March 23, 2021

Texas Children’s is using artificial intelligence technology to remotely monitor vital health data for expectant mothers in Malawi, giving providers a new tool to help patients avoid the risky situations that can arise during childbirth – and all from literally an ocean away.

In a unique public-private partnership that brought together Texas Children’s, Baylor Foundation Malawi, Ministry of Health Malawi and software solution company PeriGen, PeriWatch Vigilance successfully went live on March 10 at Area 25 Hospital in the capital city of Lilongwe.

An automated early warning system and clinical decision support tool for obstetrics, PeriWatch Vigilance is designed to enhance clinical efficiency, timely intervention and standardization of care. The technology uses artificial intelligence and other analytical techniques to continuously analyze maternal vital signs, fetal heart rate, contractions and labor progression.

Once the data is collected and analyzed, the Periwatch Vigilance platform associates it with predefined bed or room locations within the system. Approved providers can then view and access the data for each patient at Area 25, which is collaboratively run by Baylor Foundation Malawi and the Malawi ministry of health and performs more than 7,000 deliveries each year.

“This initiative represents a paradigm shift in care for Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Dr. Michael Belfort, Texas Children’s OB-GYN-in-Chief. “The use of advanced artificial intelligence programs to address the needs of a low-resource environment is an ideal way to leverage technology to the benefit of all.”

The Periwatch Vigilance project team at Texas Children’s worked closely with partners in Malawi to overcome many of the obstacles they faced when implementing the new technology, including network infrastructure and procuring the necessary workstations. They also had to work within a complex security design to ensure Texas Children’s data and infrastructure remained safe.

“The technical infrastructure present in Malawi provided some unique challenges that required strong partnership with our vendor, Malawi staff and the Texas Children’s Information Services department,” said Ashok Kurian, Director of Data & Analytics, Information Services. “The teams worked together to develop a solution that would allow for secure data transfer, which overcame these challenges.”

Project team members included Melissa Blado, Mark Carey, William Cheong, Jeremy Church, Keith Garcia, Terry Hamidi, Farkhad Kasumov, Justin McMillan, Veena Nagarajan, Tina Oduguwa, Dan Parker, Aaron Rainey and Melissa Witt.

With the lessons they learned to launch PeriWatch Vigilance in Malawi, the IS Department anticipates deploying the same technology to other African countries in the future – particularly Botswana and Uganda, which are also part of Texas Children’s Global Health Network and have already been discussing, planning and constructing their approach.

Created in 1999 by the Baylor International Pediatrics Aids Initiative (BIPAI), the network catalyzes pediatric and family HIV care and treatment, and continues to be the largest provider of pediatric HIV care in the world. Through its partnership with Texas Children’s, the network has also expanded its scope to include tuberculosis, malnutrition, Sickle Cell Disease, oncology, cardiology, emergency medicine, surgery, anesthesiology and maternal health.

The only way to receive any protection against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants is by receiving a vaccine. Doctor Julie Boom explains further in this short video.

After February’s historic winter storm, many Houstonians and Texans are still recovering and rebuilding, including many in the Texas Children’s community. As with previous hurricanes and other climate disasters, Black families and other communities of color were disproportionately impacted by the storm’s aftermath. For March, 2021, we encourage you to “Take Five” to learn about environmental racism across the United States and in our own backyard:

  1. Learn: Dr. Robert Bullard is Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University and winner of the United Nations Lifetime Achievement Award (https://www.unep.org/championsofearth/laureates/2020/robert-bullard). He developed the concept of Environmental Justice. Learn about this concept and explore his books and publications at https://drrobertbullard.com/#
  2. Watch: 14-minute video about the personal impacts of environmental racism on people in neighborhoods across Houston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsUBShDee3Y&t=518s
  3. Read: Cancer clusters – including pediatric leukemia and several adulthood cancers – have been found in Houston’s 5th Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods, attributed to toxic pollution from burning creosote-treated wood rail ties at a nearby railyard https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/environment/article/cancer-cluster-fifth-ward-houston-15885717.php
  4. Get informed: Texas State Senator (District 13), Borris Miles, introduced a bill to the Texas Legislature to reduce air contaminant emissions, with the goal of minimizing impacts on vulnerable communities https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB87/id/2215245
  5. Support: Non-profits like West Street Recovery (https://www.weststreetrecovery.org/) organized after Hurricane Harvey to help neighborhoods impacted by environmental racism recover, organize, and get prepared for future climate threats. They help residents repair and rebuild homes, engage community members on their staff, distribute funds and health resources (e.g., PPE) to the community, and engage in advocacy. Air Alliance Houston (https://airalliancehouston.org/) is a non-profit that conducts research, education, and advocacy to “reduce the public health impacts from air pollution and advance environmental justice.”

By the time the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine had arrived at Texas Children’s, Mirronda Williams felt fairly certain she did not want to receive it. Her mind was filled with questions and concerns about the efficacy and risks, and conflicting stories and theories about the vaccine made her even more apprehensive.

Then came the heavy realization that the pandemic was literally at her doorstep.

“I received a call that a very close friend of the family tested positive and a few days later lost his battle with COVID,” said Williams, a team leader account representative at the Central Business Office. “My family was so stunned and heartbroken over what happened. The feeling was absolutely unexplainable.”

From there, it was like a domino effect: Williams and her husband just kept hearing about family members testing positive. Upset and scared, she felt caught in an emotional whirlwind – but doing her own research about the vaccine made a difference.

After attending the COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sessions hosted by Texas Children’s Vaccine Task Force, she began to feel more confident about moving forward. A heart-to-heart conversation with her supportive husband sealed the deal.

“Once I received that extra assurance, I immediately went online and signed up to take the vaccine,” Williams said, snagging an appointment for January 14. “When I arrived for my first dose I was trembling because I was so nervous. It was a true test of faith, but everything went way better than expected.”

Though she did experience extreme soreness at the injection site, fatigue, chills and a headache, the side effects subsided within 24 hours. When she received her second vaccine dose on February 4, the soreness and a slight headache only lasted about 2-3 hours.

Only a short time later, she learned of several classmates, and a friend of her husband, who had all died within weeks of each other because of COVID-19.

“I know I made the right decision to receive the vaccine,” Williams said. “I want to make sure I do my part to help win the battle over this pandemic, and I would personally like to say ‘thank you’ to Texas Children’s.”

If you have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine, appointments are still available – and receiving your first dose makes you automatically eligible for a $1,000 prize! To schedule your vaccination now, click here. For more information about the vaccine, including recordings of Texas Children’s live vaccine information sessions, visit our vaccine website.

The Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 Drawing was announced Monday, February 8, and will continue every weekday through this Friday, March 26. Texas Children’s employees who receive their first dose are automatically eligible for the drawing and the $1,000 prize. Full details on eligibility and requirements are outlined here.

After winning the Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 Drawing, the following team members tell us why they stepped up to be vaccinated and hope to inspire others.

Adrianne Bourgeois – 8 years of service
EMR Educator, EPIC Training Team
“A little over a year ago I fell ill with what I thought was the flu. After feeling progressively worse, at the suggestion of family and friends, I was tested and received confirmation that I had actually contracted the virus. I chose to get the vaccine to protect myself and others from feeling the way I felt. And I’m so blessed to be alive to receive it.”

Tracy Barbour – 13.4 years of service
Newborn Center NICU Level IV
“I received the COVID-19 vaccine to protect my kids, parents, grandparents, friends, patients, and my community to the best of my ability. I felt, as a nurse, I needed to lead by example and help fight this disease.”

Sylvia Campos – 20 years of service
Ambulatory Services Rep I, Nutrition/GI Clinic
“I’m so Thankful to Texas Children’s for giving me the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. It is a good feeling knowing I am doing my part to ensure the safety of myself, my family and my co-workers especially to our patients who come for the best care we have to offer them. Texas Children’s has been the best place to work for the past 20 years and counting!”

To date, more than 9,800 of Texas Children’s employees have received at least one vaccine dose. If you haven’t already, schedule your vaccination appointment now and get your chance at the $1,000 prize, simply click here and sign up for the date and time that work best for your schedule.

In 2018, Cathy Kyomugisha had given up hope. A massive tumor was invading her spine, back and pelvis, and the Ugandan girl with a bright smile was confined to laying on her stomach, unable to move for five years. A serendipitous visit to her room at Bless a Child Foundation started her long journey to Texas Children’s Hospital, where she would meet a team who would make the impossible, possible.

A dedicated, multidisciplinary team of pediatric surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons and urologists, alongside anesthesiologists, radiologists, critical care specialists and nurses, among others, worked tirelessly during the three-day surgery to remove the tumor, reconstruct her pelvis and, in turn, give her a new beginning.

Now, nearly a year-and-a-half after she arrived in Houston, Cathy is going home to Uganda with an opportunity to live her life in a meaningful way without pain. She is looking forward to her future and will undoubtedly inspire others with her story.

Click here for a short film chronicling Cathy’s inspiring story.

March 22, 2021

When the National Association of Social Workers settled on a theme for Social Work Month 2021, they picked “Social Workers Are Essential” as a reminder that this helping profession affects positive change for entire communities.

At Texas Children’s, social workers make a difference every day – overcoming any obstacles that stand in the way of our patients and their families achieving healthy, fully functional lives.

As we enter the final days of Social Work Month, we look at how our social workers rise above challenges to meet people where they are, and get them where they want to be.

Committed to care through every circumstance

Medical social worker Becky Butler has long known that to truly help our patients and their families, she has to understand their stories. So when she met “Mary,” an eating-disorder patient expressing suicidal thoughts, she didn’t hesitate to spend nearly three hours actively listening to the young woman share her strengths and struggles.

A college senior who had aged out of foster care, Mary had spent years in and out of homelessness. With nowhere left to turn, she’d started to consider ending her life.

“I was devastated,” said Butler, who works in the Diabetes and Endocrine Care Center. “This girl has too much good in her and so much potential. I knew I could help.”

Determined to ensure that Mary wouldn’t face her hardships alone, Butler devised creative ways to offer support. When Mary returned the next day, she received gift cards to assist with securing housing and covering her basic needs. Mary was overwhelmed that people had come together to provide resources just for her – and Butler wasn’t done yet.

After tapping into her professional network, Butler heard of a job opening for a foster care youth to mentor other youth. The position came with a 2-year contract and $36,000 annual salary, and Butler knew Mary would be a great fit. With a good job, her own place, full-time enrollment in college and a team to help treat her eating disorder, Mary is now on her way to success.

For Butler, being a Texas Children’s social worker is about fully committing herself to getting the job done, no matter the circumstance – whether providing a refrigerator to a family with no safe place to keep their child’s insulin, or advocating for the most vulnerable children we serve.

“That’s my job: getting kids on the paths they want to be on,” she said.

Communicating compassion amid a pandemic

One of our social workers’ most significant responsibilities is providing a level of empathy and support that can’t be found elsewhere. Then came COVID-19 and the realization that their physical presence – so often a balm for emotional wounds – could be a dangerous intervention.

“Many of us had to reimagine our mechanisms of support to continue offering our very best to the patients and families we care for so much,” said Claire Crawford, a social worker for Palliative Care Services.

Where social workers had once been a fixture at the bedside, transitioning to a work-from-home schedule meant adapting to a new reality. In-person check-ins became phone calls, emails and telehealth consults. Visitation restrictions made social workers stand-in supporters.

In the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, social worker Kelsey Thibodeaux fielded more requests for emotional support, and spent more time offering therapeutic listening to caregivers stretched to their limits. In Palliative Care, social workers found themselves unable to offer a shoulder to cry on, a hand to soothe a crying baby, or fingers to squeeze when speaking wasn’t possible.

Inspired by fellow social worker Shannon Barnes, Crawford adopted a new language to communicate her compassion: both hands laid one over the other, covering her heart.

“A year later, I have had more moments of helplessness, hopelessness, adaptation and growth than I can count,” Crawford said. “My social work colleagues have shown up physically, virtually – and most important – emotionally to give families the caring presence needed to get through the hardest times of their lives.”