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
May 25, 2021
May is AAPI Heritage Month! Learn more about this national celebration, AAPIs in the U.S. and within our team, and key issues affecting our AAPI communities. Read More
After being awarded a grant to help nurture partnerships between kidney centers in low-resource and high-income countries, Texas Children’s physician Dr. Peace Imani is collaborating with colleagues in Uganda to raise awareness and improve care for patients and families facing childhood kidney disease.
The grant award came early last year from the International Society of Nephrology’s (ISN) Sister Renal Centers Program. The program uses training exchanges to build bridges between supporting centers like Texas Children’s and Baylor Foundation Uganda, and emerging centers like the Renal Clinic at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda.
For Imani, the opportunity to connect with Ugandan clinicians is reminiscent of her time training and working in Uganda before moving to Houston. She continues to volunteer in the renal clinic when she has a chance to return home.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to share knowledge and experiences that can make a difference,” Imani said. “I am grateful to partner with a dedicated and enthusiastic pediatric nephrology team in Uganda. I am familiar with the challenges faced by my colleagues, and being able to support them – even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions – has been remarkable.”
Read on for more of Imani’s thoughts about her ongoing work with Uganda, including a recent online nephrology lecture series supported by the ISN grant funds.
What are some of the challenges that you and your colleagues are working to address in the practice of pediatric nephrology in Uganda?
Kidney disease in children ranges from reversible disorders without long-term consequences, to diseases that are progressive and only get worse over time.
Early patient identification and management to reverse or delay disease progression is crucial especially in place where access to health care services is very limited. From our recent study, we found that a majority of children with chronic (irreversible) kidney disease in Uganda presented in advanced disease stages. At these later stages life, sustaining dialysis and/or kidney transplantation are imperative – yet these services are not readily accessible to a majority of these families.
What are your plans for the online lecture series?
In collaboration with the two pediatric nephrologists in Uganda, we developed an interdisciplinary professional education curriculum on pediatric nephrology in resource-limited settings, which is being delivered as a bi-weekly virtual synchronous lecture series hosted via Zoom. In addition, we will use this forum to present and discuss relevant clinical cases with subject matter experts.
What do you want to share with those who attend the lectures?
Our target audience is diverse, including nurses, medical students, pediatric post-graduate students, clinical officers, physicians and other allied health professionals involved in pediatric care across various practices in Uganda. Our goals are to raise awareness of childhood kidney disease, improve early diagnosis and management, and to facilitate the referral process to the Renal Clinic at the Mulago National Referral Hospital.
How are the grant funds helping to bring your vision for the lecture series to life?
The ISN funds are used to facilitate participants’ access to Internet services needed to attend the online lecture series. We have also used some of the funds to facilitate local radio talk shows to raise awareness of childhood kidney disease, and encourage referral to the renal clinic.
In addition, we plan to develop a patient database that we can use for follow-up, as well as advocating for more comprehensive pediatric renal services.
Why is it important for Texas Children’s to be involved in international educational exchanges like this?
The mission of Texas Children’s Hospital is to support excellence in patient care, education and research with a commitment to quality service and cost-effective care to enhance the health and wellbeing of children not only locally but internationally as well. An experienced center such as TCH is instrumental as a supporting center for this SRC partnership to be successful. TCH’s global health experience and the wealth of expertise in pediatric nephrology is unparalleled.
Once the series has concluded, what’s next for your work in Uganda?
This is only the beginning! I will continue to look for innovative ways to develop and support the pediatric nephrology program in Uganda.
Our focus for the first two years is on multidisciplinary educational exchanges between the emerging center and supporting center, which are at the moment bi-weekly. We plan to invite guest speakers from the two partnering institutions.
My long-term goal is to support the development of a pediatric kidney center of excellence at the Mulago National Referral Hospital – a center that provides comprehensive kidney care, education of health care providers, and engages in translation and scientific research. And hopefully, a center that has the capacity to provide acute and chronic dialysis, and eventually kidney transplantation, services that are lacking at this time.
Texas Children’s Global Health Network is one of the largest providers of pediatric HIV care in the world, with an expanded scope that also includes tuberculosis, malnutrition, Sickle Cell Disease, oncology, cardiology, emergency medicine, surgery, anesthesiology and maternal health. For more on the programming in Uganda, click here.
Life is busy, especially more so during the pandemic. As we continue to navigate our reconstructed future, it is more important than ever to keep healthy and strong for ourselves, and our families and friends.
As part of our commitment to your total well-being, Texas Children’s Employee Health and Well-Being teams have organized a variety of programs and resources around Women’s Health Month to help refresh your focus on your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Watch for more on Connect.
This week, we are focusing on your emotional well-being.
Social Connections: Feeling socially connected, especially when physically distanced, is more important than ever. Studies show that friendships and social connections provide intellectual stimulation and emotional support through hardships. People who provide you with a sense of belonging, love or value can be buffers against stress. Here are some ways to create and establish your social network:
- Pick up the phone and have a conversation with a loved one.
- Video calling also helps us see and connect with our long-distance loved ones.
- Be creative with how you engage with people, even in your own home. Find ways to connect that does not involve technology such as writing letters, switch off the TV to have a game night or enjoy a backyard picnic with household members.
- We know women do better both physically and mentally when they are in groups, some examples are joining a virtual running group, virtual exercise class, a book club or a mother support group.
Be Kind: To others and especially to yourself. We are still in a pandemic and it is okay to feel hopeful about the future as more people are becoming vaccinated but at the same time, anxious about our reconstructed future. Continue to surround yourself with people you trust and can reach out for support and do the same thing for them as well. Coming together as a community is how we have navigated the pandemic thus far and will continue to do so. If you need additional assistance to support your emotional or physical well-being, our EAP and Well-Being teams are here for you at 832-824-3327 and 24/7 at our EAP and Well-Being websites.
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.
Akachi Phillips – 6.8 years of service
Manager Ultrasound, Community Clinics Administration
“I chose to get the vaccine to end Covid-19 because I trust the science behind it. The vaccine IS our greatest tool to help end this pandemic. Humanity wins when we all get vaccinated. We who are blessed to have this opportunity should not take it for granted.”
Jason Narciso – 20 years of service
Staff Nurse – Inpatient, Post Anesthesia Care
“Let’s get this vaccine so that we can continue our miraculous deeds here on Earth and then maybe Mars… #beaprototype #notastereotype #texaschildrens #kidsrock #kidsrule
Melissa Main – 2 years of service
Staff Nurse – Inpatient, The Woodlands Acute Care 3
“I have a large family with several risk factors and so getting the vaccine helped me reduce the risk to myself and my family, as I directly care for COVID-19 patients. I continually encourage those that have not yet received the series to get it and finish it.”
To date, 80 percent of our workforce has volunteered to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 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.
May 19, 2021
Read how Jennifer Franklin and her family overcame her hesitancy to get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect everyone she comes in contact with every day. Read more
Wednesday, May 19, 2021: 2:30 p.m.
Update 4: Return to Normal Operations at 7 p.m.
Though a Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for southeast Texas through 1 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service predicts lower rainfall totals than what we experienced during last night’s storm. As a result, we will be resuming normal operations and discontinuing Emergency Pay Practices at 7 p.m. this evening.
Thank you again to all of our team members who reported for duty and assisted Texas Children’s in planning and responding to this latest weather event. Because of your commitment, we were able to seamlessly continue operations for our patients and their families, and this makes a tremendous difference for those we serve.
Please take a moment to review the following updates:
- Emergency Pay. All emergency pay and off-shift/sleep pay practices will end at 7 p.m. today, at which time we will revert to our normal pay practices. Exempt staff (including leaders up to the director level) will be paid a $250 stipend for 8 or more hours spent on-site between 7 p.m., May 18 and 7 p.m., May 19. Calculation of hours will include both on-duty and off-shift hours. Employees can expect to see Emergency Pay and Emergency Stipends reflected on their June 3 checks.
- Remote Work. Team members who are able to return to work on-site should do so, or connect with their leader to make other arrangements. Any employee (exempt or non-exempt) who continues to work remotely must use the ATK Telecommute code for accurate tracking of remote hours. Instructions on how to do so can be found here.
- Parking. At this time, we have reverted to normal parking operations. Entrance gates have been lowered and exit gates will be lowered at 9 p.m. Please park in your usual location moving forward. Shuttles are operating under their normal schedule.
- Sleep Arrangements. If for any reason you have concerns about commuting home this evening, please contact your leader about facilitating sleep arrangements.
- Support Resources. For general questions about this event, contact our HR Employee Support Center at 832-826-4700. If you need support for your well-being, contact our Employee Assistance Program and Well-Being team at 832-824-3327. Please note that this support number will close on May 21 at 5 p.m.
Thank you again for leading tirelessly during this effort.
Afsheen Davis
Administrator on Call
Michelle Riley-Brown
EVP on Call
Melissa Murrah
Emergency Management
Wednesday, May 19, 2021: 8:05 a.m.
Update 3: Flash Flood Watch Still in Effect for Houston, East Texas
Thank you to all of our employees who helped in preparing, implementing and riding out the line of storms that passed through Austin and Houston yesterday and last night. Your efforts to go above and beyond for our patients and families is extremely appreciated, and is ensuring our operations can continue despite the unpredictability in the weather.
At this time, our forecast is predicting showers and isolated thunderstorms will continue across southeast Texas throughout the day, bringing upwards to 4 inches in some areas. Given the significant amount of rainfall we experienced last night, there remains a risk of flash flooding across much of the area, and we expect that risk to subside as we head into Thursday.
Throughout the morning, we will continue monitoring the forecast and will communicate operational updates later today. In the meantime, please review the following:
- ATK Telecommute Code. Important clarification: Any employee (exempt or non-exempt) working remotely must use the ATK Telecommute code for remote tracking. This is essential to ensure accurate implementation of our pay programs. Instructions on how to use the ATK Telecommute code are located here.
- Shuttle services. Shuttles services from Garage 19 and Meyer to the Medical Center Campus are running on schedule. Garages 16 and 21 are full at this time. Valet services are complimentary for patient families today.
- Resources for employees. If you feel you need any well-being or mental health support, please reach out to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Well-Being at 832-824-3327. This team will also be visiting each floor to provide additional support to team members.
- Respite rooms. Respite rooms are also available throughout all three campuses to provide our team members with a quiet space to relax and decompress.
Thank you again for all of your efforts. Stay safe.
Afsheen Davis
Administrator on Call
Michelle Riley-Brown
EVP on Call
Melissa Murrah
Emergency Management
Tuesday, May 18, 2021: 3:19 p.m.
Update 2: Emergency Practices Beginning Due to Inclement Weather
As we continue to monitor the weather, our current forecast is predicting heavy rainfall to begin this afternoon in the Austin area, and then move into Houston overnight and through Thursday. At this time, it is unclear what operational impacts we can expect. However, flash flooding does appear likely across much of our area, which could pose significant hazards for team members commuting to and from work.
Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our team members, as well as to ensure we meet appropriate staffing levels that address the needs of our patients, Texas Children’s is beginning its emergency practices at 7 p.m. today and will be requiring all ride-out team members (who must be present on-site to perform their duties) to stay on-site through Thursday, beginning tonight at 11 p.m. Ride-out team members whose shift begins at 7 p.m. should arrive to work at their scheduled time. Please confirm with your leader if you are considered Ride Out for this event.
For more information, please review the following:
- Pay Practices. Beginning at 7 p.m. today, Texas Children’s will begin Emergency Pay Practices for all ride-out team members required to be on-site during this weather event. For non-exempt team members, this includes pay at time-and-a-half for all hours worked, as well as sleep pay at the team member’s regular hourly rate.
Additionally, exempt staff – including leaders up to the director level – will be paid a stipend for hours spent on-site. Calculation of hours will include both on-duty and off-shift hours. Additional information will be communicated later this week.
- Sleeping Arrangements. Given the chance of severe weather, sleeping arrangements will be made for all team members required to be on-site. If you will be working on-site through Thursday, please know that you are required to sleep on-site, beginning tonight, and will receive sleep pay at your normal hourly rate. Please arrive at your place of work no later than 11 p.m. tonight.
– Medical Center Campus. Parking is available for team members in Garage 16 (Mark A. Wallace Tower) and Garage 21 (Pavilion for Women/Legacy Tower). Parking gate arms will be lifted to ensure access in and out of the garages. After you complete your screening, please proceed to the 3rd floor of Wallace Tower to check-in and receive your sleeping assignment.
– West Campus. After you complete your screening, please proceed to the 1st floor conference center to check-in and receive your sleeping assignment.
– The Woodlands Campus. Please connect with your leader to receive your sleeping assignment.
- Remote work. All team members who are able to work from home are required to do so through Thursday. If you are a non-exempt team member, please clock-in using the ATK time code in Kronos.
To monitor the latest weather and road updates, please visit the National Weather Service, Houston TranStar, TX DOT or Texas Children’s Emergency Management Connect site.
Be safe.
Afsheen Davis
Administrator on Call
Michelle Riley-Brown
EVP on Call
Melissa Murrah
Emergency Management
Monday, May 17, 2021: 5:18 p.m.
Heavy rainfall expected through Thursday
Texas Children’s leadership and the Department of Emergency Management are closely monitoring the potential for heavy rainfall beginning this afternoon and lasting through Thursday, with localized flash flooding a possibility for portions of Houston and east Texas.
At this time, all employees are advised to exercise caution when navigating the roadways and to avoid any flooded areas as you head home or make your way into work. Please plan for additional travel time this week, and be prepared to identify alternative routes in case roadways become flooded. Please also be sure to communicate with your leader should your arrival to work be delayed at any time due to poor conditions.
To monitor the latest weather and road updates, please visit the National Weather Service, Houston TranStar, TX DOT or Texas Children’s Emergency Management Connect site.
Additional updates will be communicated as the situation warrants.
Be safe.
Afsheen Davis
Administrator on Call
Michelle Riley-Brown
EVP on Call
Melissa Murrah
Emergency Management