November 2, 2020

Halloween came early for several patients, their families and employees at Texas Children’s. While the COVID-19 pandemic changed this year’s Halloween celebrations, Child Life teams at our three hospital campuses organized several spooktacular activities while keeping safety and social distance in mind.

At Texas Children’s Medical Center Campus, the festivities began on October 10 in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where our hospital’s tiniest patients celebrated their first Halloween dressed up in costumes that ranged from lady bugs, butterflies and fruit, to super heroes and Disney characters.

Texas Children’s NICU Child Life and Music Therapy team organized the Halloween celebrations with support from the Newborn Center Social Work team and NICU leadership. Due to COVID-19, this year’s celebrations were organized differently to maintain social distancing. Instead of hosting costume decorating parties where parents gathered in a room to make their babies’ costumes, kits were distributed to families so they could make their own Halloween costumes individually.

“We provided materials to create felt layover costumes so that all NICU patients, no matter their medical needs, could participate,” said Child Life Specialist Teaghan Robinson. “Several families used the kits to create costumes for their babies, while other families purchased their own costumes for the occasion. Since the hospital environment can be a difficult place for NICU patients and their families, our team wanted to normalize their experience as they celebrated their baby’s first Halloween.”

For siblings who were unable to visit their newborn brother or sister in the NICU due to hospital visitation restrictions, the NICU Child Life and Music Therapy Team provided Halloween themed picture frame decoration kits for parents to take home with them so their children could also join in on the fun.

Video: Halloween highlights at Texas Children’s

The Halloween festivities didn’t stop there. There were plenty of other Spooktacular events in October:

Child Life Zone Halloween Party: Spirit of Halloween donated costumes to patients and their families for this special occasion. Activities included pumpkin painting, witches slime making, a photo booth, and games. Patients from each floor came up to the Child Life Zone on their designated day to allow for social distancing. Staff from other departments volunteered the event and dressed up in their Halloween best.

Reverse Trick or Treating: Complete with music, games, a photo booth, and COVID-19 friendly trick or treating, a decorated cart filled with Halloween goodies made its way to each patient floor in West Tower. Patients, dressed up in their costumes as they waited eagerly in their room to trick or treat with staff.

Halloween at West Campus: Patients received Disney-themed bags filled with fun activities based on the individual’s age/developmental level. These bags included stuffed animals, Halloween/Autumn coloring or sticker activities, Disney pen and journal, Disney playing cards and books to read.

Halloween at The Woodlands: The Woodlands Campus celebrated Fall Fun Day where staff handed out over 400 bags of fall themed toys and activities to our inpatients and outpatients. Inpatients were able to participate in socially distanced pumpkin painting. The NICU patients were also able to have their First Halloween pumpkin pictures by the Child Life team with the support of First Memories Texas equipment and supplies. The bags and items were generously donated by community partners including: Clariant Oil Services, Junior League of The Woodlands, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. The Woodlands Fire Department, Klein Cain Mu Alpha Theta, Modern Woodmen of America, National Charity League – Woodlands Chapter, Chick-Fil-A College Park and 501st Legion – South Texas Squad of Star Garrison.

View the photo gallery to get a glimpse of the fun everyone had at these unforgettable events.

It’s easier than ever this year to make your flu shot plan. By getting vaccinated against the flu, you are helping to keep our patients and families, our workforce and our community safe.

For a step-by-step guide to making your flu shot plan, visit texaschildrensbenefits.org/flu. On this site, you can:

  • View information on the new and convenient ways to receive the flu vaccine. These options include attending an on-site or car-side event at Texas Children’s; visiting the Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice where your child receives care; and getting your shot from your primary care provider or a retail pharmacy.
  • View our robust on-site event schedule, which includes new dates and locations across the system to better accommodate our team members’ needs.
  • Complete consent forms online in support of a touchless experience.
  • Review answers to the most frequently asked flu questions.
  • Upload proof of vaccination with a mobile device.

Thank you in advance for receiving your flu vaccine and helping to protect the safety of our patients and their families, our entire workforce and the community we serve.

The patient is at the center of the 21st Century Cures Act in order to provide more power in the delivery of their health care, which includes access to their medical information.

In 2016, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology passed federal legislation called the 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule that puts patients in charge of their health records, which is a key piece of Health and Human Services (HHS) work toward a value-based health care system. The ONC Final Rule enables the health care delivery system to deliver an “app economy” to providers and patients, physicians, hospitals, payers, and employers with innovation and choice.

Through the delivery of modern smartphone and software apps, patients and providers will see benefits in accessing electronic health information (EHI). Patients will have more convenient and easier options to gain on-demand access to their EHI whenever and wherever they need it. In addition, there will be the increasing ability for patients to choose apps that will assemble and read their records. The interoperability, information blocking, and patient access to data and electronic health record certification requirements outlined in the 21st Century Cures Act will go into effect in multiple phases and will impact our patients, health care providers and health IT software developers.

To learn more about this effort, click here.

Changes go live with the Epic upgrade on November 8. Texas Children’s will release data via MyChart, and other patient portals, in order to make information more accessible and not require patients to go through the traditional medical record release process. Several other changes on the horizon include:

  • Patient Access API – Beginning December 31, 2022, CMS-regulated payers (including Medicaid MCOs) are required to implement a secure, standards-based application programming interface (API) that allows patients to access their claims, encounter information and some clinical data.
  • CMS Payer-to-Payer Data Exchange – This provision will require CMS-regulated payers to share certain clinical data with each other and other payers. This allows the patient to take their information with them as they move from payer to payer over time to help create a cumulative health record with their current payer.
  • United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) standard expands – Starting in October 2022, under ONC’s rule, the definition of EHI will expand beyond the USCDI. The EHI definition will include the full HIPAA electronic designated data set.

To prepare, educate, and ensure compliance across the organization, a workgroup has been assembled to carefully review the regulation, review our policies, procedures and business practices, and develop a system wide communication plan to ensure our providers are compliant with this new federal regulation. All Texas Children’s team members are invited to learn more about this regulation and its implementation via a virtual Town Hall for providers; see details below:

Provider Virtual Town Hall Hosted by Dr. Giannoni
Wednesday, November 4 | Noon to 1 p.m.
To join via MS Teams, click here.

Stay tuned to Connect for more updates on the 21st Century Cures Act and the organization’s implementation efforts. In the meantime, we invite you to review this site, which provides details on what you need to know, including a crash course, handouts and much more.

2021 Annual Enrollment is available through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17.

Let’s focus on taking care of you. For more information on our 2021 benefits, click here or visit Texas Children’s Benefits website today to learn more.

Thank you for participating in Annual Enrollment!

October 28, 2020

Since 2004, the Adult Congenital Heart (ACH) Program at Texas Children’s has provided groundbreaking care, and next week, the hospital will open a first-of-its-kind dedicated facility designed by and for adults with congenital heart disease. The 27,000-square-foot space, situated on the 24th floor of Texas Children’s Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower, will include a 16-bed inpatient unit, outpatient clinic, cardiac rehab gym, diagnostics lab and more.

“This innovative approach to care is unprecedented, and another step forward for our no. 1 ranked hospital for cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report,” Dr. Cameron Dezfulian, director of the ACH ICU, said. “While we have been caring for adult patients for many years, this dedicated, state-of-the-art space is tailored to them and their families. It will bring together adult practitioners with the expert pediatric congenital heart care of Texas Children’s. Everything we do in this space will be done with the goal of reducing the impact of these conditions on adults living with congenital heart disease.”

Today, there are more adults than children living with congenital heart disease in the United States. Significant advancements in cardiac care, and improvements in survival after undergoing heart surgery as a baby or young child have resulted in this growing population. While it may seem counterintuitive for adults to be cared for at a children’s hospital, data suggests that if you are an adult living with congenital heart disease and are in need of surgery or cardiology follow up, the outcomes are likely to be better if you are operated on by a congenital heart surgeon and cared for by a cardiologist at a children’s hospital.

“It’s important to recognize that adults living with congenital heart disease have unique issues that are not typical to adults with acquired heart disease,” said Dr. Peter Ermis, medical director of the ACH Program, said. “Because of these unique issues, some adults with congenital heart disease do not get the care they need in an adult setting. It’s only after they develop symptoms that they recognize there is an issue, and at that point, it may be too late. Our goal is to keep these patients in our care so we are able to anticipate the issue before they arise.”

Texas Children’s ACH Program is accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) and is one of only three accredited programs in Texas. As pediatric patients with congenital heart defects transition into adulthood, members of the team – with the help of our Cardiology Transition Medicine Team – advise patients on health and lifestyle choices for their adult needs, including physical challenges, exercise options and family planning. The ACH Program offers comprehensive medical and surgical care in collaboration with colleagues at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women and Texas Children’s Fetal Center.

The new outpatient clinic will open November 4. The inpatient unit will open in January. Before the floor opens, a lot of preparation and training took place. On October 8 and 9, multidisciplinary teams successfully completed a series of simulated patient care scenarios on the state-of-the-art floor to test the workflow processes and address any concerns.

The program’s leadership team is comprised of Ermis, Dezfulian, Dr. Ed Hickey, surgical director; Dr. Prakash Masand, director of ACH imaging; and Barbara Vazquez, director of ACH nursing. The program also is home to the largest number of ACH accredited cardiologists in the state, 25 dedicated ACH inpatient nurses, five ACH ICU advanced practitioners, techs, assistants and sonographers.

“We currently care for about 2,200 adult patients, but that number is growing exponentially,” Hickey said. “Due to advancements in medical care, surgical care and technological innovations, about 95 percent of children born with congenital heart disease survive and many reach adulthood. With this new space, we can better provide continuity of care from birth through adulthood.”

October 27, 2020

Thank you to all of our team members who have completed their Annual Required Training (ART) for 2020.

If you have not yet completed ART, you still have time. Please get started today by clicking here to log in to HealthStream. By participating in this important course, you have helped sustain Texas Children’s high standards for care and commitment to excellence.

ART completion rates as of Friday, October 23
  • Texas Children’s Hospital, West Campus and The Woodlands – 78 percent
  • Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Urgent Care – 83 percent
  • Texas Children’s Health Plan and The Centers for Children and Women – 84 percent
What you need to know about ART
  • New content was added around Diversity and Inclusion as part of our ongoing effort to cultivate an organization where every team member feels valued and accepted.
  • All workforce members are required to complete ART, except for:
    • New Texas Children’s employees (including Texas Children’s physicians) who were hired after January 1, 2020.
      (Note: if you have been rehired to Texas Children’s during 2020, this exception does not apply to you. You will be required to take the course.)
  • Employees who are on a leave of absence are required to complete ART within 30 days of their return back to work.
  • Please only complete the course during your standard work hours and check with your leader for guidance on the best time for you to complete the course.
  • To receive credit, all required workforce members must review all course slides and sign the attestation to confirm they met the completion requirements.
  • Joint Commission and OSHA require staff to renew their knowledge on an annual basis regarding key components such as Patient Safety, Bloodborne Pathogens, Hand Hygiene and several other important topics. In keeping with HIPAA guidelines, Texas Children’s also requires staff to review their knowledge regarding Privacy, Compliance and Information Security.
To access ART from Connect
  • Click on the “ART/Learning Academy/HealthStream” link on the Connect homepage under the ‘Quick Links’ heading.
  • Log in to HealthStream.
  • On the “To Do” tab click on the ‘Start’ link next to the course titled: Texas Children’s 2020 Annual Required Training.
Need help?
  • If you are experiencing issues accessing HealthStream, please contact the IS Service Desk at 832-824-3512 (option 2).
  • If you have questions about the course, please email healthstream@texaschildrens.org.
  • If you are having an issue with the course not giving you a completion status once you have signed the attestation, or if it will not allow you to advance to the end of the course, you may need to clear your browsing history. For instructions on how to clear your browsing history, click here.

Thank you for completing ART and helping Texas Children’s sustain a safe and ethical environment in which to work and receive care.

To help ensure Texas Children’s is a place where every member of our team can feel they are valued and belong, all employees are invited to participate in the first Amplify Unity Waggl survey on diversity and inclusion before it closes this Friday, October 30.

Waggl is a pulse survey tool that provides an easy and interactive way to hear directly from our team members, while also keeping respondent identities confidential. To participate, follow the link below or text TC VOICE to 797979. From there, take the steps below:

  1. Answer the question, “What is one thing we should start doing to cultivate more open and honest conversations on diversity and inclusion?”
  2. Vote on your colleagues’ anonymous responses.
  3. Return to the pulse often to see results in real-time, and continue voting to help determine the top responses.

Click here to anonymously share your insights

As we’ve seen this year amid the ongoing fight for equality, inclusion, and justice for all, meaningful change almost always begins with open and honest dialogue that allows each of us to tell our own unique story, while also learning from the experiences and perspectives of others. Launching the Amplify Unity Waggl expands our commitment to lead tirelessly in supporting diversity and inclusion by providing a platform for every voice to be heard.

After the Waggl closes, our team members’ thoughts and ideas will be incorporated into tangible action that more deeply grounds our culture in equality, inclusivity and compassion. Updates on the pulse – as well as more information about Texas Children’s ongoing diversity and inclusion initiatives – will be provided in the coming weeks.