July 17, 2024

The new Connect has main landing pages (Resources, News & Events, Sites and Help) instead of long drop-down lists, making room for a cleaner and more functional homepage.

If you’re looking for a link from the old homepage, it can likely now be found on the Resources or Sites page, or the revamped Employee Resources page. This page features categorized links relevant to the majority of our workforce. For department specific links, please visit those department or team SharePoint sites.

Since launching the new Connect, we used your feedback to rearrange content on the Resources page. Clinical Resources were pushed to the top of the page so that our providers can access the tools they need with more ease.

Where to find…
  • Event Reporting (Safety Scoop) – Click the Resources landing page and scroll down to Clinical Resources quick links. It’s also on the Help landing page under Quick Links (Report an Incident).
  • Spok On-Call Schedule & Directory – Click the Resources landing page and scroll down to Clinical Resources quick links.
  • Drug Information Formulary – Click the Resources landing page and scroll down to Clinical Resources quick links.
  • Online External Referrals (REDCap) – Click the Resources landing page and scroll down to Clinical Resources quick links. You can also find REDCap links on the Employee Resources page under ‘Data and reports.’
  • Concur – Click the Resources landing page and scroll down to Employee Resources quick links. It’s the featured resource on the photo.
  • Reports – Click the Resources landing page and scroll down to Employee Resources quick links.
  • SharePoint My Following Sites – Now called My Favorites on the Quick Links bar (far right) of the Home page.
  • Strata – Visit the Financial Planning & Analysis site and scroll down to quick links.

Visit the Help page to find frequently asked questions (FAQs) and watch short videos on how to navigate the new Connect. We also encourage you to “follow” your frequently visited SharePoint sites and set up bookmarks and favorites in Chrome and Edge for external websites.

If you’re still having trouble locating an item and can’t find it in the areas listed above, or have feedback you want to share, please reach out to HRCommunications@texaschildrens.org and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

July 16, 2024

It’s hard to lose dedicated, hardworking employees. Texas Children’s has been fortunate to have Child Life Specialist and facility dog handler Meg Gustafson for the last nine years, but July 19 will be her last day as she and Angus head to Mississippi. They will continue their child life and trauma-related work while Meg pursues a graduate degree at Mississippi State University.

This was not an easy decision for Meg, but grad school was something she had thought about off and on for several years. She stayed in touch with several professors from undergrad and one asked if she would be interested in doing a graduate assistantship with her. Through this program, Meg and Angus will work with families in a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TRBI) course educating caregivers on meeting the basic needs of children impacted by trauma, providing them tactics for emotional regulation and helping the kids get back to just being kids. They’ll also be working with Mississippi State child life students on a local hospital’s pediatric unit with the ultimate goal of creating a designated child life program for the hospital.

Meg is bringing beautiful memories of her time at Texas Children’s with her. “Getting to see the growth of the program, The Zone opening, the Teddy Bear Clinic, and of course, learning we were getting a dog at West Campus and being hired as the handler – gosh, it’s so hard to narrow down,” Meg recalled.

Certified Angus

It’s even harder for her to narrow down her favorite moments with Angus. “We’ve gone out and done the first pitch at the Space Cowboys game for the last two years. We’ve partnered with Katy High School on their toy drive. Getting to dive into the community has been an awesome part of being here,” said Meg. Not to mention all the love for her overgrown lap dog from both team members and patients. “We have hundreds of pictures of him in people’s laps. He just wants to be held,” she laughed.

The patient encounters are what really stay with her though. She shared a couple of her most memorable moments:

“We had a patient who was four or five and refusing to walk after surgery. But he said he would do it for Angus. He only walked from his bed to the nurse’s station, but his mom was in the background crying because he hadn’t even wanted to take a step.”

“We also had an older teen diagnosed with leukemia. Angus and I were present for her diagnosis conversation and then she transferred to the Med Center. But her parents emailed me she was coming to West Campus for a follow up and it happened to be the one-year anniversary of her diagnosis. She had knit Angus a bandana and wrote this really sweet note. He loves everybody, but there are just certain patients he really connects with.”

A Fond Farewell

West Campus will have an Angus-shaped hole in its heart, but we know they are going to continue their life-changing work. Texas Children’s wishes both Meg and Angus all the best and encourage you all to do the same on their Viva Engage page!

Not everyone would move across the world to pursue their career, but that’s exactly what Akari Fujino, MS, CCLS, did. After discovering her love for Child Life in high school, she knew she would have to make a big change to make her dream a reality. Now she calls Texas Children’s home and is making a difference in the lives of the children and families we serve.

What makes you happiest about being part of our One Amazing Team?

I like that Texas Children’s appreciates diversity. I grew up in Japan, so I have very different cultural background. People at TCH are open and encouraging!

What is your favorite part about your job?

As a child life specialist, I help patients and families cope with medical experiences. I really enjoy the process of learning patients’ strengths and tailoring my interventions. When children share with me how they have coped with difficulties or what they have learned from medical experiences, it brings me great joy and respect for their resilience.

Give a shout-out to someone at Texas Children’s for making a difference.

I want to give a shoutout to the Child Life team. As a first year, I receive a lot of support from other Child Life staff, and they are always willing to help each other. I am amazed when I learn about their experiences and how they make a difference in each patient and families’ journey in the hospital.

How do you recharge your batteries away from work?

When I am tired, I like spending time at home doing arts and crafts. I like creating complex modular origami. Sometimes, I use about 300 origami papers to make one product! I feel like moving my hands helps me process thoughts and feelings that I cannot necessarily articulate.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

After I found my passion for Child Life in high school, I taught myself English. Japan does not have child life education or certifications yet, so I would have to move. Moving to the United States by myself to pursue this career was very surprising to everyone around me because I was so shy. It is sometimes hard to be far away from my home and family, but I am grateful to have my dream job here.

July 10, 2024

You’ve heard the idea of family first, but for Texas Children’s practice managers and sisters, Heidi Howard-Jircik and Hannah Conley, patients are the priority and colleagues are the top concern.

The sisters had a good feeling about Texas Children’s early on. “Our mom worked in a call center in what used to be the FM 1960 practice…she thought it was the right place to start,” explained Heidi. Since joining Texas Children’s in the early 2000s, Heidi in 2003 and Hannah in 2007, the siblings have served in a variety of dayshift and nightshift roles – before taking positions as Practice Managers of TCP Heights (Heidi) and TCP Cypresswood (Hannah).

When asked how the sisters could be so well-suited for their roles, Heidi responded, “We both have real compassion for people. We work towards common goals, and we genuinely care about our team members.”

Hannah shared a secret to their success, “It’s really nice to have each other to bounce ideas off of. We shared a team-building idea, for example, the Saran wrap game. You wrap small gifts – goodies – in Saran wrap, in layers – building in more small gifts as you go – then pass the wrapped gifts around while you’re wearing oven mitts! It was great. The staff seemed to really enjoy it.”

Whether they are talking on the phone after work or getting together on the weekends, these close sisters enjoy sharing professional advice and brainstorming best practices. Yes, other family members ask them to stop talking about work from time to time, but the sisters revel in their bond and their roles. For Heidi, “It’s nice to have my sister in the same hospital system.” Hannah reveals, “I’m honored. My heart is here.”

Texas Children’s is just as proud to have this family… in our family.

Introducing the prince of the PICU, the top of the TICU, the heart of the Heart Center: Melman! Our newest facility dog to join the Pawsitive Play team, Melman (or Mel for short) has started his post in the PICU, TICU and Heart Center with primary handler Adair Winget. He will also be working in a secondary capacity in the library with Catherine Zdunkewicz, our Medical Center library coordinator.

Caring for patients the “Melman Way”

Even though Melman is new, Adair is learning too. Melman comes from Canine Companions, and Adair has taken the time to learn his command-based training and incorporate those commands into her physical and occupational therapy sessions. This allows her to co-treat even more effectively because she knows what he will do when given a command, meaning she can provide specific feedback to the physical and occupational therapists.

Patients are already loving watching Melman show off his skills. “He’s really good at fist bumping, and he can balance treats on his nose…he loves to speak, so I’m like ‘Melman, what do you think? Speak.’ And the kids say ‘Okay, I think Melman says we should stay here for 30 more minutes!’” said Adair with a laugh. While he is great for a giggle, he’s even better at what he’s trained to do – provide comfort and care to patients and families.

Melman’s temperament is a little different from Adair’s first facility dog, Bailey, who recently retired. Don’t be fooled by his name and wrinkly face, though. He is no old man, just all playful pup. “Melman is a go-getter. He is a working boy,” Adair explained. “Give him a task and he’s going to be there. With Bailey, her relaxation and ability to soothe was her greatest superpower. Melman is still able to do those things, just in a different way.”

Storytime with Melman

Catherine is over the moon to be a secondary handler to Melman. After 17 years at Texas Children’s, this is a new and exciting chapter in her role as library coordinator. “Besides giving Melman some down time in the library, I envision doing storytime where the kids can either read to Melman or we can all read a story together,” said Catherine. She even has a buzzer she can use to record different words or noises and will cue Melman to push the buzzer as part of the story.

During his time in the library, he will still be working with patients and families, just in a different environment. Here, he will have a bit of time to enjoy a slower pace while taking in a story or two. Lucky dog!

Big, blonde and beautiful

Melman is a big boy, but is the gentlest of giants. Catherine even fondly calls him a couch potato. “At first, I was like ‘Whoa, you’re a big dog…how in the world am I going to work with you in an ICU setting?’” Adair wondered. However, his size allows them to push patients in the best way to help them achieve their goals, and that’s what this is all about.

They have already begun their work serving the Medical Center PICU, TICU and Heart Center, and will continue fist bumping and tail wagging in the name of top-notch patient care. Stop by the library to see Melman at storytime – we hear he is quite the showman!

Texas Children’s reputation drew in Donna Layton, BSN, RN, CPEN, but helping patients and families find a way forward with compassion has kept her here for 23 years. As a program coordinator in Otolaryngology, she works with families to find the right care from the right providers. She embodies The Difference, shepherding patients through challenging times.

What made you want to work at Texas Children’s?

I have wanted to work at Texas Children’s for as long as I can remember. Reputation was a big factor, as it’s the best of the best and people are proud to work here. I envisioned how many lives I could touch working here, and with 23 years and counting, I get to make a difference for patients and their families every time I walk through the doors.

What is your favorite part about your job?

Smiles, hugs, handmade cards and pictures are the best! Most of all it’s the feeling of satisfaction after helping a family navigate through the system to get them connected to the right providers so their children can get the best possible care.

What is your funniest Texas Children’s memory?

While working in the ER, I treated a snakebite patient; the only report I did not receive was that the (dead) snake was in a clear plastic bag on the counter. Imagine my surprise when I turned to the counter to grab an extra blanket only to see a snake lying there. I jumped and shouted “SNAKE!” and quickly ran to the door. The patient and family were very entertained by my reaction, and we all had a good laugh.

Where is your favorite TCH spot to take a break or relax?

Call me crazy but my answer is the stairwells. I have spent lots of time in the stairwells over the years. It is a place to get away and they are usually quiet. Over the years, it has proven to be a good place to cry if you need a moment, before putting a smile back on your face and jumping right back into your shift.

How do you recharge your batteries away from work?

Exercise, and spending time with family and friends. However, my favorite place to recharge is on the water, paddling.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I belong to three paddling clubs! We paddle for fun and compete in races all over. The Lone Star Dragon Boat team has paddlers from Austin, Dallas, Houston and South Louisiana. I am excited to say, after trying out, I made the team for Lone Star Dragons Club Crew World Championship in Raveena, Italy in early September. Have paddle will travel – Italy here I come.

 

July 2, 2024

Born and raised at Texas Children’s, staff nurse Brian Fucanan, MSN, RN, is approaching eight years of working in the Emergency Center in the Medical Center. Considered a jack-of-all-trades in the EC with focuses on trauma, flow lead and preceptorship, he has always had a strong passion for teaching, helping and entertaining others.

What is your favorite TCH memory?

Working with my beautiful mother! In 2023, Fermilia Fucanan retired from being a Level II NICU nurse manager after 30 years. Starting as a new grad nurse, I met so many leaders who spoke of her legendary status and contributions to TCH. In appreciation of her outstanding leadership and commitment, the “F Pod” was dedicated in her name by NICU leadership. As I continue to walk the halls of Texas Children’s, I strive to leave the impression she has made here!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I was on season two of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, where I competed with SOREAL CRU/Architeks representing the Houston dance community. My little brother Mark, who is a nursing leader himself at MD Anderson, shared this journey with me. As professional dancers, we had the opportunity to open and showcase for various artists such as Drake, Chris Brown, Rihanna and Trey Songz, and we were blessed to perform, teach and judge dance all over the world. One of my proudest moments was representing the United States at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas, where we competed against over 55 countries! Dancing is a large part of who I am today and has given me the discipline to become a nurse.

How do you stay motivated and inspired away from work?

I was inspired by the phrase “made to be greater” from a dance teammate. I want to continue to make a difference for all the pediatric patients and families who come to Texas Children’s. Recently, I finished my Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care MSN program at The University of Texas at El Paso. Outside of work, I am currently preparing for my board certification. I want to take my career to the next level and hopefully contribute to Texas Children’s in another scope of practice.

If you could walk in the shoes of another Texas Children’s employee for a day, who would it be?

Jackie Ward, System Chief Nurse Executive! I would like to experience first-hand the decision-making behind leading staff management, patient outcomes, nursing performance, implementation of technology, streamlining operations and how these actions are carried out.

Where is your favorite spot at work to eat, socialize or recharge?

Meeting my favorite co-worker “iced coffee” at Starbucks.