In this 90-second video, Dr. Julie Boom explains the risk of long-term side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.
March 16, 2021
Social workers are a critical part of our multidisciplinary team at Texas Children’s. As we celebrate Social Work Recognition Month, learn more about how they support our patients. Read more
In recognition of Certified Nurses Day on March 19, Khanh Nguyen shares why she obtained her specialty certification in inpatient obstetrics and how it benefits her and her patients. Read more
March 15, 2021
At Texas Children’s, we know our patients are superheroes – and thanks to a new mural now on display at the Medical Center outpost of one of Houston’s favorite sandwich shops, so will our neighbors and friends in the local community.
The “Portraits of Courage” mural stretches across an entire wall at the Antone’s location on Fannin Street, featuring artwork drawn by our current and former patients. Inspired and guided by Texas Children’s Child Life Department, the young artists imagined themselves as superheroes to bring their colorful caped and masked characters to life.
The wide variety of drawings selected for the mural reflect the range of ages and ethnicities of the patients and families we serve, said Jake Rutherford of The Butler Bros, Texas Children’s creative agency.
“The idea for the mural came from our shared excitement about getting Texas Children’s Hospital patients to see themselves as superheroes,” Rutherford said, noting that the project was a collaborative effort between Child Life, Art Therapy, Antone’s and The Butler Bros.
“We wanted people visiting Antone’s to see that Texas Children’s patients are brave, capable and strong.”
According to our Child Life team, art helps our patients communicate about their world and express themselves without having to use words. The creative process can be therapeutic, providing a safe and developmentally sensitive way for children to navigate the hospital setting.
It also gives them a strong sense of accomplishment to complete their artwork, increasing their positive self-esteem and resilience even in the midst of medical treatments. Child Life team members said the experience gave one patient – in a clinic appointment following a bone marrow transplant – a time to reflect on how proud she is of herself for making it through.
Child Life specialists also noted that many of our patients were excited to be included in the mural and have a brush with fame. One young boy was “beaming” and “grinning ear to ear” when he learned his art would be displayed. Another patient told her art therapist that knowing her artwork is part of the mural gives her something to look forward to the next time she returns to Texas Children’s, where she’s been admitted for extended periods over the past few months.
Check out photos of the Portraits of Courage mural in the photo gallery below – and if you stop by Antone’s to see the artwork in person, consider ordering The Dr. Hotez One World sandwich while you’re there. The special banh mi is named for our own Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s.
In another partnership with Texas Children’s, Antone’s will donate 50 percent of the proceeds from the sale of The Dr. Hotez One World to the vaccine development center. The sandwich will be available through May 31 at all three Antone’s locations in Houston.
“…A sense of hope that if this vaccine is available to the community, we can get to the other side of COVID-19,” says Jackie Ward, Chief Nursing Officer and SVP.
The patient is at the center of the 21st Century Cures Act in order to provide them more power in the delivery of health care, which includes access to medical information.
In 2016, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology passed federal legislation called the 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule that puts patients in charge of their health records, which is a key piece of Health and Human Services (HHS) work toward a value-based health care system. The ONC Final Rule enables the health care delivery system to deliver an “app economy” to providers and patients, physicians, hospitals, payers, and employers with innovation and choice.
Through the delivery of modern smartphone and software apps, patients and providers will see benefits in accessing electronic health information (EHI). Patients will have more convenient and easier options to gain on-demand access to their EHI whenever and wherever they need it. In addition, there will be the increasing ability for patients to choose apps that will assemble and read their records. The interoperability, information blocking, and patient access to data and electronic health record certification requirements outlined in the 21st Century Cures Act will go into effect in multiple phases and will impact our patients, health care providers and health IT software developers.
Changes to Inpatient and Emergency Center settings will go live on March 21, 2021. With this, there will also be optimizations to Ambulatory areas, who went live with these changes in November 2020. Texas Children’s will release data via MyChart, and other patient portals, in order to make information more accessible and not require patients to go through the traditional medical record release process. Several other changes on the horizon include:
Patient Access API – Beginning December 31, 2022, CMS-regulated payers (including Medicaid MCOs) are required to implement a secure, standards-based application programming interface (API) that allows patients to access their claims, encounter information and some clinical data.
CMS Payer-to-Payer Data Exchange – This provision will require CMS-regulated payers to share certain clinical data with each other and other payers. This allows the patient to take their information with them as they move from payer to payer over time to help create a cumulative health record with their current payer.
United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) standard expands – Starting in October 2022, under ONC’s rule, the definition of EHI will expand beyond the USCDI. The EHI definition will include the full HIPAA electronic designated data set.
To prepare, educate, and ensure compliance across the organization, a workgroup has been assembled to carefully review the regulation, review our policies, procedures and business practices, and develop a system wide communication plan to ensure our providers are compliant with this new federal regulation. All Texas Children’s team members are invited to learn more about this regulation and its implementation by visiting our SharePoint site, which provides details on what you need to know, including a recordings of prior Town Halls, a crash course, simulation center videos, handouts and much more.
Stay tuned for additional updates.
The Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 Drawing was announced February 8, and will continue every weekday through 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.
Juana Mondragon – 8.8 years of service Unit Support Assistant, Facility Operations, West Tower
“The reason why I decided to get the vaccine was because I work in the hospital and, thankfully, I have not had COVID. This was a measure to ensure that I would be protected from the virus, and in turn, protect my family, friends, and whomever I come into contact. I am very thankful to God for providing me the opportunity to receive the vaccine and to put my little grain of sand to help turn this virus around.”
Deborah Marley – 1.3 years of service Pipeline Donor Strategies Advisor, Philanthropy, Patient & Physician Relations
“First, I would like to say how grateful I am to Texas Children’s for offering the vaccine to its employees! I feel it is my civic duty to keep those around me as healthy as possible. There have been enough people extremely ill and dying from this virus. If my actions can aid in the health of others then that is the action I should take. This is just one more step in protecting our communities. I would encourage all to get the vaccine when possible!”
Ansel Scope Marshall – 27.8 years of service Staff Accountant, Financial Services – Payroll
“I got the vaccine because I felt in order to end the pandemic we all have to do our part. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to encourage others to get vaccinated, this is the only defense we have against the virus. Truly happy that Texas Children’s made it available to its employees and grateful to be a part of an amazing team.”
To date, more than 9,700 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.
