January 14, 2026

January 15 7:20 am – Verizon has announced the outage issue has been resolved. Team members who are still experiencing connectivity issues are encouraged to restart their devices to reconnect to the network.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we worked together to ensure continued care for our patients.

 

January 14 8:47 pm – Some team members may be impacted by the current Verizon network outage affecting wireless voice and data services. If your phone displays “SOS” instead of service bars, your service is impacted.

If you are on call and have Verizon, we recommend you switch with a colleague on an alternative cell phone carrier until such time as the Verizon network is stable. If you are on a Wi-Fi network, you should be able to access FaceTime, iMessage, Facebook audio and WhatsApp. Even if your phone displays SOS, you are still able to call 911.

Team members using non-Verizon carriers should not experience disruption.

If your role requires mobile connectivity and the outage is preventing you from performing essential duties, notify your leader to make appropriate coverage arrangements.

Every second counts when a child needs critical care, and Texas Children’s now has a faster way to get to them.

With the arrival of a new Kangaroo Crew helicopter for the Austin campus, our hospital is the first children’s hospital in the city with an aircraft dedicated to transporting critically ill patients. This milestone brings lifesaving care closer to families across Central Texas.

The helicopter represents more than just speed. It saves precious minutes, expands access to specialized care and allows the team to reach patients wherever they are. In many ways, the aircraft is a flying extension of Texas Children’s that reaches distances of up to 120 nautical miles, carrying the promise of expert care into the skies.

The Austin base builds on the success of the Kangaroo Crew’s first helicopter in Houston, which has already transported hundreds of critically ill patients. Together, the two helicopters, along with ground ambulances and a fixed-wing aircraft, allow the hospital to move patients to all four campuses.

Within minutes of a call, the Kangaroo Crew springs into action by ground, jet or helicopter. Each transport is a mobile intensive care unit, staffed with highly trained clinicians and packed with advanced equipment to provide the same care patients would receive inside our hospital. Each year, the crew completes more than 2,000 transports across Texas and beyond, often traveling to other states to bring patients to our hospital for life-saving treatment.

“This launch represents a proud moment for Texas Children’s and for the Kangaroo Crew,” said Dr. Basheer Ahmed, program director for the Kangaroo Crew. “The advancement of our rotor program underscores our commitment to being a trusted and dependable partner for our patients and our care partners. Our helicopter expansion strengthens our ability to deliver the highest level of care when every second counts.”The Kangaroo Crew’s work begins long before an aircraft or vehicle takes off. When a call comes into the 24/7 communications center, the team coordinates with subspecialists, develops a plan of care and prepares to deliver treatment from the first moment of transport. Their skill and precision allow the hospital to respond quickly and confidently when patients need care the most.

As the Austin helicopter begins missions, we celebrate the Kangaroo Crew and the extraordinary work they do to move hope, healing, and care mile by mile.   

Become a TCH Ambassador to Support the Kangaroo Crew

The Texas Children’s Ambassadors program selects one area of critical need each year, and for 2026, the beneficiary is the Kangaroo Crew. Ambassadors funding will support targeted innovations, including enhanced training, infant transfer equipment, in-flight charting and operational improvements to help teams reach patients faster and more safely. Team members are encouraged to become Ambassadors and support the Kangaroo Crew as they continue delivering lifesaving care across Texas and beyond. Click here to join or renew your membership today!

 

 

January 13, 2026

Texas Children’s Pediatrics (TCP) has reached a historic milestone. For the 2025–26 cycle, all 65 TCP practices have earned recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program, including every location in Austin. This achievement marks more than 15 years of dedication to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. 

At its heart, the Patient-Centered Medical Home model is about putting patients first. Recognized practices demonstrate a commitment to continuous quality improvement, team-based care, coordinated care management and building strong relationships with patients and families. These principles guide TCP’s practices every day.

TCP began pursuing NCQA recognition over a decade ago, maintaining status across all Houston-based practices since then. Achieving recognition across the entire system reflects years of focused effort to bring newly acquired practices into alignment with Texas Children’s high standards of care while keeping patients and families at the center of everything we do.

“This recognition reflects the dedication, collaboration and HEART values our teams bring to patient care every day,” said Daniel (Dan) Gollins, president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Urgent Care. “Achieving recognition for all practices is an incredible milestone and underscores our shared commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care for every family we serve.”

This accomplishment was made possible through the partnership and tireless efforts of the Quality, Operations and clinical teams. Together, they ensured each practice met NCQA’s rigorous standards and, most importantly, these standards translate into better and more consistent care experiences for patients and families.

NCQA recognition brings more than national distinction. It is acknowledged by over 95 organizations, including payers, and can provide access to financial incentives, care transformation support, care management resources, learning collaboratives and Maintenance of Certification credit.

This remarkable milestone is a shared achievement across Texas Children’s Pediatrics. Please join us in congratulating the Quality, Operations and clinical teams for their dedication and for making this accomplishment possible.

January 12, 2026

After nearly five decades at Texas Children’s Hospital, neonatal nurse practitioner Holly Shippey reflects on a remarkable 47-year career dedicated to caring for the most fragile patients and supporting their families. From starting as a graduate nurse in the Premature Nursery to becoming a neonatal nurse practitioner in the Newborn Center, her journey mirrors the growth, innovation and excellence of nursing at Texas Children’s.

Click here to read the Voice of Nursing blog post where Holly shares what inspired her to stay at Texas Children’s, how the nursing profession has evolved, the mentors who shaped her path and the lessons she hopes to pass on to the next generation. Read her reflections on a career defined by compassion, teamwork and a lasting legacy of care.

January 9, 2026

The Houston Texans are headed to the Wild Card playoffs, and we’re showing our hometown pride! On Monday, team members are invited to wear their Houston Texans gear to cheer on our team as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, January 12. 

Whether it’s a jersey, T-shirt, sweatshirt or team colors, let’s fill our campuses with Houston 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 Houston Texans red, white and blue to TCC@texaschildrens.org. 

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

January 7, 2026

 

We’re excited to share Will Parsons, MD, PhD, has been named Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center. In this role, he will work closely with the Kinder Children’s Cancer Center leadership team.

Dr. Parsons has been part of the Texas Children’s community for nearly 20 years and is a nationally and internationally recognized physician-scientist, educator and leader. He is a tenured Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and holds the Beverly and Daniel C. Arnold Endowed Chair for Precision Medicine. 

Over the years, he has held numerous key leadership roles, including Deputy Director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Director of the Center for Precision Oncology and Director of the Pediatrician-Scientist Pediatric Residency Program.

As stated in an email from our President and CEO Debra F. Sukin and Pediatrician-in-Chief Lara Shekerdemian, “this appointment is more than a leadership milestone; it is a promise to our patients and families that we will continue solving the unsolvable. Every day, the work we do together at Texas Children’s transforms lives, and Dr. Parsons’ leadership will help us write the next chapter in that story of hope, courage and progress.”

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Parsons on this well-deserved appointment.

January 5, 2026

Graphics are available to show your pride for our U.S. News & World Report pediatric hospital rankings. Click here to access the site. You must be on the network to access.