May 4, 2022

It’s time to celebrate our more than 3,700 nurses across the Texas Children’s system and honor their countless contributions to our patients, their families and the nursing profession.

National Nurses Week 2022 kicks off May 6 with the evergreen theme, “Nurses Make a Difference” – selected by the American Nurses Association Enterprise to elevate the profession for the entire month, and to recognize nurses for their steadfast commitment to meeting the needs of patients.

Texas Children’s Nursing Retention Council is proud of the plans they’ve developed for the week to ensure our nurses know how much they are deeply valued, and appreciated for their hard work, dedication and sacrifice especially during these challenging times.

“We are excited about the opportunity to celebrate our nurses during National Nurses Week,” said Rhonda Wolfe, director of Acute Care Nursing at the Medical Center campus. “There are several events scheduled across the system, ensuring alignment with social distancing guidelines, to recognize the hard work of our nurses over the past year.”

The council also partnered with Texas Children’s Employee Well-Being team and chaplains to create in-person support opportunities for our nurses, such as the Blessing of the Hands. To see the full schedule of Nurses Week events, click here.

2022 Nursing Excellence Awards

A highlight of Nurses Week at Texas Children’s each year is the Nursing Excellence Awards, which honor our nurses for their commitment to improving nursing care and patient outcomes. With safety in mind amid the ongoing pandemic, honorees will be celebrated this year in small sessions hosted by Chief Nursing Officer Jackie Ward, rather than a large, in-person event.

Read on for more information about each Nursing Excellence Award recipient, including excerpts and comments from their award nominations. For a gallery featuring a photo of each honoree, view below.

  • Staff Nurse of the Year: April Poncik (Staff Nurse, West Campus PICU)

“Anyone who has met April knows her to be a firecracker nurse. You need an advocate for patient care? You need a mentor for your nursing practice? You need a cheerleader to boost your motivation? Just call April! She does not believe in individual success. She instead drives others to be great alongside her, knowing we are all better together and better together means better outcomes for the patients and their families. When she speaks, others listen and I believe this is because her commanding presence is not intimidating, but inspiring!”

  • Nurse Resident of the Year: Anastacia Pappas (Staff Nurse 1st Year, Heme/Onc)

“We easily remember the first time we met her. She had the biggest smile on her face. Throughout the past 7 months, her positive spirit has not faltered. Whenever she has some downtime with her own assignment, you can always find her rounding the unit, looking to help her co-workers. She continues to seek opportunities for hands-on practice to gain skills and improve her knowledge base. Even today, as we write this, we can hear her in the hall taking initiative, educating a newly diagnosed leukemia patient. Tasks some newer nurse might shy away from, she runs towards. If you still have doubt if she deserves this recognition, come round on 9WT and talk to any family member or patient. Everyone wants her as their bedside nurse!”

  • Nurse Preceptor of the Year: Crystal Dunaway (Staff Nurse, IRU)

“This nurse exemplifies Preceptor of the Year in her work as a PALS Lead Instructor. She has demonstrated expertise in coaching and giving feedback and truly lives the value of amplifying unity with her dedication to team training and team communication in PALS. At the beginning of each class, learners of all disciplines can be anxious with expectations and their performance, but she always takes time to assess learner anxiety and preparedness – this sets the stage for a successful class.”

  • Nurse Leader of the Year: Judith Holloway (Assistant Clinical Director, Cancer Center)

“While her stellar reputation has always preceded her, and her many years of tireless dedication to TCH also speak for themselves – it has been truly remarkable to see the patience, grace, and fortitude with which she manages her many duties in a consistently high-stress role. She is on the floor ALL the time. I have never had a nursing leader that was so accessible to staff. And she knows cancer – like knows it all. I am not alone – the nurses on 7 and 9 all appreciate her.”

  • Advanced Degree Nurse of the Year: Karen Gibbs (Clinical Specialist, Acute Care)

“She frequently shares her expertise with research and evidence review to drive improvements, both within Acute Care and beyond. Her leadership and mentorship reach far and positively impact numerous teams and clinicians. She actively participates in groups and committees aimed at enhancing outcomes and is passionate to patient care. I am so impressed with this individual who already serves as a role model for so many nurses. She reflects the core values of what nursing is all about in all aspects of her advanced practice role.”

  • Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year: Jamie Gilley (Nurse Practitioner, Neonatology)

“Leaders may often lead from the rear of the crowd. She is that kind of leader. Her involvement in introducing new respiratory modalities whether it be the use of the jet ventilator or the initiative of reducing the time needed for access in CDH patients was amazing. This last initiative required an intensive review of the literature on the topic and then proposing a solution and designing a monitoring dataset for the protocol demonstrates great insight into the needs of the patient as well as the need to ensure safety. She participated in all of the literature review and meetings that helped us develop the CDH guidelines that we have been following for the last three years.”

  • Friend of Nursing: Supply Chain Department

“There is no team that has worked harder, collectively, on behalf of direct care providers. Since the COVID pandemic hit, their work has been 24/7/365. They have provided full transparency with the situations that exist with product shortages. They have managed to stay on top of the never-ending back orders, and many times have come up with multiple items to substitute. The partnership between supply chain and nursing has definitely been moved to a different level as a result of the recent years. We appreciate and love our supply chain friends, and at minimum can acknowledge their efforts with this award!”

Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses

Out of thousands of nominations submitted, Texas Children’s is proud to have four nurses included among the Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses Award Top 15 Nurses of the Year in the greater Houston area. Congratulations to these outstanding honorees:

  • Barb Elias (Cardiovascular Surgery)
  • Brittany Blackston (Emergency Room)
  • Debbie Harrison (Cancer Center)
  • Jacqueline Kuna (Cancer Center)

Congratulations are also due to the 15 additional Texas Children’s nurses who earned recognition among the Top 150 Nurses of the Year in Greater Houston:

  • April Poncik (PICU, West Campus)
  • Gemma Elegores (Simulation Center)
  • Heather Collins (Nursing Operations, West Campus)
  • Jessica Raymond (Float Pool)
  • Joshua Hearne (Float Pool)
  • Kathleen Magee (Cancer Center)
  • Kristine Rodriguez (Emergency Room)
  • Lauren Ivanhoe (Nursing Operations, West Campus)
  • Maria Cruz (WOO Cancer Center, The Woodlands)
  • Michael Pickett (Anesthesiology)
  • Molly Mathew (Mother/Baby)
  • Nicole Harris (NICU II)
  • Sandy Gurganious (Clinical Support Operations)
  • Shelly Conwell (PICU)
  • Sondra Morris (Nursing Operations, West Campus)
  • Vanessa Kastner (Neonatology)

Here’s to a happy Nurses Week!

What to read, listen to, watch, try and know this month on Texas Children’s journey to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. Read more

Care Coordinator, Honee Michaels, sits down with us to explore how compassion has guided her through her role and her commitment to helping our patients and their families. Read more

As we approach Nurses Week, CNO Jackie Ward shares a special message with our nurses. Read More

Mental Health in May is the perfect opportunity to remind us to: Be Kind to Your Mind as part of our overall well-being. When we focus on good mental health, its benefits can ripple into every aspect of our lives.

To support the mental health and well-being of our strong and resilient team, during Mental Health Awareness Month the Texas Children’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Well-Being team has organized a variety of programs and resources to help each of us purposefully commit to our own health and happiness.

Be Kind to Your Mind and put your mental health first by taking advantage of any of the tools and resources to follow and also located on the Mental Health Awareness website.

Well-Being and Mental Health Surveys

Texas Children’s employees are invited to complete the World Health Organization WHO-5 survey. Your participation in this short, five-item survey is voluntary and can:

  • Help you to measure your own personal well-being, an important dimension of being a positive, healthy individual.
  • Help us better understand the current organizational trends facing our Texas Children’s team members.

Click here any time during May to participate in the survey, or look for the QR code, which will be available at various Mental Health Awareness Month campus events throughout the month.

For those working in remote locations or anyone who would like to take the survey at any time during May, you can access the survey here.

Baylor partners and staff members interested in taking a well-being survey, please click here to access the Well-Being Index (WBI).

Any team member interested in taking additional confidential and free mental health surveys offered through Mental Health America, can access them here.

Premiere Mental Health Fairs

The EAP and Well-Being team has invited all of our mental health vendors for our first Mental Health Fair virtually and on-site at several locations. Join us to identify all the mental health resources available to you and your family:

Monday, May 16 – Noon to 12:30 p.m.

  • Medical Center – on The Auxiliary Bridge

Tuesday, May 17 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

  • West Campus – in front of DOTS Kitchen in the corridor

Wednesday, May 18 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

  • Health Plan – Basement Conference Room

Thursday, May 19 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

  • The Woodlands – Lobby

Friday, May 20 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On-site massages will be available on a first come, first served basis at all Mental Health Fairs at all locations.

Wellness Wednesday Webinars

Consider setting aside 30 minutes every Wednesday throughout May for a variety of webinars hosted by EAP and Well-Being featuring additional resources to support your mental well-being. Click here to register.

  • Spirituality and Mental Health – Join Chaplain Kirstin Springmeyer for an expressive art writing exercise using various nature path images to help understand and reflect on the world around us.

Wednesday, May 4 – Noon to 12:30 p.m.

  • Laughter Yoga – This single exercise routine reduces physical, mental and emotional stress simultaneously. It combines laughter with yoga breathing to quickly stop cortisol and release happiness hormones into the body, opening the door for functioning in the parasympathetic nervous system. All of this happens within the first three to five minutes of laughter!

Wednesday, May 11 – Noon to 12:30 p.m.

  • EAP+ Resource Overview – Join our EAP+ team as they provide all of the mental health resources available to our One Amazing team.

Wednesday, May 18 – Noon to 12:30 p.m.

  • Cigna Behavioral Health Resource Overview – Learn about all of the Cigna behavioral health resources available and how to find them on the Cigna website.

Wednesday, May 25 – Noon to 12:30 p.m.

Upcoming EAP Wellness Support Group

Coming in June, the Burnout Prevention & Resiliency Support Group might be for you if you feel perpetual exhaustion, like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated. Or, if you are feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands and prefer isolating from others.

Within an interactive, safe, and supportive virtual Teams environment, you can come together with others in your shoes to process your feelings, share similar experiences and learn ways to cope and reduce symptoms of burnout. You are welcome to join any or all sessions.

Wednesdays in June – Noon to 12:30 p.m. Register here

EAP Wellness Classes

Throughout the year, EAP offers various classes to assist employees with improving overall wellness. Go to HealthStream to learn more about dates and times and register.

Questions?

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 can find information on additional confidential programs, virtual care options and resources to support your mental health and well-being.

Dr. Lara Shekerdemian (from left), Dr. Jeffrey S. Shilt, Dr. Huda Y. Zoghbi

As the next step in her esteemed career that has spanned more than a decade at Texas Children’s and bolstered our international reputation for excellence, pediatric critical care physician Dr. Lara Shekerdemian has been named the new Pediatrician In-Chief.

“I could not be more pleased to announce Dr. Shekerdemian for this role,” said President and CEO Mark A. Wallace. “As a highly accomplished physician responsible for transformational change in both academic and clinical settings, she is a tremendous asset to our team.”

Since being recruited to Texas Children’s in 2010 as Chief of Critical Care, Shekerdemian has played an instrumental role in some of our most significant milestones. She brings 23 total years of clinical and leadership experience across three continents to this pivotal physician leadership position.

As an integral part of the CareFirst expansion initiative and the successful design and opening of the Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower, Shekerdemian helped lead the way for the institution to expand critical services from 72 to 172 beds over the three hospital campuses. Highly regarded as an innovator, she has grown and developed an exceptional critical care team at Texas Children’s – building a culture of collaboration, inclusion and collegiality.

Shilt, Zoghbi also elevated to new In-Chief roles

Wallace also recently announced the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey S. Shilt as Community In-Chief and Dr. Huda Y. Zoghbi as Research In-Chief. Both are new roles that build on Wallace’s strategy and vision to manage hospital-based services and expand our research capacity.

“Leadership of an organization is the sum of three things: vision, structure and people. As we continue to expand it is critical to ensure that we have a proper and robust structure populated with the best people,” Wallace said. “That is why I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Huda Y. Zoghbi as our new Research-In-Chief and Dr. Jeffrey S. Shilt as our new Community-In-Chief.”

An orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, Shilt has been Chief of Community Surgery for the past three years. He currently serves as professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, Medical Director of the Motion Analysis & Human Performance Lab, Pediatric Sports Medicine Liaison to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for United States cycling. During his tenure at Texas Children’s, he has been instrumental in leading operations at The Woodlands location and successfully led multiples initiatives to foster and maintain key community partnerships.

Zoghbi has earned global renown as a physician-scientist. A professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, she is the founding director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute. Her leadership has led to incredible clinical breakthroughs and helped to foster more than 70 new disease gene discoveries at NRI, making the institute a premiere destination for families with neurological concerns. Zoghbi is also the recipient of more than two dozen major national and international awards and honors for invention, research, genetics, life sciences, biomedical science, medicine, neuroscience and many more.

“I’m confident that this new structure will elevate Texas Children’s to heights it’s never before seen,” Wallace said. “These exemplary leaders will be instrumental in expanding our research enterprise and expand women’s services and pediatric care into the communities we serve. And those who will benefit most are patients.”