Join President and CEO Dr. Debra F. Sukin, Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31 for our quarterly town hall. In this all-staff meeting, we will share updates on what’s happening within the organization.
If you’ve already accepted a meeting invite for the session of your choice, it now includes the Teams meeting link in your calendar or you can use the links below to join the meeting of your choice.
Thursday, October 30
Friday, October 31
Welcome to week two of your 2026 Annual Enrollment. At Texas Children’s, we care about your health and wellness and want to ensure you have the tools to make informed choices. Join us for our interactive Benefits Fairs, where you can explore your available benefits, new resources and vendor changes for 2026. From Monday, October 27 to Friday, October 31, 2025, connect directly with benefits vendors and the Texas Children’s Benefits team to get your questions answered and make informed choices for the year ahead.
Visit texaschildrensbenefits.org or click here to learn What’s New in 2026 and discover on-site and online opportunities and engage with our dedicated resources.
BENEFIT HIGHLIGHT
Texas Children’s Specialty Pharmacy
Exclusive Network Access: TCH Specialty is part of a select specialty pharmacy network alongside CVS Specialty, ensuring trusted care for your specialty medications
Lower Cost & Free Delivery: Enjoy reduced prescription costs with complimentary home delivery for all specialty medications
Personalized Clinical Support: Receive confidential, tailored guidance from pharmacists who specialize in your unique health needs
Effortless Refills: Hassle-free refill coordination and adherence support handled directly by our pharmacy team
24/7 Dedicated Support: Around-the-clock access to a pharmacist for any questions or concerns
Advanced Safety & Technology: Cutting-edge technology designed to ensure accuracy and safety for you and your dependents
SUPPORT
Have questions or need enrollment support?
Emma, your personal digital benefits advisor
Available 24/7 in both English and Spanish at texaschildrensbenefits.org from any desktop or mobile device, Emma simplifies decision-making, provides personalized guidance and reduces stress to help you select the right benefits for you and your family.
Texas Children’s Benefits Support – Phone, Chat, Teams, On-site
Available by phone or web chat from 7 am-8 pm, Monday through Friday, and 8 am-4 pm on Saturday, November 1. Spanish language assistance is also available via phone and web chat.
832-824-2421 (Option 1, then Option 1 again)
Web chat (top of Benefits homepage)
Virtual Teams appointments (November 3-7 — Reserve your time here)
On-site support from Benefits team members and vendors during one of the weekly scheduled on-site Annual Enrollment Events.
Get started with your enrollment today—just download the bswift mobile app from the App Store or Google Play. Everything you need is right at your fingertips!
En Español. Para ver este mensaje en español, por favor aquí.
At the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Denver, more than 90 pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists and trainees from across the country were recognized for their outstanding contributions to advocacy, practice and research — all advancing the care of children every day. Those honored included six department of Pediatrics Faculty from Baylor and Texas Children’s Drs. Gina Aloisio, Heather Crouse, Neha Dhawan, Noel Mensah-Bonsu, Doug Moodie and Robert Schulman.
Among the more than 10,000 attendees, the Department of Pediatrics was proudly represented with an exceptional presence. Over 60 faculty members and trainees participated in this year’s conference, contributing their expertise through oral and poster presentations, leading workshops, and engaging in collaborative discussions that highlighted the depth and innovative spirit of our department.
In addition to the academic contributions, the department hosted a vibrant reception that drew a remarkable turnout of current and former faculty, fellows, and alumni from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. The event offered a wonderful opportunity to reconnect, reflect on shared accomplishments, and celebrate the collective dedication to advancing pediatric care, research and education.
“Our presence at the AAP conference is a true reflection of the breadth and depth of expertise within our Department of Pediatrics,” said Dr. Lara Shekerdemian, Pediatrician-in-Chief and Chair of the Department. “It also showcases the meaningful impact our faculty continue to have on the field. I could not be prouder of our team and the remarkable work they are doing to advance and shape the future of pediatric medicine.”
Award Honorees:
Gina Aloisio, MD
2025 Ken Graff Young Investigator Award AAP Section on Emergency Medicine
Heather Crouse, MD
2025 American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Emergency Medicine’s Michael Shannon Humanitarian Award.
Neha Dhawan, MD, MPH
2025 American Academy of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Top 10 Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Abstract award
Noel Mensah-Bonsu, MD, FAAP
2025 American Academy of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (SODBP) Richmond-Coleman Award
Doug Moodie, MD
2025 American Academy of Pediatrics, Section of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (SOCCS) Helen Taussig Founders Award
Robert Shulman, MD
2025 American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Nutrition Samul J. Fomon Nutrition Award
Your 2026 Annual Enrollment is now open! At Texas Children’s, we care about your health and wellness. That’s why your benefits go beyond insurance—they’re designed to support your well-being and your family’s. By taking advantage of these offerings, you’re making a meaningful investment in your physical, mental and financial health shaping a healthier future.
Starting today, Monday, October 20 through Friday, November 7 at 11:59 p.m., you will have the opportunity to select the benefit options that work best for you and your family.
WHAT’S NEW
Visit texaschildrensbenefits.org or click here to learn What’s New in 2026, including:
Transition from Express Scripts Inc. to CVS Caremark, effective January 1, 2026
Enhanced Specialty Pharmacy benefit coverage through Texas Children’s Specialty Pharmacy
Dependent verification Audit
403(b) Retirement Savings Plan enhancements
Minimal medical & dental rate increase
EVENTS AND SUPPORT
Click here to discover in-person and virtual Health Engagement Experience events featuring health stations, health assessments, food tastings, giveaways and more—all focused on chronic disease prevention and your well-being.
Have questions or need enrollment support?
Emma, your personal digital benefits advisor
Available 24/7 in both English and Spanish at texaschildrensbenefits.org from any desktop or mobile device, Emma simplifies decision-making, provides personalized guidance and reduces stress to help you select the right benefits for you and your family.
Texas Children’s Benefits Support – Phone, Chat, Teams, On-site
Available Monday-Friday from 7 am-8 pm and Saturdays (October 25 and November 1) from 8 am-4 pm. Spanish language assistance is also available via phone and web chat.
832-824-2421 (Option 1, then Option 1 again)
Web chat (top of Benefits homepage)
Virtual Teams appointments (November 3-7 — Reserve your time here)
On-site support from Benefits team members and vendors during one of the weekly scheduled on-site Annual Enrollment Events.
Get started with your enrollment today—just download the bswift mobile app from the App Store or Google Play. Everything you need is right at your fingertips!
En Español. Para ver este mensaje en español, por favor oprima aquí.
This past July we all watched with heavy hearts as the news unfolded about the catastrophic floods in Central Texas. We quickly deployed tools and resources to employees and offered community support.
We heard from many of our employees and supporters about their desire to assist those dealing with this tragedy, and we created the Texas Children’s Central Texas Flood Hope Fund to provide support and resources to those impacted by the storm.
Through 1,047 donations, we’ve raised an incredible $350,000–52% coming from Texas, 17 percent from the Houston city limits and an impressive 85% coming from first-time Texas Children’s donors.
The amazing support from our donors will fund our vision to build a long-term response to help camps across Texas—and beyond—prepare for and recover from disasters. Led by Dr. Brent Kaziny, a national expert in pediatric emergency preparedness, Texas Children’s is developing scalable programs and partnerships with organizations. Dr. Kaziny is the Principal Investigator for the third pediatric disaster care center of excellence, the Gulf 7 Pediatric Disaster Network and, on a national level, serves as the Co-Director of the Disaster Domain for the Emergency Medical Services for Children – Innovations and Improvement Center, the Vice-Chair of the AAP’s Council on Children and Disaster, and a voting member of the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters. His experience and expertise ensure these programs are grounded in national best practices and tailored to the unique needs of children.
Extending our care beyond the bedside helps bring our mission to life.
Team members across our hospital campuses came together to celebrate our U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026 pediatric hospital rankings.
Click here to watch a recap video of the Medical Center Campus celebration, including our President & CEO Debra F. Sukin, division chiefs and clinical leaders.
We’re proud to celebrate one of our own, Morgan Fischer, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Pavilion for Women Labor & Delivery nurse, who has been named a 2025 National Magnet Nurse of the Year for Transformational Leadership by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
This prestigious national award honors nurses who demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation and a commitment to advancing patient care. Morgan earned this recognition for advancing the Texas Children’s anti-human trafficking program, helping providers better identify and support vulnerable patients. She accepted the award last week at the Magnet & Pathway Conference in Atlanta as one of only five nurses nationwide to receive this honor.
After joining Texas Children’s in 2021, Morgan brought together a multidisciplinary task force to create a standardized screening and response process. The program includes a specialized screening tool in EPIC, system-wide education and clear pathways for connecting patients to support. Texas ranks second in the nation for reported cases of human trafficking, with more than 1,300 cases identified in 2024, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline — underscoring the impact of Morgan’s leadership and advocacy.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Morgan receiving one of the highest honors in nursing excellence,” said Dr. Jackie Ward, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, System Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President at Texas Children’s. “She is a role model, a change agent and a true leader whose influence has made a lasting impact on our organization and the patients we are privileged to serve.”
“I am blessed to be in a unique position where my passion for helping vulnerable women and my nursing career in labor and delivery intersect,” said Morgan. “I encourage other nurses to be a voice for vulnerable patients and an agent of change where you work. We nurses may be the only people they feel safe turning to for help.”
This national recognition celebrates more than Morgan’s impact alone. It reflects the culture of excellence and support that empowers Texas Children’s nurses to lead lasting change and deliver extraordinary care every day — a true example of our HEART values in action.
Join us in celebrating Morgan’s achievement! Leave a message of congratulations in the comments below.
Click the links to share this exciting news with your followers — Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.
