October 19, 2022

Halloween is right around the corner! Texas Children’s is launching our spooktacular Halloween Spirit Week starting Monday, October 24 – please click here to view the schedule for the entire week, including the costume contest on Halloween.

Our very own Texas Children’s volunteers will vote on the best individual and group costumes. To participate in the costume contest, please click here to submit your photos to Volunteer Services by Thursday, November 3 for a chance to win prizes.

Let’s make this year’s Halloween exciting and memorable for our patients and team members. We want everyone to get in the spirit, but please be sure to wear appropriate costumes and spirit attire. Below are guidelines to follow:

  • Costumes should be fun, festive and family-friendly, but not scary for our patients.
  • If working in a clinical area, costumes must be easily removable to handle medical emergencies.
  • Please make sure your badge is worn and visible at all times.
  • Please continue to follow safety and PPE guidelines. A Halloween mask/face covering cannot be used in place of your TCH issued mask in areas where masks are required.

We look forward to seeing everyone get in the Halloween spirit!

Texas Children’s new best-in-class system will offer an improved and more modern experience for the organization. The cloud-based solution will consolidate platforms, offer streamlined self-service options and provide opportunities to improve engagement and interaction with leaders and team members. It is time to start preparing for go live on January 6, 2023.

Voyager will be the single system to:

  • Manage your performance and development
  • Access learning that aligns with your role
  • Request feedback anytime throughout the year
  • Be the driver of your professional journey through internal job searches
  • View your payslips
  • Access most content and transactions on your phone using the mobile app
For more information and support
Prepare for launch

Stay tuned to the Voyager SharePoint site to learn how you can prepare for launch, including self-service learning/training, additional resources added weekly and key actions to take before the system goes live on January 6.

Sara Bennett explains how her passion for nursing gave her a new family in both the staff and her patients and why more nurses should consider joining this one-of-a-kind department. Read More

As a reminder, the deadline to be compliant with the flu vaccination requirement is Thursday, November 17 to maintain employment at Texas Children’s. This deadline also applies to all volunteers, contractors and Baylor team members.

Baylor team member flu vaccine requirement

Baylor team members must complete the attestation process by November 17 if they received the vaccine outside of Baylor, including at a Texas Children’s flu event. The attestation process will be completed through the BCM Flu Vaccine app.

Please note, if a Baylor team member cannot access the app from their Texas Children’s location they can send their vaccine record to vaccinecompliance@bcm.edu and the attestation information will be entered on their behalf.

Helpful resources
  • Digital assistant tool. Visit texaschildrens.org/employeevaccines (you may need to refresh your browser) from any device, anywhere to access the tool for multiple flu resources, including FAQs, how to get vaccinated, more information on exemptions, consent form, event schedule and to submit proof of vaccination. Only Texas Children’s employees should submit proof of vaccination with this tool.
  • Vaccine availability. There are many ways employees can receive a flu vaccine.
    • Please click here to view and make plans to attend any of the 27 remaining Texas Children’s flu events and view details for the new walk-in hours at campus locations.
    • Texas Children’s Pediatrics (TCP) locations are administering the flu vaccine. Team members can schedule their vaccine during their child’s onsite appointment, but are responsible for submitting proof through the digital assistant tool.
    • Flu vaccines are available through primary care providers or retail pharmacies. Team members will need to submit proof of these vaccinations through the digital assistant tool.
    • Click here to schedule a one-on-one appointment or to receive a flu and COVID booster concurrently.
  • Submitting proof. Texas Children’s employees who receive the vaccine outside of either a Texas Children’s flu event or a one-on-one appointment with Employee Health will need to submit proof of the flu vaccine. Baylor team members and contractors please follow the submission instructions provided by your employer.
    • All forms of proof must include full legal name and date of birth. To submit, upload an image of your vaccination card, pharmacy receipt/print out or My Chart screen. JPEG, PNG and TIFF images are accepted. PDF documents are accepted, but Word documents are not.
  • Vaccine questions. If you have any questions, please contact the Employee Health Vaccine Support Line at 832-822-2463 (VACCINE) Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or email employeevaccines@texaschildrens.org.
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There are still opportunities to learn more about Cybersecurity while having fun at the same time. A Cybersecurity booth was at TCHP. Check out other booths. Read More

Every two seconds, someone needs a blood transfusion. On Wednesday, November 2, everyone on our One Amazing Team will have an opportunity to be a hero by helping to support the need for blood in health care operations across our community. Wednesday’s Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (GCRBC) drive will be in the Feigin Tower, first-floor conference center. Donors should make an appointment by registering here. Walk-ins are accepted based on availability in the schedule, although appointments are preferred.

Each day the Blood Center must collect 1,000 units to meet the needs of patients in 170 hospitals in their service area. As one of the Blood Center’s largest hospital clients, our team’s Commit for Life donations will make a difference for our patient’s lives. As a “thank you” for helping to save lives, donors will receive a Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center themed blanket (while supplies last).

Based on CDC guidance, the Blood Center has several safety measures in place to protect donors from COVID, including increased sanitization and placing donor beds six feet apart to maintain social distancing.

For questions or assistance, contact Christina Gligorova with GCRBC at 832-602-9350.

October 14, 2022

This week, the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control authorized bivalent COVID-19 booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children who are 5-11 years old and Moderna vaccines for children 6 years and older. Booster doses were approved for older populations last month.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force recommends all eligible persons receive either of these bivalent boosters. Texas Children’s now has appointments available to administer both the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent booster doses. Details are below.

Pfizer
  • Individuals 5 years of age and older
  • At least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna
  • Individuals 6 years of age and older
  • At least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine
Bivalent boosters

The bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, or updated boosters, include an mRNA component of the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an mRNA component in common between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.

If you or someone you know is eligible and would like to receive a booster through Texas Children’s, please click here.

For more information on boosters, please refer to this FAQ document on the Texas Children’s website.