On his blog, Mark Wallace remembers the significance of August 28, 1963, and reflects on a period of time where national unrest was met with unity. Read more
August 27, 2019
On August 17, more than 500 patients and families traveled from all over the country for the 2019 Texas Children’s Newborn Center family reunion. The Texas-themed event celebrated former patients who graduated from the Newborn Center in 2018 after spending 10 days or more in our neonatal intensive care units at Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Center Campus and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands.
The reunion was held at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women where parents shared stories of hope and triumph with other neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) families and reconnected with the nurses and doctors who delivered life-saving care to their critically ill babies.
During the reunion the families were able to visit with the employees, physicians and other families that they spent so much time with while being cared for in our NICU. On this day, families who unfortunately were unable to take their babies home also were remembered.
In addition to being reunited with Newborn Center Staff, the NICU reunion offered children’s entertainment including a DJ, games, photo booth, face painting, crafts, airbrush tattoos, appearances from Minnie Mouse, SpongeBob Square Pants and Pikachu, and guests enjoyed a good old-fashioned Texas barbecue.
The event was made possible in part by Texas Children’s NFAC Committee and Bad Pants, an organization that has raised more than $6 million over the past 20 years to support the Newborn Center through the annual Bad Pants Open golf tournament.
Mary Torre shares how participating in Nursing Shared Governance councils has helped her make a meaningful impact on patient care, and encourages her colleagues to participate too. By engaging in shared governance, nurses are involved in making decisions that impact their work environment and the way they deliver care. Read more
August 26, 2019
When the results of the 2019 U.S. News & World Report survey of Best Children’s Hospitals poured in on June 18, Nephrology patiently waited to find out if they would again be named among the best in the nation.
For the first time, Texas Children’s is ranked in the top 10 in each of the U.S. News & World Report-recognized pediatric sub-specialties. Nephrology, moved up a spot from last year, ranking No. 2.
“We were all very pleased,” Chief of Renal Services Dr. Michael Braun said. “The entire multidisciplinary team has a tremendous focus on making sure we deliver the best and safest care possible, and so seeing that reflected in our U.S. News & World Report rankings is wonderful.”
The U.S. News rankings uses an approach that analyzes quality of health care and patient outcomes data from thousands of medical institutions across the country. This includes measuring specialized clinics and programs, external accreditations and compliance with best practices. Improved rankings determine a health care organization’s commitment to not only providing high-quality care, but also to identifying gaps where improvements are needed.
“We are excited because it validates what we already know about the program,” Renal Programs Manager Helen Currier said. “Our goals haven’t changed, and we are going to continue to provide outstanding care to patients with kidney disease in a safe and family-centered context.”
Big wins for patients and families
This past year, Nephrology exceeded their yearly goals and executed additional initiatives to increase transparency, reduce risk of infection, and improve the quality of care.
Significant decrease in hemodialysis catheter associated blood stream infections (BSI)
Hemodialysis catheter associated BSIs are complications that can result in hospitalization and possibly death. Minimum standards are set by the federal government, as a result metrics are analyzed monthly to identify improvements at a system level. Minimizing these infections is an example of our commitment to providing the best possible care for our hemodialysis patients.
The Standardized Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric End-stage Renal Disease (SCOPE) collaborative focuses on infections prevention in pediatric peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients using large-scale collaboration to identify and spread effective interventions across pediatric care settings. Adopting and following SCOPE played a large role in this big win as well.
Increased number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) Psychologist/Psychiatrist dedicated to the care of pediatric maintenance dialysis patients in Pediatric Nephrology Program
FTEs are licensed, doctoral psychologists or psychiatrists who work more than 30 hours per week. The burden of illness is the highest among all pediatric chronic illnesses, Texas Children’s Hospital has led the nation as a proponent of integrated mental health support to patients, and families with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
GRAFT Survival rate of 1 year kidney transplant
Graft survival is an estimate of the probability of the transplant functioning at a finite time after transplantation. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, outcomes after pediatric kidney transplantation in the United States have improved over time, independent of changes in recipient, donor, and transplant characteristics.
Not only is the first year that Texas Children’s Hospital leads the nation in the number of pediatric kidney transplants, but we also celebrated the 500th kidney transplant done at Texas Children’s Hospital. This is not only reflected in our U.S. News ranking, but has been a major impact on the well-being of our patients. Texas Children’s transplant team as a whole goes above and beyond to provide high quality care to our patients. Last year, they received a glowing review from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recertification evaluation team. More specifically, the fantastic work that the kidney transplant team has done is reflected in this esteemed honor in the U.S. News & World Report survey.
Improvement in Children under 5 years of age receiving hemodialysis
Dr. Braun attributes this improvement in outcomes in large part to the impressive work of Dr. Michael Belfort and the Fetal Center in developing an outstanding maternal fetal medicine program. Texas Children’s Fetal Center is one of the nation’s leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities in unborn and newborn infants, allowing us the ability to care for a child even before birth which directly impacts their quality of care later in life.
Click here to learn more about our Kidney (Renal) department at Texas Children’s Hospital.
There is a lot of talk these days about immigration into our country and requirements around the process. Recently, new rules went into effect regarding the Public Charge Inadmissibility Law – commonly known as public charge.
So what do the rules mean for Texas Children’s and for us as employees?
First, they mean that many of our patients and their families may start asking more questions or may shy away from our services due to misinformation. Secondly, it means that all employees should understand exactly what public charge means and what to say to the families who may have questions.
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What is a public charge?
“Public charge” or the “public charge test” is used by immigration officials to decide whether a person can enter the United States or get a lawful permanent resident status (green card). In this test, officials assess the likelihood of whether a person will lean heavily on the government for support.
What does the new rule mean?
The United States Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule (a new regulation) for legal immigrants in the United States wishing to enter or remain here.
Based on a number of factors – such as income, employment, personal health, education, skills and family situation – a person may or may not be allowed into the country or allowed to apply for lawful permanent status or a visa. The more public assistance a person has received in the past or the more assistance he or she is likely to receive, the less likely their chances of getting a green card.
Are there any exceptions to the rule?
Yes. Patients with the following situations will not have to undergo the public charge test:
Pregnant women who need public assistance during pregnancy or for 60 days after giving birth
Pregnant women on Medicaid
The following forms of assistance do not count against anyone subjected to the public charge test:
Medicare Part D low-income subsidy
Benefits received by children until the age of 21, including Medicaid and CHIP
Emergency medical assistance
Food pantry assistance
School lunch program participation
Foster care or adoption
When does the new rule start?
Several states have filed lawsuits to stop the law from taking effect. However, the new regulations are scheduled to start October 15, 2019. The new rule will only cover applications filed after mid-October.
What do I tell patients who are in the process of trying to obtain a green card?
Tell them that it is important to speak to a lawyer about their individual case before making any decisions.
What about our financial counselors that help families who are inpatient? Can the Health Plan help them?
Texas Children’s Health Plan is here to guide them and help answer their health coverage questions. If they have any questions about their CHIP or Medicaid coverage, they also can:
Visit the Texas Health and Human Services Commission website at yourtexasbenefits.org
Formerly conjoined twins Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata, who turned 5 on April 11, have started Pre-K 4 in Littlefield, Texas, marking a significant milestone four years after being separated in a more than 20-hour surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Previously, the girls received various therapies, including physical, speech and occupational therapy and schooling in their home. Their mother, Elysse Mata, said the girls love their teachers and especially love recess. They’re also looking forward to taking the bus to school starting next week.
Following a complex pregnancy monitored by experts at Texas Children’s Fetal Center, the twins were safely delivered at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in 2014. After spending the first 10 months of their lives in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, they underwent a successful separation surgery on Feb. 17, 2015. A team of more than 26 clinicians including 12 surgeons, six anesthesiologists and eight surgical nurses, among others, worked together to separate the girls who shared a chest wall, lungs, pericardial sac (the lining of the heart), diaphragm, liver, intestines, colon and pelvis.
During the complex surgery, the team worked for approximately 23 hours on Knatalye and 26 hours on Adeline, with the official separation occurring approximately 18 hours into the surgery. Among the surgical subspecialties involved were pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, cardiovascular surgery, urology, liver surgery, orthopedic surgery and pediatric gynecology.
Both girls are doing extremely well and continue to thrive at home where they live with their parents, Eric and Elysse, older brother, Azariah, and younger sister, Mia. The family is very excited to see the girls sharing this special milestone together.
Hundreds of Texas Children’s employees walk into potentially dangerous situations every day.
Not only in the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster, but on any given weekday. A routine Tuesday or Wednesday holds possible harm for these staff members.
So who are they?
They are our remote work force, which largely consists of a subgroup of Services Coordinators. They are the men and women who provide direct care and support inside of patients’ homes and out in the community.
They sit on the health plan side of the organization and spend the majority of their time in face-to-face interactions with families.
“Since the heart of our mission is to enhance the health and well-being of every child, our team is dedicated to the members we serve, and they live in every kind of neighborhood you can think of, including some that aren’t very safe,” said Ashley Simms, director of Care Coordination at Texas Children’s Health Plan. “When these employees are hired, they undergo the basic safety training, but we are now rolling out an entire suite of services to ensure that they are even safer on the job.”
What type of situations are they facing?
Katara Butler, assistant director of Care Coordination at The Health Plan, said the potential threats are varied.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had service coordinators physically attacked and threatened. There is also the potential for accidents or falls inside of a family home,” Butler said. “And, of course, by spending so much time on the road there is always the chance that there will be car trouble in an unsafe area.”
How are we ramping up safety for these employees?
Six different services will be available starting in October.
Workplace violence training
Live and online courses that teach employees how to stay aware of their surroundings, identify dangerous situations, predict when interactions may escalate and more.
Crisis prevention training
Coaching on self-defense and verbal de-escalation.
Risk management training
A course on how to avoid risky situations, evaluate risks in the moment and report any risk following a visit or interaction.
Disaster bag
An emergency car kit will be placed in each vehicle.
The kit will include a first aid kit, a thermal blanket, a raincoat, jumper cables, a flashlight and basic tools.
AAA coverage
Each remote employee will receive a membership to AAA, which will include options for towing, a locksmith, tire changes and battery care.
My EOP (Emergency Operations Plan) app
An app that employees can download on their mobile devices, which offers information on how to handle a variety of situations like a fire, a bomb threat, severe weather, a cardiac arrest and much more.
Want more information?
Managers and supervisors will provide more information in the coming weeks.
