August 31, 2023

Texas Children’s Hospital, the largest children’s hospital in the nation and top-ranked children’s hospital in Texas, is once again being recognized as one of the best places to work in the state.

Forbes recently published its fifth annual list of America’s Best Employers by State, partnering with market research firm Statista to survey workers across the country on company image, working conditions, diversity and more. On the Texas list, Texas Children’s placed No. 7 among 80+ companies and organizations.

All surveys were anonymous to encourage candor, and as with all Forbes lists, companies pay no fee to participate.

Texas Children’s is committed to ensuring every team member feels valued for their contributions and love where they work. In just the past year, Texas Children’s was also named a Best Place to Work in both Houston and Austin by each city’s respective Business Journals.

As always, honors like these wouldn’t be possible without our One Amazing Team! Click here to see the full list from Forbes and search companies by state.

August 28, 2023

Grateful and thoughtful family member submitted the following Caught You Caring recognition for Inpatient Staff Nurse Grace O’Brien.

“We are so happy with Grace! What truly sets her apart is her ability to connect with our daughter on a personal level. Her gentle touch and soothing words instantly comfort her, even during painful procedures. She is so patient and attentive. Not only was she skilled in her medical responsibilities, but she also went above and beyond to provide emotional support. Her kindness and empathy created a nurturing environment that helped us navigate the challenges of our daughter’s medical needs. She took the time to listen to our concerns, answer our questions and provide clear explanations. Her genuine care and understanding meant the world to us. Her dedication to her profession is evident in the way she handled every aspect of our daughter’s care. It is clear that she truly loves what she does, and her passion shines through in the exceptional care she provides.”

Caught You Caring

There are countless examples of how team members make an impact every day. Through our Caught You Caring recognition program, anyone (patients, families, colleagues, vendors, volunteers or visitors) can provide a kind word about someone who went the extra mile. Even the smallest act of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Click here to submit a recognition for a colleague. The recipient and their leader will receive an email notification. Since its inception in 2015, there have been more than 30,000 recognitions submitted.

A highly-regarded plastic and orthopedic surgeon, Pederson has also been appointed chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. Read more

Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine launch a new clinical genomic sequencing program to help patients with undiagnosable conditions. Read more

On Mark Wallace’s blog, he celebrates International Dog Day by sharing how Texas Children’s favorite four-legged employees, Angus, Bailey, Cohen, Pinto and Pluto, make a difference for families every day. Read more

August 22, 2023

For many, the summer included a flurry of activity, including travel, dining out, going to the movies, attending camp or just relaxing with friends and family. Unfortunately, this level of activity, especially in crowded spaces, brings with it a higher risk of exposure to airborne infectious agents, including respiratory viruses and bacterial pathogens.

There has been a steady increase in COVID-19 transmission numbers in July and August. Wastewater data shows a steep increase in viral load over the past few weeks. Our teams are monitoring the data (hospital and regional) closely as this trend may continue and possibly accelerate as the new school year begins.

Please stay vigilant, and protect yourselves and our patients against COVID-19.

Helpful reminders
  • Stay home if you feel sick and get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Employee Health Virtual Assistant. Access the Employee Health virtual assistant from any device, any time, on or off the Texas Children’s network for COVID-19 related guidance and support.
  • Hand hygiene. Clean your hands frequently and thoroughly to protect yourself and your patients. Clean your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer available at many locations in our health care system. Follow the Five Moments for Hand Hygiene ENG|ESP.
  • Masking. At work, especially in patient care areas, masking is encouraged. In the community, consider masking, particularly in crowded areas. Masks are strongly encouraged for those with high-risk conditions. Masks will continue to be freely available at many locations in our hospital and health care system. For questions regarding individual risk status, consult your PCP or Employee Health.
  • Vaccines. Stay current with COVID-19 vaccine boosters and be prepared for new vaccine formulations available this fall for influenza and COVID-19. Also, new RSV vaccines for expectant mothers during pregnancy, as well as workforce members 60 years of age and above, will be available soon. Please consult with your PCP or Employee Health if you have questions or concerns about your immunization status.

For more information, please visit our COVID-19 Command website on Connect.

 

August 21, 2023

Interprofessional health care providers, presenters and exhibitors convened at Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) on Aug. 3, 2023 for Texas Children’s Professional Day Summit. The enterprise-wide event led by Nursing Professional Development (NPD) offered opportunities to enhance knowledge and skill application for health care professionals, thereby improving professional practice and patient outcomes.

This year’s theme was Prioritizing Quality Care & Clinician Wellness. Dr. Angie Rangel, Jill Stonesifer and several NPD team members welcomed conference participants by sharing the purpose of the event and its significance to professional practice. System Chief Nurse Executive Dr. Jackie Ward kicked off the event with opening remarks on the value of interprofessional teamwork, lifelong learning and its impact on clinicians and patients. Keynote speaker Dr. Beth Ulrich followed with a presentation on Creating Health Work Environments to Improve Clinician & Patient Outcomes. Conference participants then broke into sessions focused on Pediatrics, Women’s Health and Professional Practice to discuss current issues and health care trends, as well as exchange ideas and share best practices.

Between sessions, registrants networked, explored featured exhibitors, participated in wellness activities and received door prizes. The event was free for Texas Children’s employees and offered continuing education credits to physicians, nurses, social workers and respiratory therapists. Auditorium presentations were also livestreamed to West Campus, The Woodlands and Austin MoPac for those who could not attend in-person. Click here to see the full agenda.

Participants shared their experiences from the summit:

“The theme echoed at TCH Professional Day Summit was ‘learning never ends.’ It was an amazing curriculum that covered a large variety of topics facing our health care industry today…I really enjoyed learning about strategies and quality initiatives from our peers across the organization. I definitely plan to apply the knowledge learned with our department.” – Rachel Gonzales, Assistant Clinical Director (Radiology)

“Every presentation I attended was thought provoking and interactive. All the presenters were engaging, and discussions with colleagues across disciplines and campuses provided fruitful dialogue to make the presentations even more thoughtful. I look forward to attending the next summit!” – Brittany Walters, Clinical Nurse Coordinator (International Office)

“Congratulations on a successful conference! I thought it was a wonderful chance as a physician to learn about a wide variety of topics from the nursing perspective. I was impressed with the keynote as well as the final talk on Nursing Ethics from Dr. Nancy Yuill, and was proud to be part of the program myself.” – Dr. Daniel Lemke, Emergency Medicine

“The topics were not only relevant, but also extremely informative. I particularly appreciated the sessions surrounding the legalities of nursing licensure and how to protect it. Professional Day Summit is an event I would definitely encourage others to attend for NCPD credits!” – Chloe Smith, Staff Nurse (Radiology)

Putting together a successful conference of this scale was possible thanks to the hard work, collaborative planning and ongoing commitment to shared learning from Texas Children’s NPD team: Yaima Aleman, Sonia Alvarado, Jana Broussard, Tori Baker, Jaime Choate, Ronda LeBlanc, Karina Moreno, Tanya Nelson-Hall, Natalie Richards, Jill Stonesifer, Jessica Ramirez, and Gayle Young. The team also extends a special thanks to Education and Professional Development Shared Governance Council partners and volunteers who helped make it happen.

Click here to learn more about this year’s Professional Day Summit, and stay tuned for its return in 2025!