January 30, 2026

We know communication is essential to building a strong culture, strengthening alignment and driving business outcomes. To do that well, we need to ensure you receive the right information, at the right time, in the right way, no matter your role, shift or location.

We’re asking for your feedback to help improve how important updates, stories and recognition are shared across Texas Children’s. This short survey will help us understand how you currently access information, what is working and what would make communication more useful in supporting your work.

What to Know:

  • Time: Less than five minutes.

  • Anonymity: All responses are completely anonymous.

  • Deadline: Open now through Friday, February 6.  

Your feedback will directly guide how we enhance communication tools, channels and practices across our organization.

Take the survey.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your perspective and help strengthen communications across Texas Children’s.

January 26, 2026

In the latest Voice of Nursing blog post, Kelly Rhodes shares how a personal goal to earn her Certified Pediatric Nurse credential led her to timely support and a renewed sense of confidence at Texas Children’s.

EXCERPT: One of my goals for 2025 was to take the Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) exam. I was overwhelmed with the amount of information there was to study and was struggling to find accessible resources to help me prepare. My fellow nurses in the Diabetes and Endocrine clinic and in the Gastroenterology clinic were struggling with the same hurdles, so we decided to form a CPN exam study group. We had some study guides but were unsure of the best way to review the vast material. The week before our first study session we received the Nursing Congress email announcing Texas Children’s and Nurse Builders’ partnership to provide certification review e-courses to our nurses. This email came at the perfect time and provided so much relief and guidance to our study group!

Nurse Builders’ Pediatric Nursing Certification Review E-Course is very comprehensive. Each lesson includes descriptive handouts, videos with the information and test taking tips and tricks, and a handful of practice questions to review the information covered. Since the CPN E-Course provided clear and easy to follow instructions, each study group member was able to complete lessons at their own pace, and our study sessions were used to do practice questions and discuss their rationales. This study approach proved to be efficient and effective!

Click here to read the full post on the Voice of Nursing blog.

Texas Children’s has announced the appointment of Deborah Franzon, MD, MHA, FCCM as its new System Chief Quality and Safety Officer (CQSO), underscoring the organization’s unwavering commitment to patient safety and quality of care.

The CQSO role consolidates responsibilities that were previously divided across two positions and establishes a single, system-wide physician leader dedicated to advancing quality, safety and clinical performance excellence across Texas Children’s hospitals, clinics and health plan operations. Reporting to Dr. Larry Hollier, president, Health Affairs, the CQSO partners with leaders across inpatient and ambulatory settings to strengthen a culture of high reliability, reduce preventable harm and support data-driven improvement. 

Dr. Franzon joins Texas Children’s from UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, where she served as Executive Medical Director of Quality & Safety. She brings extensive experience leading large-scale quality and safety initiatives, mentoring physician leaders and delivering measurable improvements in patient outcomes across multi-campus pediatric systems.

Her start date will be Monday, April 13. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Franzon to Texas Children’s.

January 20, 2026

January 22 5:45 pm – Based on the current forecast, rideout will be activated across all campuses starting Saturday due to the approaching storm and the potential for hazardous driving conditions. We will continue to monitor conditions and adjust timing or operations as needed.

Rideout Activations:

  • Austin Campus – Saturday at 7 am through Monday TBD
  • Houston Campuses (Medical Center, West, Woodlands) – Saturday at 7 pm through Monday TBD

We will review the forecast tomorrow to determine when rideout will conclude on Monday with careful consideration of weather conditions and travel safety.

Rideout Preparation and Sleeping Arrangements:

  • If you are on the rideout team, details on sleeping arrangements, showering, parking and food will be available tomorrow.
  • Rideout teams for medical staff are being developed by division chiefs. Please discuss with your operational leadership.
  • Please begin to prepare what you may need onsite for multiple days, possibly through Monday.
  • Click here for disaster bag checklist.


Operations Status:
We will share any operational updates with the community via our website and social media channels.

  • Houston TCPs will have a delayed start Monday at 10 am.
  • Austin and College Station TCPs will have a delayed start Monday at noon.
  • Austin Urgent Cares will close early Saturday at 4 pm.
  • Houston Urgent Cares will close early Saturday at 6 pm.
  • All Urgent Cares in Houston and Austin will be closed Sunday with virtual appointments available.
  • Austin Specialty Care and outpatient clinics will operate virtually Monday.
  • Houston Specialty Care and outpatient clinics will operate virtually Monday morning with in-person starting at 1 pm.
  • The following locations/departments will maintain normal business operations. Consult your local leadership for updates on business operations or if you have travel concerns:
    • Health Plan
    • All administrative buildings
    • Outpatient community locations
    • Non-clinical departments
        

Remote Working:
Staff who are able to work remotely and are not required to be on site to support operations should consult with their leaders about working remotely on Monday and Tuesday next week.

  • All exempt and non-exempt employees working remotely must use the ATK Telecommute Code for accurate remote tracking.

Emergency Text Messages:
Sign up for text messages from TCH to know about any changes to operations.

  • Logon to Voyager
  • Go to Contact Info
  • Add the Home Mobile Phone field

 

January 21 1:35 pm – The updated forecast shows the storm will primarily impact northern parts of the state, though Austin and Houston are still expected to see precipitation and may have icy road conditions. The greatest impacts are expected Saturday evening through Sunday mid to late morning, with hard freeze conditions across the state through Tuesday morning.
We continue to monitor conditions and assess any operational impacts. While teams have already begun preparing, there are no changes to operations at this time. Team members should continue to follow guidance from their local leadership.

Please ensure your leader’s contact information is saved on your phone or mobile device so you can easily check in regarding your status if needed.

To receive emergency texts, log in to Voyager, navigate to Contact Info and add the Home Mobile Phone field. Even if this is the same as your mobile phone, adding it ensures you are included on the list. Please also be mindful the number is correct. Just transposing two digits will prevent you from receiving texts.

We will share additional updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for your attention and always operating safely.

 

January 20 4:05 pm – Out of an abundance of caution, we are closely monitoring a winter weather system that could move in to North Texas as early as Friday with potential impacts to Austin and Houston likely on Saturday. Below freezing temperatures are expected through the weekend and may continue into Monday.

At this time, there are no changes to any operations. Team members should continue to follow guidance from their local leadership regarding business operations.

Please ensure your leader’s contact information is saved on your phone or mobile device so you can easily check in regarding your status if needed.

To receive emergency texts, log in to Voyager, navigate to Contact Info and add the Home Mobile Phone field. Even if this is the same as your mobile phone, adding it ensures you are included on the list. Please also be mindful the number is correct. Just transposing two digits will prevent you from receiving texts.

We will share additional updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for your attention and always operating safely.

At Texas Children’s, the work we do every day makes a difference, and we believe in recognizing the impact we make together. The Achievement Award (formerly known as P3) reflects our shared goals across the organization and how we work as a team to drive results that support our mission. While these goals are set at the organizational and business-area level, everyone has a role in helping move them forward.

 

Texas Children’s leaders and team members made a powerful impact at the 2026 Houston Marathon, setting new records for participation and fundraising in support of patient care. A total of 174 runners represented the organization, raising more than $98,000, which is the strongest showing to date through the Run for a Reason program.

For years, Texas Children’s has proudly served as a charity partner of the Houston Marathon. This year’s results reflect the growing commitment of team members across the organization to come together in support of patients and families.

Executives who participated as part of the Texas Children’s Running Team included Dr. Debra F. Sukin, Dan Gollins, Dr. James Versalovic, Kelly Jo Golson, Katie Cooper and Laura Hardy.

Additional Texas Children’s team members played important roles in supporting runners throughout the event. Shaun Reghabi served as lead captain for elite medical sports therapy and post-race recovery, overseeing clinical assessments, recovery support and escalation decisions for elite and sub-elite runners. Sports Physical Therapist Blake Hastings and Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Resident Cassie Schumacher provided acute medical massage triage services, escalating non-elite runners with concerning symptoms to advanced care when needed.

Members of the Diabetes team also participated by cheering on colleagues along the course and were interviewed by ABC 13 during race-day coverage. Click here to view the interview.

Why Participate?
Building on the success of 2026, Texas Children’s will once again field a Running Team filled with both team members and supporters for the January 2027 Houston Marathon, which includes the Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon and We Are Houston 5K. Whether you are a seasoned runner or new to the sport, there is a place for you on the team!

By joining the Texas Children’s Running Team, participants challenge themselves physically while making a meaningful impact on patients. All runners fundraise on behalf of the hospital to help meet the goal of raising $100,000.

If you join the team, you will receive:

  • Free race registration – Meet the fundraising requirement of $250 or $500, and registration for the 5K, half marathon or full marathon is covered.

  • Support and motivation – Get fundraising tips, training resources and encouragement from a supportive community.

  • Exclusive gear – Wear special Texas Children’s Running Team apparel.

Get Registered Now!
Click here to join the Texas Children’s Running Team for the race of your choice.

TCH Monthly Run Meetups
Beginning in February, our TCH Run Meetups will be held every second Saturday of the month at Memorial Park – Clay Family Eastern Glades. Each meet-up includes a designated Texas Children’s team member as the on-site point of contact. These 3-mile run/walk meet-ups provide an opportunity to connect with colleagues and train together. To be added to the monthly calendar invite, contact Lesley Abascal at lbbarnes@texaschildrens.org.

For questions about the Run for a Reason program or Texas Children’s Running Team, contact Cameron Carlin at cdcarlin@texaschildrens.org or (832) 822-0310.  Click here to learn more at our charity page.

January 15, 2026

The Houston Texans are gearing up for their upcoming matchup against the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon, and we’re showing our hometown pride! On Friday, January 16, team members are invited to wear their Houston Texans gear to cheer on our team as they take the field against the Patriots.

Whether it’s a jersey, T-shirt, sweatshirt or Texans colors, let’s fill our campuses with Texans spirit and rally together ahead of the big game.

It’s a fun way to show support, spark conversation and celebrate Houston pride with your colleagues. Be sure to send in photos of your teams decked out in Texans red, white and blue to TCC@texaschildrens.org. Take a look at the photo gallery below to see how our teams showed their Texans spirit on Monday.

As the official pediatric health care partner of the Houston Texans, let’s show them how we support our team!