This week on Mark Wallace’s blog, he shares what Texas Children’s is doing to honor Earth Day and how, by working together, we can certainly achieve sustainability. Read more
April 22, 2021
April 20, 2021
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.
Edna Segura – 13.6 years of service
Supervisor, TCP Conroe
I chose to get vaccinated for my family, friends and co-workers. I am committed to doing what’s needed to keep our communities safe. I am very proud that I can say that I have done my part to help end this pandemic.
Nancy Cornett – 3.5 years of service
Staff Nurse – Inpatient, Legacy Tower, PICU Floor 11
As an ICU nurse I ultimately chose to get the vaccine to protect the lives of the already fragile patient population I work with. I also chose to get the vaccine to protect my loved ones. Working with COVID+ patients during this pandemic has been very stressful to say the least! I have often been fearful that I would bring the virus home to the ones that I love and now that I am vaccinated it has helped relieve some of that stress.
Clairese Estes – 5.8 years of service
Security Officer, Pavilion for Women
I received the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure the safety of myself, my family and my co-workers. Thank you so much Texas Children’s!
To date, more than 10,400 of Texas Children’s employees have received at least one vaccine dose.
If you haven’t already, schedule your vaccination appointment now, simply click here and sign up for the date and time that work best for your schedule.
Given the enormous vaccine participation from everyone, we have extended the Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 $1,000 Drawing to Friday, April 30. Now Texas Children’s team members have multiple chances to win prizes in celebration of the vaccine breakthrough.
In addition to the $1,000 Drawing, Winner’s Choice Team Drawing kicked off on April 1, giving team members who have received at least one vaccine dose the opportunity to win some of the most sought-after electronics on the market. With the arrival of a third vaccine option and more of our colleagues and loved ones every day, this new contest is another way to express our appreciation for all those who have stepped up to lead the way. For complete drawing rules and eligibility, click here.
Maya Peterson was accepted into The Archer Fellowship Program and shares how this opportunity will help her make a positive difference on health care policy impacting patients and families. Read more
Once your team reaches a 75% vaccination rate, you’re automatically eligible to win some of the hottest electronics on the market – just like these recipients! Read more
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and in-person team meetings were no longer an option, Texas Children’s close-knit Clinical Nutrition team knew they wanted to continue recognizing each other for their hard work and dedication.
Sending Caught You Caring messages became their favorite way to keep that spirit of thankfulness and camaraderie going – and soon they had submitted more notes than any other team across the system.
“So many of us go above and beyond for our patients and our teammates,” said Agata Matusz, a clinical nutrition manager at the Medical Center campus. “This year has taught us so many things and giving grace and being kind to one another is at the top of the list.”
As we enter the third week of Patient Experience Month, our focus remains on expressing gratitude to patients, families and fellow team members who make a difference.
Using words of affirmation, like our Clinical Nutrition colleagues and those in the stories highlighted below, is one of many easy and impactful ways to show your appreciation. For even more ways to express your gratitude this year, check out this fun visual.
“It feels great to know that you’ve made a positive impact on someone’s day, even when you don’t realize you have,” said Nidia Delgado, a NICU dietitian at the Medical Center.
‘I hope my handwritten notes provide solace and support’
As a caretaker for his father, CT Specialist Juliano Gomez often felt like a number. Whenever someone reached out to him personally – even with something as small as instructions for how to contact them – the empathy helped him feel less lost.
Those personal memories have prompted Gomez to send handwritten thank-you cards to the patients he works with at the Medical Center. He also knows that many families have made tough choices to continue receiving care at Texas Children’s amid the pandemic, and believes those sacrifices should be acknowledged.
“Parents have been incredibly thankful. It has opened the door to conversations as I learn more about their child’s journey and their own as a caretaker,” Gomez said, noting that the dialogue has also revealed areas for improvement.
“With the help of my colleagues across several departments, we’ve revised our allergy prep procedures to ensure patients have the appropriate contrast allergy pre-medications prior to coming in, and we have reworded a misleading text message with incorrect arrival instructions.”
‘It is critical that we make the time to let others know we see and appreciate their efforts’
As a leader, Eric Allum can’t be everywhere at all times to witness his team member’s many acts of caring and compassion. But that doesn’t stop him from using words of affirmation to thank and encourage them every chance he gets.
It’s a daily habit he’s picked up from the servant-leaders that have surrounded him throughout his career, who instilled in him the value of living compassionately and making it a priority to extend recognition that is personal and meaningful.
“When specific examples are brought to my attention, I embrace the opportunity to celebrate their individual contribution and the measurable impact they’re having on our patients,” said Allum, director of Business Operations and Support Services at The Woodlands campus.
“I find the more time I take to recognize and appreciate others, the more I get to do it. It has a funny and powerful way of building upon itself.”
How do you show gratitude?
We want to see how you express gratitude to patients, families and/or colleagues. Submit a photo of your efforts to patientexperience@texaschildrens.org. Submissions will be accepted through Wednesday, April 21, and may be displayed on Connect in the virtual Acts of Gratitude photo gallery.
When you submit a photo, you will also be entered into our final weekly prize drawing on Friday, April 23. Prizes include an entertainment package, fitness package and outdoor package.
In this video, Nursing Director Diesa Samp shares a special message for colleagues who haven’t scheduled their vaccine yet.
Emma Goldberg of the New York Times published an article on the experiences of several Black female physicians working in predominantly White clinical settings. One emergency attending physician shared, “People ask me several times if the doctor is coming in, which can be frustrating. They ask you if you’re coming in to take the trash out – stuff they wouldn’t ask a physician who was a White male.” For April 2021, we suggest that you “Take Five” to learn about how such interactions with patients and colleagues that might seem like minor, unintentional offenses have been termed “microaggressions” and are actually damaging to an individual’s health and sense of belonging in health care.
- Define racial microaggressions: Dr. Derald Wing Sue and colleagues define racial microaggressions as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color.” Please see the following video that further describes microaggressions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ9l7y4UuxY
- Identify examples of microaggressions: Dr. Melanie Molina and colleagues provided a few examples of microaggressions in health care.
- Learn how often microaggressions occur: Racial microaggressions occur among approximately 80 percent of racial/ethnic minority providers.
- Understand the impacts: Microaggressions are linked to mental health, hypertension, personal wellness, and burnout among health care providers who are underrepresented in medicine, and mental health among patients.
- Courageously confront microaggressions: Dr. Derald Wing Sue and colleagues suggest that microaggressions can be addressed using use a three-step method called a “microintervention:”
Step 1. Make the invisible visible. Since microaggressions are often unintentional, it’s important to make others aware of what they said or what their actions were.
Step 2. Educate. Do not focus on the intent of the microaggression. Help the person know how the microaggression impacts you or someone else and explain why it is harmful.
Step 3. Disarm the microaggression. Steer the conversation away from the microaggression if it is inappropriate. This communicates that it is offensive and not something you want to entertain. You can address the microaggression directly during a 1-1 conversation.