s about quality, service and safety for all of our patients, families and for you,” Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace said. “I’m going to get the flu vaccine and I want you to be right behind me.”

Additional information regarding Texas Children’s influenza vaccination policy can be found here. As a reminder, staff should be in compliance by Monday, December 1.