September 30, 2019

Texas Children’s Hospital has announced the two new leaders of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program at Texas Children’s Heart Center® – esteemed cardiologist, Dr. Peter Ermis, as medical director and Dr. Edward Hickey, a recognized cardiovascular surgeon, as surgical director. Beginning on October 1, they will together guide the largest ACHD program in the state.

Texas Children’s is ranked No. 1 in the nation for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report, but for years the hospital has also offered expert care for adults with congenital heart disease. Texas Children’s ACHD Program allows patients with congenital heart disease to receive seamless continuity of care from birth throughout adulthood. As pediatric patients with congenital heart defects transition into adulthood, the program’s multidisciplinary team of experienced congenital heart disease specialists advises them on health and lifestyle choices for their adult needs, including physical challenges, exercise options and family planning. The program offers comprehensive medical and surgical care in collaboration with colleagues at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women® and Texas Children’s Fetal Center®. The hospital’s ACHD Program is accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) and is one of only three accredited programs in Texas.

Ermis, a native Houstonian and dedicated member of Texas Children’s ACHD Program team since 2014, also serves as assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s academic partner.

“I’m honored to take on a leadership role in the program where I began my cardiology career,” said Ermis. “As this population of patients grows, it is even more important they are cared for by congenital heart disease specialists who recognize their specific needs as they transition to and live through adulthood. Our team is revolutionizing the way we care for these patients, and I look forward to continuing to do so in partnership with Dr. Hickey.”

Ermis received his undergraduate degree at Rice University. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and went on to complete his residency and pediatric and adult cardiology fellowship at Baylor. He is board certified in pediatric cardiology, adult cardiology and adult congenital heart disease. Ermis is a fellow in the American College of Cardiology and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Texas Heart Institute Cardiac Society and the International Society on Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

Hickey, a proven leader in cardiovascular surgery, most recently served as associate professor of cardiac surgery at the University of Toronto and cardiac surgeon and chief of the ACHD program at The Hospital for Sick Children. In addition to his leadership role, he will also perform congenital heart surgeries and serve as associate professor of surgery at Baylor.

“I’m thrilled to join Texas Children’s and lead the ACHD Program alongside Dr. Ermis,” said Hickey. “Treating these unique patients requires dedication from an entire team, and it is evident Texas Children’s is paving the way in this field. I’m looking forward to joining this innovative and collaborative group as we continue to develop tailored approaches for our patients.”

Hickey received a Bachelor of Medicine degree from the University of Southampton in the U.K., where he also completed his general surgery residency. He went on to complete higher surgical training in cardiothoracic surgery and simultaneously earned his Doctorate of Medicine research thesis from Oregon Health & Science University and the University of Southampton, respectively. Later, he received the John Kirklin Fellowship from the Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society, University of Toronto and spent two years at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He then pursued residency training in Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Toronto, followed by a clinical fellowship in congenital heart surgery.

Learn more about Texas Children’s ACHD Program.

To be ranked among the best children’s hospital services in the nation by U.S. News and World Report is a big deal. But when you talk to leaders within the Diabetes & Endocrinology service you get the sense that high performance is simply who they are.

“We are extremely proud of the recognition because it speaks to how hard we work,” said Curtis Yee, practice administrator of the Diabetes and Endocrinology section. “But we also recognize that we still have a lot of work left to do for our patients and families.”

This year the service ranked at No. 8.

What makes a high performing team?
Ryan Breaux, U.S. News and World Report service team lead, said the heart and soul of the program’s success is the quality infrastructure of the Diabetes Care Process Team which is comprised of approximately 150 people.

“A strong team is motivated to improve outcomes for our patients. That’s the core of our work every single day and it shines through,” Breaux said. “I also give a lot of credit to Dr. Rona Sonabend who has been instrumental in building the culture of this service.”

The Diabetes care process team includes providers, nurses, diabetes educators, dietitians, social workers, data technicians, and psychologists.

U.S. News recognized several big wins for patients and families:

  • An increase in percentage of patients with Diabetes who have LDL cholesterol less than 130, which is tied directly to the physical health of patients within the service.
  • A significant increase in patient encounters with a nutritionist, certified dietitian educator, social worker, and/or a psychologist for patients with Diabetes – a marker that captures how much emphasis is placed on the overall health and well-being of patients with diabetes
  • Increased dialated retinal or non-mydriatic camera examinations in the diabetes clinics to ensure that the eye health of patients with diabetes is regularly monitored.
  • Closed out all structural related metrics in an effort to guarantee that the service has the structural and procedural framework to keep performing at the highest level possible.

In 1996, Physician-in-Chief Dr. Mark W. Kline made a trip to Romania that changed his life and subsequently the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and women across the globe.

While there on a fact-finding mission after the Eastern European country’s inhumane treatment of orphans came to the world’s attention, Kline saw children ravaged by HIV/AIDS because they didn’t have access to the life-saving medication that was readily available in the United States.

The images haunted Kline, who on his flight back to Houston roughly outlined how Baylor could intervene to help children neglected by the global public health community. Twenty years later, Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children’s Hospital is one of the largest global maternal and child health programs in the world.

Providing care and treatment to nearly 300,000 children, BIPAI has established public-private partnerships in 10 countries across sub-Saharan Africa as well as Latin America and Romania. These partnerships now extend beyond the scope of HIV/AIDS and tackle other conditions in the developing world such as cancer, tuberculosis, malaria, sickle cell and malnutrition.

“BIPAI and its partnership with Texas Children’s has touched so many lives, and we owe it all to Dr. Kline’s vision and leadership,” said Texas Children’s President and Chief Operating Officer Mark A. Wallace. “If it weren’t for him, BIPAI wouldn’t exist.”

BIPAI’s 20 years of success were celebrated September 29 at the fund-raising event “Through the Lens.” Presented by Chevron, the event honored Kline and featured the work of Smiley Pool, a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist who has captured BIPAI’s life-changing work for the past two decades.

The almost 300 people who attended the event at The Revaire experienced a visual journey through Poole’s photographs from the diverse regions where BIPAI is bringing health and healing to those in need of care. Most of the photos had never been seen before and told a story of challenge, hope, triumph and connection.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to document the journey of BIPAI and Texas Children’s across the globe,” Pool said. “I hope the stories of the people I have photographed will continue to inspire others to move this effort forward.”

In addition to Pool’s photographs, the event featured a World Market sponsored by AbbVie. The market was filled with goods made by the BIPAI Teen Club and were available for purchase. The event’s globally-inspired cuisine included passed hors d’oeuvres, along with six food stations where empanadas were served to honor Argentina, Romanian garlic sausage was enjoyed, and guests were treated to three variations of ceviche as a tribute to the culture of Columbia.

“Chevron is proud to be part of a partnership that has saved so many lives,” said Clay Neff, president of Chevron’s Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production. “We are extremely appreciative of Dr. Kline’s leadership and look forward to continuing to work side-by-side.”

When Kline took the stage, he humbly thanked several people in the room and appreciated gratefulness for being given the opportunity to help children and women in such need.

“This work is incredibly gratifying,” he said. “I’ve done it for the past 20 years because it’s my passion. I’m truly doing what I love.”

For more information about BIPAI, visit bipai.org. To read more about Texas Children’s Global Health Program, click here. To support these efforts across the global, click here. “Through The Lens” raised more than $400,000 toward BIPAI’s mission.

Social media is a great way to share glimpses of your life with family and friends. Engaging on social media is increasingly becoming part of our daily routines, so it’s more important than ever that everyone at Texas Children’s understands their responsibilities around social media use.

With that in mind, the Marketing/PR and Human Resources departments developed a short video about the appropriate use of social media. You can watch the video below and keep it front of mind whenever you use any social media platform.

Ultimately, every single person at Texas Children’s is responsible for how they use social media. Be sure you make informed, thoughtful decisions about what you choose to post online.

If you discover any unethical, illegal or questionable content on social media relating to Texas Children’s, please notify your immediate supervisor or call our confidential Compliance hotline at 1-866-478-9070.

On his blog, Mark Wallace encourages everyone to take the lead and get their flu vaccine sooner rather than later to protect themselves and the patients they serve. Read more

 

No matter where you are, you can make a difference when you go the distance for Texas Children’s Hospital! Join the Texas Children’s Hospital Heroes Team or create your own Torch Relay team to help heal sick children on Friday, October 18 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel in The Woodlands.

The relay consists of a 3-mile walk around The Woodlands Waterway, followed by an after party with food, a band, games, face painting and a caricature artist. All proceeds benefit the Children’s Miracle Network program at Texas Children’s Hospital.

As a Torch Relay participant, you can choose to join the Texas Children’s team, create your team or be an individual walker. Participants who raise $45 or more will receive a 2019 Torch Relay shirt and a medal as a thank you for participating. Participants who raise $5,000 or more will be invited to join the Torchbearer Club and attend the Torchbearer Weekend, which annually honors the top fundraisers.

For additional information, visit Torch-Relay.org or email Camille Landry at lclandry@texaschildrens.org.

October has been designated as National Cyber Security Awareness Month by the National Cyber Security Alliance. Each year, the campaign encourages safe online behavior by educating users on the importance of cyber security and how to be cyber safe.

Texas Children’s activities

We are excited to kick off Security Awareness Month. Your Information Security team at Texas Children’s will share valuable information and resources throughout the month to educate, enable and empower employees to be more cyber aware and secure. Watch for weekly newsletters from Information Security throughout the month. Together, we can be good online citizens and stewards of protected information.

Texas Children’s events

Information Security will have a series of onsite events to increase awareness and share information. Please see locations, dates and times below:

  • Tuesday, October 8: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Main Campus (The Auxiliary Bridge)
  • Tuesday, October 15: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Woodlands Campus (Donor Wall)
  • Tuesday, October 22: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., West Campus (first-floor main entrance)
  • Thursday, October 24: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Texas Children’s Health Plan (WLS_ninth-floor conference room_NE924)
  • Friday, October 25: TBD, Cyber Security Escape Room [Feigin Tower_FC 6 IS (C.0650.46)]