June 9, 2015

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Texas Children’s Pediatric Anesthesiologist and Baylor College of Medicine Associate Professor Dr. Olutoyin Olutoye recently received the college’s Rising Star Clinician award.

The award recognizes assistant and associate professors with at least five years of clinical service who have shown exemplary qualities of clinical excellence and expertise, consistent high level of patient care, professionalism, commendable leadership skills, and continuous service to our community.

Established by Baylor President, CEO and Executive Dean Dr. Paul Klotman, the award was presented to Olutoye at a May 14 ceremony.

“These awards are important to me personally, and they are also important to Baylor College of Medicine,” Klotman said. “At the end of the day, how we take care of patients is what differentiates us from others.”

Texas Children’s Anesthesiologist-in-Chief Dr. Dean Andropoulos said Olutoye is well deserving of the Rising Star Award seeing that she is an international authority on maternal-fetal anesthesia, and is our Texas Children’s leader of that service.

“She is widely recognized for her clinical excellence, leadership skills, compassion and bedside manner for these complicated patients,” Andropoulos said. “She also is the pediatric anesthesiology liaison to the Texas Children’s Hospital Global Surgery Service, and is a recognized authority in anesthesia service and education to developing countries.”

Olutoye, who directs Texas Children’s Hospital’s Fetal Anesthesiology Services, earned her medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University Medical School. She completed an internship and two fellowships at the Medical College of Virginia, and a residency program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Olutoye’s interests include the effect of drugs on the fetus and the fetal brain during Maternal-Fetal surgery as well as the effect of pediatric obesity on the efficacy of anesthesia drugs.

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Texas Children’s Mothers’ Milk Bank recently held its second annual appreciation luncheon to honor mothers who have generously donated the lifesaving gift of breast milk. Together, they contributed 444 gallons of breast milk to our Milk Bank, resulting in more than 56,802 feedings in 2014.

This remarkable feat would not have been accomplished without the generous support of our milk donors, many of whom are Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine employees. Mothers of critically ill infants in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Texas Children’s Newborn Center depend on pasteurized donor breast milk to supplement their own milk supply if they are unable to produce enough milk for their baby.

Texas Children’s Chief of Neonatology Dr. Stephen Welty, Neonatal Nutrition Director Dr. Amy Hair and Dr. Jennifer Arnold congratulated our milk donors for their selfless act of kindness at the luncheon, which was funded by Bad Pants, a long-time supporter of our Newborn Center.

“Every ounce of donor breast milk improves outcomes for our NICU babies,” Hair said. “Mothers who donate their excess supply to our milk bank ensure our tiniest, most vulnerable patients receive a constant supply of nourishment and protection to stay healthy.”

Unlike formula, human milk contains antibodies that protect babies against bacterial infections and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening neonatal condition that causes intestinal inflammation. Since the Newborn Center implemented its exclusive human milk feeding protocol in 2009, NEC rates in our NICU have dropped by 77 percent.

This year, the Milk Bank celebrated its fourth year of operation, and is working hard to ensure enough pasteurized donor breast milk is available to feed the more than 2,000 NICU babies treated at the Newborn Center each year.

“Our milk donors are life savers,” Texas Children’s donation coordinator Laurel Laviolette said. “The amount of breast milk collected last year exemplifies our milk donors’ commitment to promoting the health of our NICU patients.”

For more information on how to become a Texas Children’s milk donor, click here.

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Two Texas Children’s pediatric urologists recently were honored and recognized by the Society for Pediatric Urology.

Pediatric Urology Fellow Dr. Jason Au was recently awarded the top prize at the Society for Pediatric Urology / Society of Fetal Urology / American Urological Association Annual Meeting for his case presentation, “Urologic Considerations in the Separation of Conjoint Twins.” Au was recognized for excellence and innovation in case presentation. The national meeting is the largest of its kind in the world providing unparalleled access to groundbreaking research, new guidelines and the latest advances in urologic medicine.

Dr. Chester Koh, director of the Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program at Texas Children’s Hospital, was appointed to serve a three year term on the Society for Pediatric Urology Executive Council. In this capacity, Koh will serve on the governing body of the main professional organization for pediatric urologists that oversees the society’s activities. His term will run from 2015 to 2018. The Society for Pediatric Urology is a non-profit society whose main purpose is to promote pediatric urology, appropriate practice and education, as well as exchanges between practitioners involved in the treatment of genito urinary disorders in children.

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Texas Children’s pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Julie Katkin has been an active, engaged member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for several years.

Katkin has been involved with the AAP Section on Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine (SOPPSM) not only as a member, but also as a past section program chairperson, where she continues to improve the health and quality of care for infants, children and adolescents.

Katkin has been a working member of the SOPPSM Executive Committee for 10 years and is currently in her second term as chairperson for SOPPSM. Katkin also has served on the Project Advisory Committee for the Medical Homes Chapter Champions for Asthma project and currently serves in that capacity for the revamped Medical Homes Chapter Champions for Asthma and Anaphylaxis project.

Contributions from members such as Katkin are critical as the AAP works hard to respond to the needs of subspecialists. If you see Katkin, please shake her hand and ask her how she got involved with AAP. The AAP is very grateful for the hard work she’s done and we hope you’ll join her as Texas Children’s and the AAP work together to help kids. Learn more about TCH Group Members in Action.

Click here to find out how Texas Children’s partnership with the AAP helps physicians advocate for their patients.

June 3, 2015

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Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace is hosting a series of events beginning Friday, June 5, to celebrate our entire Texas Children’s team and what makes this organization so special. The theme is One Mission, One Culture, One Amazing Team. 

The events kick off with four sessions at the Main Campus, followed by two sessions at the West Campus and one at the John P. McGovern (Nabisco) building. Dates and times are below.

One Mission, One Culture, One Amazing Team sessions are for all Texas Children’s employees and physicians. Events are come-and-go and will celebrate our mission and our core values in a fun, festive atmosphere with snacks, drinks, music, and fun activities/giveaways.

Here are the details:

Live Compassionately zoneOMOT map
  • Celebrate our Patient Experience: “Catch” your colleagues caring, pull acts of compassion cards, and win fun giveaways. By Living Compassionately, we make a difference for our patients and their families.
Embrace Freedom zone
  • Let your voice be heard: Mark’s said it before – when you talk, he listens. He and his leadership team want to know what’s on your mind and how you think we can make Texas Children’s even better. Embrace the freedom to share your ideas by writing on our giant brainstorming board.
Amplify Unity zone
  • Take a timeout: Remember recess? You will after just a few minutes of high energy games brought to you by our Employee Health and Wellness team. Come together with your colleagues for some competition and fun as we Amplify Unity through healthy activity.
Lead Tirelessly zone
  • Learn about leadership from the best: As Mark Wallace says, at Texas Children’s, everyone is a leader. To help you on your journey to Lead Tirelessly, Mark is giving everyone a copy of The Magic Book of Maxims, a commemorative children’s book illustrating Mark’s 10 Maxims of Leadership. Make sure you grab a copy.
Photo zone
  • Snap a picture: Who doesn’t love a good selfie? The Photo zone includes a photo booth and a selfie station with fun props, so bring your team spirit and capture it on camera.
Houston Texans tickets
  • Make a touchdown: Who’s ready for some football? You will be if you win two tickets to a Texans game. Make sure you fill out a comment card about why you’re proud to be part of the Texas Children’s team. All team members who complete and turn in a card will qualify for a drawing for a pair of Houston Texans football tickets. We’ve got 25 pairs of tickets to give away.

 

Schedule of event sessions

Friday, June 5

7:30-8:30 am AND 10-11 am

Main Campus – Pavilion 4th floor conference area

 

Monday, June 8

3:30-4:30 pm AND 6-7:30 pm

Main Campus – Pavilion 4th floor conference area

 

Monday, June 22

7:30-8:30 am AND 9:30-10:30 am

West Campus – 1st floor conference area

 

Tuesday, June 30

2-3:30 pm

John P. McGovern Campus (Nabisco Building) – Human Performance Center

 

Parking 

Main Campus 

  • Parking for the Main Campus events will be the same as normal.
  • If you are visiting the Main Campus, park in Garage 19, and an attendant will be at the entrance to let you in.
  • Visitors, please enter Garage 19 on the Colonade Drive side entrance and catch the shuttle on the Meyer Building side.
  • If Garage 19 is your assigned garage, park as normal and ride the same shuttle you normally would.

West Campus 

  • Parking for the West Campus events will be the same as normal.
  • If you are visiting West Campus, feel free to park in the open parking lot.

John P. McGovern Campus (Nabisco Building)

  • Parking for the John P. McGovern event will be the same as normal.
  • If you are visiting John P. McGovern Campus, an attendant will be at the entrance to let you in.
  • Shuttles will transport Revenue Cycle employees to the John P. McGovern Campus. Transportation details will be shared in a separate communication.

Mark Wallace to take One Mission, One Culture, One Amazing Team on tour 

All Texas Children’s staff and employees are welcome to attend any of the hospital-based events listed above. However, beginning in July, Mark will take the fun on the road with stops at Texas Children’s Pediatrics practices, Texas Children’s Health Centers, The Center for Children and Women locations and Texas Children’s Urgent Care sites.

The team tour will continue throughout the fall and winter, until Mark has made it to all locations. He’ll bring books and other treats for every team member. We’ll communicate specific details to the appropriate leaders of the locations as the tour stops are scheduled.

Questions

We look forward to seeing you Friday and Monday at Main Campus and later this month at the other locations. If you have questions, please email us at connectnews@texaschildrens.org.

June 2, 2015

EAP - HERO

EAP---INFO4---300One of the hardest times in Wanda Davis’ life came more than a decade ago when she learned her mother had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

From that moment until her mother’s death 10 years later, Davis, a human resources manager at West Campus, became her mother’s primary care giver. During that time, Davis took her mother to hundreds of doctor appointments, she spent hours coordinating her mother’s medical care, and she tried to come to terms with the fact that her mother, who was suffering from kidney disease, could pass at any time.

All of this took a toll on Davis, who said she began to lose focus at work and struggled to get things done.

“I felt like I was spinning,” she said. “I wasn’t myself.”

Davis’ leader at the time noticed she was going through a tough time and suggested she reach out to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers confidential, professional services to assist employees in solving personal difficulties affecting their personal lives and work.

Davis took her leader’s advice and started weekly counseling sessions that ended up helping her more than she could have ever imagined. After her mother passed in 2009, Davis completed a grief support program offered by EAP.

“I don’t know where I would be today without EAP,” Davis said. “I learned so much from them and still use the techniques they taught me.”

Davis is one of many Texas Children’s employees EAP helps each year. A recent impact study measuring the department’s outcomes shows EAP has a significant impact on workplace performance. Based on four years of self-reported data collected from employees who have used EAP counseling services, the study found:

  • Absenteeism is down by 53 percent
  • Presenteeism is up by 25 percent
  • Life satisfaction is up by 19 percent
  • Work distress is down by 5 percent

“It is clear from the data that the EAP continually provides services that have a positive impact on worker productivity,” said EAP Program Manager Brent LoCaste-Wilken. “Of particular note is the significant influence on absenteeism.”

The 53 percent improvement is 7 percent higher than 20 other EAP providers in medium to large companies. In addition, it translates into an annual savings of more than 18,000 hours and almost $616,000.

Work presenteeism measures whether an employee is working at his or her optimum. Recent research indicates that losses due to poor presenteeism rival that of medical claims. The impact study shows that the EAP improved people’s concentration and productivity by 25 percent.

Life satisfaction is a general measurement of an employee’s general sense of wellbeing. EAP participants reported that they were significantly more satisfied with their life after coming to the EAP than prior to receiving EAP services. This measurement helps to enhance employee appreciation for Texas Children’s and is speculated to positively affect employee longevity and loyalty.

Work distress measures an employee’s feelings of distress about being at work. Although the impact study did not show a huge change, it does indicate that the EAP is making somewhat of an impact in this area.

“We are very pleased with the results of the study,” LoCaste-Wilken said. “We feel it shows our services are valued by our employees and are valuable to the organization as a whole.”

On average, EAP staff spends almost two hours with almost 1,000 clients each year. The EAP helps with problems such as:

  • Family/relationship issues
  • Workplace concerns
  • Alcohol and drug problems
  • Personal and emotional difficulties
  • Health and behavioral issues
  • Critical incident stress
  • Legal and financial referrals

Let the EAP help you carry out Texas Children’s values of embracing freedom, living compassionately, amplifying unity and leading tirelessly. Contact the EAP via Connect or call (832) 824-3327 for more information.

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On Saturday, May 30, more than 350 patient families and neonatal staff packed the Bayou City Event Center. The reunion celebrated former patients who graduated from Texas Children’s Newborn Center in 2014 after spending 21 days or more in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Parents shared stories of hope and triumph with other NICU families, and reconnected with the nurses and doctors who cared for their critically ill babies.

“Many of these families spent weeks or even months with our NICU staff,” said Pattie Bondurant, vice president of nursing at Texas Children’s Newborn Center. “It is very rewarding to see these children healthy and full of energy, especially when these thriving kids were once very sick.”

Highlights from the NICU reunion included opening remarks from Bondurant and Texas Children’s Chief of Neonatology Dr. Stephen Welty, guest speakers Katy Haynes and Desiree Collins-Bradley, and blessings from Texas Children’s chaplains Johnna Faber and Kirsten Springmeyer.

Texas Children’s NICU reunion also offered exciting entertainment for the children including coloring, face painting, inflatable pony races and balloon art.