March 23, 2020

As we approach the end of the My Nutrition Challenge, your Texas Children’s Well-Being team wants to help our participants finish strong and make building healthier, more balanced meals a lifelong habit. In the last week of the challenge, focus on including 2 tablespoons of healthy fat with your meals.

Healthy fats do more than add flavor to our food. They can also help regulate blood sugar, decrease inflammation, increase satiety and lubricate joints.

Cigna Health Coach and Registered Dietitian Staci Tobolowsky Astrein shows us how to fatten up our meals the right way in the final video of our challenge series.

March 17, 2020

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Texas Children’s Apheresis Program led by Dr. Poyyapakkam Srivaths has reached a milestone with the addition of a new service, photopheresis. Photopheresis is a medical treatment that causes photoactivation of white blood cells by separating them from blood, which are then exposed to a medication called 8-methoxypsoralen followed by UVA irradiation before returning the blood to the patient.

Texas Children’s is currently using this apheresis therapy for bone marrow transplant patients who are experiencing graft-versus-host disease and lung transplant patients who are undergoing organ rejection. Photopheresis is typically used when other treatments have failed.

We are the second institution in Houston to offer photopheresis, and the only program dedicated solely to pediatric patients.

“There was a tremendous multidisciplinary effort to make this happen,” said Dr. Tina Melicoff, medical director of Texas Children’s Lung Transplant team. “We are thrilled to now offer some of our transplant patients with rejection issues another treatment option through photopheresis.”

To be able to offer the service, two photopheresis machines were purchased and a core group of dedicated nurses were trained to operate it. Clinicians expect to treat about five patients a year with each patient receiving about three sessions a week for about 10 weeks. Each session lasts around two hours.

Texas Children’s recently conducted its first photopheresis treatment on a bone marrow transplant patient. The patient is expected to receive additional treatments over the next several months.

“By offering this therapy, we are offering hope to patients who already have been through so much,” said Dr. Robert Krance,” director of Texas Children’s Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant/Stem Cell Transplant Program. “Photopheresis is a promising therapy for our patients experiencing host-versus-graft and organ rejection.”

Photopheresis is the second new extracorporeal therapy introduced in the past 20 years at Texas Children’s. The last extracorporeal therapy, Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System, or MARS, was introduced six years ago for liver failure patients.

“MARS helped to transform our liver transplant program,” said Chief of Renal Services Dr. Michael Braun. “I am hopeful photopheresis will have a similar impact for our BMT and lung transplant patients.”

Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre shares the proactive measures we are taking to ensure the safety of our patients and care teams as we adapt and respond to the COVID-19 situation. Read more

On his blog last week, Mark Wallace shares how the evolving situation around COVID-19 proves the sturdiness of our organization as we work together with our community partners. Read more

We’ve made it past the halfway point of the My Nutrition Challenge and your Texas Children’s Well-Being team is here to support and encourage our participants to keep adding healthier food options into your day-to-day routine. This week, focus on filling one-quarter of your plate with carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates sometimes get a bad rap, but they’re an important source of energy and fiber – you just have to pick the right types and amounts.

Cigna Health Coach and Registered Dietitian Staci Tobolowsky Astrein shares more helpful insights on carbohydrates in this video.

The Rewards and Retention Committee presented this quarter’s Woodlands Shining Star award to, physical therapy ambulatory service representative, Jessica ‘Jessi’ Carcamo, and radiologist, Dr. Marla Sammer.

“To say she is innovative is an understatement,” Kelsi Martinez, child-life specialist, said. “Jessi was a huge part of the success for both our hospital’s Camp For All 2U event, as well as the holiday bike giveaway.”

Carcamo, was nominated by her colleagues for being an invaluable contributor to Texas Children’s One Amazing Team. Known for her bright smile and always positive attitude, Carcamo embodies what it means to embrace freedom, amplify unity, and live compassionately. She goes above and beyond, even when doing things outside of her job description.

“She embraces and completes any goal with enthusiasm and spirit,” Child-Life Specialist Barbara Bledsoe explained. “Overall, Jessi’s genuine outlook that patients and parents are an extension of the hospital family, is what makes her so deserving of this award.”

Sammer was nominated by her peers in Radiology for always giving so much of herself to both her team and patients. When it comes to patients receiving the best and most timely care, x-ray technologist, Robyn Pacheco, explained how Sammer has consistently worked late hours and through lunch to provide patient care.

“She is truly a team player and has the patient’s best interest at heart,” Pacheco said. “Whether it is working with the technologists to help streamline dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), scan protocols or with anesthesia to create a standard operating procedure for using general anesthesia in voiding cyst urethrograms, Dr. Sammer embodies the leading tirelessly core value. She thoroughly educates staff with patience and kindness.”

Dr. Victor Seghers, Radiology Service Chief of Community, says that the one thing that he admires most about Sammer is her ability to regularly pitch in and assist in patient care when others are caught up in other work duties.

Congratulations Jessi and Dr. Sammer and thank you for being the shining stars that you are, and going above and beyond for our patients, families, and co-workers!