November 9, 2021

We work diligently to keep our patients’ and members’ information secure, and it’s just as important to keep your personal information safe. That’s why the Compliance and Privacy Office has teamed up with Iron Mountain to provide a free on-site document shred event from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, November 13.

The drive-up event will be held in the parking lot of 6330 West Loop South, Bellaire, Texas 77401. The event is open to Texas Children’s employees, BCM Faculty and staff, patients, and members of the public for secure shredding of personal documents.

Click here for a printable Shred Day flyer.

When and where will Shred Day be held?
Saturday, November 13
8 a.m. to noon
6330 West Loop South
Bellaire, TX 77401
What should be shredded?
Anything with confidential or identifying information, including old paycheck stubs, bank statements and items that list social security numbers.

Questions?

Contact the Compliance and Privacy Office at 832-824-2085.

November 3, 2021

With an entire week of spook-tacular activities that ranged from monster-mashing in our favorite Halloween shirts to getting freakishly festive in our best costumes, Texas Children’s team members made this year’s Halloween Spirit Week a time to remember.

The special celebration was part of our ongoing Tomorrow, Together investment in our people, which puts our gratitude for our team members into meaningful action that meets your needs and makes Texas Children’s an even better place to build a career.

For many, the opportunity to participate in Spirit Week was a happy reminder of the beloved traditions that have long been part of our unique culture. A big thank you to all who participated and made this Halloween so memorable for our team members and patients alike!

Costume Contest

Congratulations to the winners and runners-up in our Costume Contest, as selected by Texas Children’s Workforce Well-Being Committee. To see each photo, scroll through the gallery.

TEAM CATEGORY

Winner: Department of Anesthesiology (The Painkillers) – “The Addams Family”

Runner-up: West Campus Child Life – “101 Dalmatians”

INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY

Winner: Marcy Santana – “Operation Game”
Contact Center Representative
Texas Children’s Physician Services Organization (TCPSO)

Runner-up: Juan Chavez – “Mario”
Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist
Human Resources

Photo Submissions

In total, we received more than 100 photos from Halloween Spirit Week, including submissions from the teams and departments listed below. To see all of the snapshots, click here.

  • Academic General Pediatrics – Complex Care
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Business Services – Payment Operations
  • Cardiology
  • Cancer Center
  • Central Business Office (CBO)
  • Children’s Sleep Center
  • Clinical Informatics
  • Contact Center
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Facilities Planning and Development
  • Family Advocacy
  • Health Plan
  • Heart Center
  • Human Resources – Leave of Absence
  • Human Resources – Talent Acquisition
  • Language Services
  • Med Staff Services
  • Neurophysiology
  • NICU
  • Otolaryngology
  • PACU
  • Patient Sitter Float Pool
  • Quality and Outcomes Analytics
  • RCM Training and Development
  • REI
  • Security
  • Supply Chain
  • Surgery
  • TCP Cy-Fair
  • TCP Houston Pediatric Associates
  • TCP Humble-Kingwood
  • TCP Pasadena
  • TCP Post Oak
  • TCP Town and Country
  • TCP Westbank
  • TCP Woodlands
  • Volunteer Services
  • West Campus – Cancer Center
  • West Campus – Child Life
  • West Campus – Immunization Clinic
  • West Campus – Radiology
  • West Campus – Renal
  • West Campus – Special Procedures
  • Women’s Place
  • Women’s Services
  • Woodlands – Radiology
Halloween Jam Session

Can’t get enough of those Halloween hits? Follow this link to enjoy a special performance of Halloween music from Texas Children’s own all-staff Ukulele Choir, created in partnership with the Child Life Production and Music Therapy teams.

If you’re interested in becoming part of the ukulele choir, send them an email.

Health Plan Hijinks

Halloween celebrations were especially spirited at Texas Children’s Health Plan! Watch this video to see how our TCHP colleagues enjoyed the most frighteningly fun week of the year.

Appointments are now available to receive vaccine beginning November 3. Read more

November 2, 2021

Texas Children’s affirmed its Global Health partnership with the Republic of Botswana and praised our mutual commitment to children and families during a recent visit from President Mokgweetsi Masisi and a delegation of Botswanan leaders.

Texas Children’s, Botswana-Baylor Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence Trust and Baylor College of Medicine operate through a public-private partnership with the government of Botswana. Launched in 2003, the Trust established the first pediatric HIV/AIDS Center of Excellence in Africa at Princess Marina Hospital in the capital city of Gaborone.

Today, it provides more than 7,500 children, adolescents and families with state-of-the-art pediatric HIV, oncology and blood disorder care and treatment at no cost. The program also builds the capacity of local health care workers through trainings in emergency medicine and critical care.

“We’ve accomplished so much more than I could have ever imagined,” said Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace, who hosted the Botswana delegation and extended a warm welcome upon their arrival in late September.

President Masisi and a delegation last traveled to Texas Children’s in 2018 – well before the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“We see this partnership growing from strength to strength and continuously benefiting the most vulnerable in Botswana,” said President Masisi regarding this visit. “Together we can improve the health care service delivery in Botswana and the region.”

Mr. Wallace noted that Texas Children’s was able to donate supplies and personal protective equipment to Botswana during the pandemic, and expressed excitement about expanding our partnership and work in the southern African nation for generations to come.

“We simply could not have asked for a better partner,” Mr. Wallace said. “From day one, you’ve trusted us to serve your country’s children and provide the same care we give to patients here at Texas Children’s. We do this because every child we serve in Botswana is a patient of Texas Children’s Hospital.”

Dr. Mogomotsi Matshaba, executive director of the Botswana Baylor Trust, visited Texas Children’s alongside President Masisi.

OB/GYN-in-Chief Dr. Michael Belfort, Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Larry Hollier, Pathologist-in-Chief Dr. James Versalovic and Co-Directors of Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development – Dr. Peter Hotez and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi – also participated.

From Día de los Muertos to Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the fall and winter seasons are full of holiday celebrations and all the things that come with them: making memories with family and friends, expressing love and gratitude, and reflecting on historic events that have shaped our lives and communities across generations.

There’s often so much good energy flowing from November through January that you don’t have to recognize any particular holiday to understand what makes this time of year so special. In fact, a growing number of Americans say they don’t celebrate any holidays at all.

But whether you’re decorating with diyas for Diwali, waiting up for Santa or just enjoying a few days off work – there is still that little something in the air for many, including our One Amazing Team. Read on to learn more about some of the cultural and religious holidays observed right here within our Texas Children’s family.

You can also share your own most cherished team, family, holiday and seasonal traditions with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team via e-mail. We’d love to hear your story and potentially feature it on Connect or our Texas Children’s social media page!

From AQPC co-chair to PCM for the Immunization Clinic, Charlotte Mathis shares how her involvement in Shared Governance opened up opportunities to grow professionally. Read more

Through our Tomorrow, Together initiative, you shared how important it is for us to support the health and wellbeing of every Texas Children’s team member. That’s why for this year’s Benefits Annual Enrollment, we are keeping your rates low, investing in new offerings and giving you multiple options to create a benefits plan that is right for you and your family.

Beginning today, Friday, Oct. 29, and continuing through midnight Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, all Texas Children’s employees will be able to participate in our 2022 Benefits Annual Enrollment. To start planning, visit TexasChildrensBenefits.org to review your benefit options for next year and select your benefit plans. In addition to paying for the majority of your medical benefits, Texas Children’s is also investing in:

  • No rate increases for Vision, Optional Life, and AD&D
  • No rate increases for Short-Term or Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • New identity theft protection coverage option through Allstate
  • No evidence of insurability required for Short-Term Disability insurance and Optional Life (if elected during Benefits Annual Enrollment)
Virtual Benefits Presentation

Join us for a virtual benefits presentation at 11 a.m., today, Friday, Oct. 29, for an overview of this year’s benefits changes and learn how to make the best elections for you. To attend, simply download the meeting link to your calendar or follow this link on the day of the presentation.

Things to Remember
  • Select Dollars. As always, Texas Children’s contributes the majority of the costs associated with our medical plans and also provides all full-time and part-time employees with additional money on a bi-weekly basis (referred to as Select Dollars) to help offset the cost of any benefit premiums, regardless of whether you are enrolled in Texas Children’s medical benefits.
  • FSAs. If you do not make any elections during Benefits Annual Enrollment, you will be enrolled based on last year’s elections, with the exception of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). To participate in either the Healthcare or Dependent Care FSA in 2022, which Texas Children’s automatically contributes $260, you must make an election during Benefits Annual Enrollment.
  • Enrollment. Benefit changes after Annual Enrollment are not permitted under federal regulations, except for qualified life events and certain job status changes. Otherwise, the next opportunity for you to change your benefit elections is the 2023 Benefits Annual Enrollment period.
  • 403(b) Retirement. Texas Children’s matches 50 percent on the first 6 percent of your deferral contributions per pay period, up to a maximum of $8,700 for 2021. If you are not already enrolled in the 403(b) savings plan or not contributing at least 6 percent, you should consider doing so now. To enroll or update your contribution, please visit Fidelity NetBenefits or call 1-800-343-0860 to access your online account. If you are registering online for the first time, please click on “Register as a new user” in the log-in area. To view information on Texas Children’s contributions and vesting, please click here.
  • Roth. Remember that you can contribute pre-tax or Roth after-tax through the 403(b) savings plan. Your contributions to a Roth 403(b) and traditional pre-tax 403(b) cannot exceed the IRS limit.
  • Pension Plan. The Pension Plan is designed to provide a foundation for your retirement and is fully funded by Texas Children’s. You are automatically enrolled in the plan on April 1 or Oct. 1 once you reach 21 years of age and have worked 1,000 hours or more during the 12 consecutive months after your initial date of hire. To access your account, please visit LifeWorks or call 1-800-752-8230. To view information on Texas Children’s contributions and vesting, please click here.
Question? Need help?

Ask Emma, Your Personal Digital Benefits Advisor
Available 24/7 in both English and Spanish from any desktop or mobile device, Ask Emma will offer confidential guidance and advice to help you select the right benefits for you and your family.

Texas Children’s Benefits Service Center
Our Benefits team is available to help from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6.

  • To reach the team by phone, call 832-824-2421 (select option 1 for Benefits and then option 1 again). Spanish language assistance is also available.
  • To reach the team via web chat, follow the link at the top of your Benefits homepage.

You can access all of your benefits in one place, make your 2022 benefit selections or learn more about this year’s Annual Enrollment, including a schedule of events to promote our benefit offerings. Visit the 2022 What’s New page at TexasChildrensBenefits.org

You’ve worked hard all year to further our mission and provide the best care for our patients. Now, it’s time for us to plan your Tomorrow, Together. Review your benefit options today.