May 11, 2021

With more and more children seeking compassionate and reliable care to manage chronic pain, Texas Children’s has now opened the West Campus Pain Clinic to bring much-needed pain management services closer to home for families in west Houston and surrounding areas.

Frequently defined as lasting greater than 3 months or longer, chronic pain is recurrent, persistent and often affected by biological influences and psychological and sociocultural factors. Pain Medicine providers at Texas Children’s routinely see children and adolescents with low back pain, chronic daily headache, chronic pelvic pain, fibromyalgia and many other conditions that drastically affect quality of life.

Led by Dr. Laura Torres, the Medical Center Pain Clinic has been running at capacity for the last year. The ever-increasing number of patients prompted clinical and administrative leaders to consider how best to improve access to pain medicine, while also offering new options for segments of our patient population that had been underserved.

“Expert diagnosis and treatment for painful conditions in children is a major problem,” said Anesthesiologist-in-Chief Dr. Dean Andropoulos. “Although we have had a successful Pain Clinic at the Medical Center for a number of years, this patient population continues to grow and we needed to expand. West Campus is the perfect location for this new clinic because of the availability of space and time, and the presence of additional expertise.”

Opening new doors for pain management

The West Campus Pain Clinic is led by Dr. Henry Huang, an anesthesiologist with extensive fellowship training in Pediatric Anesthesiology and in Pediatric and Adult Pain Medicine. Huang is trained to perform some procedures not yet offered by the Anesthesiology Department, which will inevitably allow more patients to experience improved relief.

The clinic also includes a dedicated psychologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist and nursing staff to enhance the level of support provided.

“Chronic pain is commonly debilitating for families and remarkably complex to treat,” said Dr. Chris Glover, division director for Anesthesia Services at both West Campus and The Woodlands. He noted that opening a clinic at West Campus proved to be the ideal solution from multiple perspectives, including the ease of wayfinding and availability of parking.

“The clinic provides an intervention-based option along with traditional-based approaches for families, which complements the current service in the Medical Center,” Glover said. “West was an easy choice in broadening our reach.”

Endless potential for growth

As with any major undertaking at Texas Children’s, the opening of the West Campus Pain Clinic was handled with a thoughtful, patient-centered approach.

“The multidisciplinary approach to care ensures that we are caring for the whole child and not just a fraction of their concerns,” said Kara Abrameit, director of Outpatient and Clinic Support Services at West Campus. “The team quickly jumped behind this opportunity by having collaborative brainstorming meetings, thinking outside of the box and challenging one another to ensure we were able to find solutions.”

Over the course of many months, the diverse group of stakeholders worked together to better understand patient needs; recruit and align the right providers, including incorporating therapists from the Clear Lake Specialty Care; identify and secure the needed space with social distancing in mind; and resolve every decision that made the clinic a reality.

“Many of our patients have to deal with chronic pain issues and should not have to drive all the way to the Medical Center to receive treatment,” said Vice President Matt Timmons. “Offering this service at West is a huge step in serving this patient population closer to home.”

With limited pediatric chronic pain clinics in the United States, many children are unable to receive the pain management services they need – and few clinics can apply the same interventions and guidance now offered at West Campus. The team anticipates more growth and success ahead.

“This is only the beginning for Texas Children’s Pain Service,” said practice administrator Kelly Crumley. “This expansion from the Medical Center out into the greater community is the first step in our growth plans. It is our priority and responsibility to care for these children’s chronic pain needs, and we will continue to creatively enhance this service and our reach to do so.”

To make patient appointments at the West Campus Pain Clinic via Epic Inbasket, use WC PPC for scheduling. Referrals can also be placed, with sooner scheduling if referrals are directed specifically to Dr. Henry Huang. To contact the clinic by phone, call 832-227-0010.

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.

Today, we are kicking off with your physical well-being.

Well-Woman Exam: Don’t forget to schedule your annual physical with your health care provider as part of your self-care routine. This is a great opportunity to check in on your general health status and physical body as well as address any health concerns.

  • Texas Children’s Employee Medical Clinic provides full-service primary care that includes annual physicals and the well-being physical, which offers a more in-depth and comprehensive approach to understanding your key health numbers. As part of our safety protocols during the pandemic, the Employee Medical Clinic is currently conducting well-woman exams in a two-part process. The first part is a virtual appointment where you can discuss concerns with one of ours providers, and the second part is in person for the physical tests. Click here to view Employee Medical Clinic locations and hours of operation, and call 832.824.2424 to make an appointment.
  • Virtual Wellness Screenings by MDLive: If you are enrolled in our Cigna medical plans, you can also get your virtual wellness screening from anywhere via video or phone at your convenience and at no cost, as part of your preventive care benefits. First, you will schedule an in-person appointment with an in-network lab for the necessary blood work and biometrics before meeting virtually with your MDLive provider online to discuss your results. Click here to learn more about this option.

Health Coaching: Texas Children’s offers free health coaching to all employees. This is a great way to make positive long-term health changes with the advice, motivation and support of your health coach. Texas Children’s currently has two health coaches to help support your well-being needs. Please contact Staci Tobolowsky-Astrein for the Medical Center and Ashley Miller for community locations.

Movement: Daily mobility contributes greatly to your overall health by stimulating our entire body from our brains to our joints. There are various types of movements ranging from quick neighborhood walks, yoga or cycling. Frequent and consistent movement is key to reducing stress and improving circulation. Check out our new Active and Fit Direct Partnership where you have the opportunity to utilize 200 on-demand workouts at no cost. If you prefer the gym, you can join Active and Fit Direct for $25 a month and have access to over 2,500+ on-demand workouts and unlimited access to gyms that are part of the network. It is also always more fun exercising with others. Try out this fun cardio workout video with your family!

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.

Frank McCormick – 15.6 years of service
Advanced Clinical Specialist Physical Therapist – Physical Therapy Inpatient
Why I got the vaccine? To protect my family and potentially break the chain of transmission to everyone.

Muping Lu – 16.9 years of service
Medical Technologist – Legacy Tower, Blood Bank
The pandemic has taken away millions of lives worldwide which includes my family member and friends. The losses are painful and heart broken. I felt helpless and desperate for effective treatments, especially the vaccines. Thanks to our scientists and the leadership of our nation, I finally saw the light at the end of tunnel when Texas Children’s announced availability of COVID-19 vaccine on December 2020. I got so excited and in the meanwhile felt a little bit anxious as a lot of people have concerns about the safety of vaccines. However, I rushed to register and became the first few batches of people vaccinated at Texas Children’s.

My thoughts are pretty simple and straightforward, I firmly believe the benefit of vaccines far more outweighs their risks, and I need to do my part to help in reaching the herd immunity threshold in the community. I had slight fever during the second dose, and thanks for the help of my supervisor and colleagues, I was able to rest at home and quickly recovered. Right now, I feel total relief and a tiny firewall against COVID-19 built around me. This tiny firewall not just protects myself, it also protects my family, co-workers, patients and all the people around me. Obviously, the more people who get vaccinated, the bigger and stronger the firewall will be. It is particularly crucial right now as the current surge of COVID-19 cases and emerges of various variants worldwide. So please get vaccinated.

Dolores Hidalgo – .6 years of service
Staff Nurse – Inpatient, Legacy Tower CICU, Floor 17
I chose to get the vaccine to continue to care, serve and help those in need and to one day be able to hug and kiss my loved ones again. #weareinthistogether

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 7, 2021

This week on Mark Wallace’s blog, he reflects on the many roles our remarkable nurses play at Texas Children’s, and how we would not be who we are today without our nursing teams. Read more

May 4, 2021

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

To kick off Nurses Week at Texas Children’s, Chief Nursing Officer Jackie Ward delivers a special “thank you” message to our nurses for their hard work, resilience and accomplishments. Read more

As we continue to advancing towards a reconstructed future filled with hope and anticipation, we also recognize the experiences the past year has had on our collective mental health.

According to Dr. Karin Price, Chief of Psychology for Texas Children’s: “Due to increased illness, mortality, bereavement, economic losses, school closures, social isolation, and prolonged uncertainty, adults are reporting significantly increased symptoms of anxiety and depression since the start of the pandemic. Moreover, we are beginning to see evidence that these signs of distress are not transient or short-lived, and that they have not decreased as the length of the pandemic has worn on.”

Further supporting the mental health and well-being of our strong and resilient team, Texas Children’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Well-Being is recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month, during which we will be promoting a variety of programs and resources to help our team members purposefully commit to their own health and happiness.

Below are some key highlights of available resources. Additional tools and resources to confidentially support your mental health can also be found here.

  • Daily Mental Health and Wellness Survey
    From May 17 – 21, you will be invited to participate in an optional daily survey that will allow us to better assess the well-being of our team members and inform future outreach. This brief survey will be available to employees through the same daily screening application used before entering our facilities, in addition to our Connect site for those working in remote locations. Responses will be kept confidential and only shared with members of our Well-Being team.
  • Mental Health Online Screening: Free online screening of mental health conditions with resources and tools provided to help you understand and improve your mental health. Access this free resource at The Mental Health America website.
  • Mental Health Webinars
    The EAP team, in partnership with Cigna, will be offering Texas Children’s team members a variety of webinars on mental health and personal wellness. To register for the events listed below, please click here.

    • Overview of Behavioral Health resources
      Tuesday, May 11, from 12 to 1 p.m.
    • Burnout
      Wednesday, May 26, from 12 to 1 p.m.
    • Mental Health First Aid
      Monthly one-day online training session in HealthStream, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
      Click here for more details.

For questions or further assistance, please contact our EAP and Well-Being team at 832-824-3327. You can also visit our EAP website where you will find information on additional confidential programs, virtual care options and resources to support your mental health and well-being.