February 24, 2020

US House Representative Dan Crenshaw visited Texas Children’s Hospital last week to learn about our organization and get an up-close view of our operations.

Crenshaw, who represents Texas’ second congressional district, had the opportunity to meet with executive vice presidents, Michelle Riley-Brown, Dan DiPrisco, Mark Mullarkey, and Weldon Gage where they spoke candidly about access to care and Texas Children’s role working with Medicaid and Medicaid populations. They also discussed our efforts to support innovative research and our focus on medical residency and training programs.

“It’s important that our elected representatives have an opportunity to see Texas Children’s first-hand,” said Rosie Valadez McStay, assistant vice president for Governmental Relations and Community Benefits. “We are an organization that is so greatly impacted by their work. To that end, touring our patient care areas to see how care is provided, and meeting with our clinical leaders and administrators, provides them the opportunity to learn how their legislative decisions effect our patients and families. Our hope is that these experiences assist them in making informed and insightful health policy decisions.”

Rep. Crenshaw’s afternoon tour featured visits to:

  • Texas Children’s Legacy Tower Mission Control
  • Texas Children’s Heart Center
  • Texas Children’s Neurology Center
  • Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers

To learn more about Crenshaw’s life, work and service in the United States military visit: https://crenshaw.house.gov/about/

On February 24, the Public Charge Inadmissibility Law – commonly known as Public Charge – went into effect after much debate and a January ruling by the Supreme Court.

So what does the new rule mean for Texas Children’s and for us as employees?

First, it means that many of our patients, health plan members, and their families may start asking more questions or may shy away from our services due to misinformation. Secondly, it means that all employees should understand exactly what public charge means and what to say to the families who may have questions.

What is a public charge?

“Public charge” or the “public charge test” is used by immigration officials to decide whether a person can enter the United States or get a lawful permanent resident status (green card). In this test, officials assess the likelihood of whether a person will lean heavily on the government for support.

What does the new rule mean?

The United States Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule (a new regulation) for legal immigrants in the United States wishing to enter or remain here.

Based on a number of factors – such as income, employment, personal health, education, skills and family situation – a person may or may not be allowed into the country or allowed to apply for lawful permanent status or a visa. The more public assistance a person has received in the past or the more assistance he or she is likely to receive, the less likely their chances of getting a green card.

Are there any exceptions to the rule?

Yes. Individuals listed below will not have to undergo the public charge test:

  • Pregnant women who need public assistance during pregnancy or for 60 days after giving birth
  • Pregnant women on Medicaid

The following forms of assistance do not count against anyone subjected to the public charge test:

  • Medicare Part D low-income subsidy
  • Benefits received by children until the age of 21, including Medicaid and CHIP
  • Emergency medical assistance
  • Food pantry assistance
  • School lunch program participation
  • Foster care or adoption

When does the new rule start?

Monday, February 24.

What do I tell patients who are in the process of trying to obtain a green card?

The public charge rule will only apply to individuals who apply for a green card on or after February 24. Tell them that it is important to speak to a lawyer about their individual case before making any decisions. They can seek low-cost or free counsel through Baker Ripley’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (https://www.bakerripley.org/citizenship-and-immigration-services).

What about our financial counselors that help families who are inpatient? Can the Health Plan help them?

Texas Children’s Health Plan is here to guide them and help answer their health coverage questions. If they have any questions about their CHIP or Medicaid coverage, they also can:

Visit the Texas Health and Human Services Commission website at yourtexasbenefits.org

Call 2-1-1 for information

Contact Texas Children’s Health Plan at 1-888-559-PLAN for further assistance or visit texaschildrenshealthplan.org/plan

Where do I go if I’d like to know more about this topic?

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has published a very helpful fact sheet.

Visit: https://www.uscis.gov/news/fact-sheets/public-charge-fact-sheet

For added convenience, employees can also purchase tickets for several RODEOHOUSTON events, including NRG Park Admission, the World Championship Bar-B-Que Contest and Carnival Packs. Tickets are now available at multiple Texas Children’s campus locations until 4 p.m., Friday, February 28. For more information on pricing and sale locations, please click here.

Questions?

If you have questions about The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, please contact our Benefits team at totalrewards@texaschildrens.org or call Total Rewards at 832-824-2421 (select option 1 and then press 2) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Let’s rodeo, Texas Children’s!

On his blog this week, Mark Wallace honors American Heart Month by talking about the amazing strides Texas Children’s has made in caring for children’s hearts. He also highlights our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program and explains why it’s so important to the continued success of our top-ranked Heart Center. Read more

February 23, 2020

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
My name is Matthew Rivera and I am a Registered Nurse. My home unit currently resides in the float pool at West Campus. I have been with Texas Children’s Hospital for eight years.

Tell us how you found out you won the Best of the West award.
I was invited to DOB by my leadership team. Once all of the business of the meeting was completed Matt Timmons read aloud a nomination letter that was very profound, in regards to an employee that was to be recognized. To my surprise the person that he was reading about was me. I felt very privileged that someone would take the time out to recognize me.

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do? How has the organization helped you achieve your personal and professional goals?
It is an honor and a privilege to be recognized by West Campus. This organization has given me opportunities as well as resources to be flexible and to gain skills to provide great bedside care. Let me explain: I have been at West Campus for eight years. During that time both West Campus and I have grown. When we decided to take chemo patients, I was given the opportunity to learn more about hematology patients. As the West Campus expanded its capacity to open the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), I was given the opportunity to train at Medical Center Campus to become a PICU nurse. When I showed interest in learning how to take care of patients on CRRT, Medical Center PICU allowed me the opportunity to learn and take care of these patients. These are just a few of the examples of the growth that I have been afforded being an employee of Texas Children’s. My goal has been to be the best nurse that I can be, and Texas Children’s has done that for me.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s The Best of the West?
For me it starts with a great attitude. There is a poem by Charles Swindoll that I learned growing up. This poem has shaped most of the ways that I approach work as well as life in general. It has always stuck with me that explains the importance of attitude.

Attitude
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.
By Charles R. Swindoll

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
My patients and knowing that I work for a great organization. I have worked a few places and for me Texas Children’s gives us a lot of resources to be able to properly take care of our patients, and I take great pride in that.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
The amount of resources and opportunities that comes with working for one of the best hospitals in the country. Learning from those resources means that you are on the cutting edge of medicine as well as providing some of the best care in the country. Also with Texas Children’s growing at such a fast pace the opportunities to grow are staggering.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
I think that it is great that everyone is considered a leader. To me it means that no matter your title it gives you the freedom to lead, where it is appropriate. My leadership definition is to start with a great attitude as well as a strong work ethic. From there I would say to model the way and lead by example.

Anything else you want to share?
It has been a great honor for me to be nominated for the Best of the West.

February 18, 2020

Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre hosted her seventh virtual town hall. In her blog, she provides a link to the town hall recording and highlights the exciting progress our nurses have made towards achieving the department’s strategic goals. Read more

On February 13, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers hosted a special celebration to unveil the new Sky High for Kids Immunotherapy Center that will officially open on 7 West Tower next month.

Texas Children’s Cancer Center staff, physician and nursing leaders, and invited guests attended the unveiling ceremony which began with a special blessing of the new oncology-hematology unit from Texas Children’s Chaplain Pam Krinock followed by remarks from Dr. Susan Blaney, director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, and Brittany Hebert, Founder/CEO of Sky High for Kids.

“The Sky High for Kids Immunotherapy Center is a tremendous advance, that will be essential to achieving our goal of curing cancer in each and every child,” Blaney said. “We, along with our patients and their families, are grateful for our partnership with Sky High for Kids. This partnership is incredibly strong, because the founders and leaders of Sky High are equally driven and passionate as we are about caring for children who are diagnosed with cancer and eliminating this disease as quickly as possible.”

In 2018, Sky High for Kids committed $20 million over 15 years to Texas Children’s Hospital to establish the Sky High for Kids patient floor and the nation’s first Immunotherapy Center, along with supporting Texas Children’s Global HOPE initiative to improve pediatric cancer treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. This pledge will provide Texas Children’s with the necessary resources to continue our research and application of immunotherapy treatments, impact around the globe and quality of care and comfort for our patients.

“The Sky High for Kids patient floor is poised to serve children across Texas, in the United States, and ultimately around the world,” Hebert said. “We are grateful to be part of the Texas Children’s family and are honored to be a part of leading the charge to eradicate cancer right here in our hometown.”

After the unveiling ceremony, guests had the opportunity to tour the new Sky High for Kids patient floor on 7 West Tower, which will officially open on Wednesday, March 25. The spacious, state-of-the-art patient care floor includes 22 hematology-oncology rooms and 10 bone marrow transplant rooms. The newly renovated spaces also feature a multidisciplinary work area for the health care teams, larger family lounge and respite areas, a laundry room, and a beautiful art studio for patients and their families.

As Texas Children’s Cancer Center continues to pioneer new and emerging therapies for patients with cancer and blood disorders, the need for additional inpatient accommodations was crucial. The new space will allow care teams to better meet the needs of our patients while continuing to provide the highest quality care.

“We are very excited about the opening of our new oncology and hematology unit, and are very fortunate to have the best and brightest minds, dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancer,” Blaney said. “Everyone in our Cancer Center, including our physician scientists, our research technicians, our clinical researchers, and the entire medical team, feel a tremendous sense of urgency to attaining this goal.”

Click here to learn more about Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers. Click here for more information about our philanthropic partner, Sky High For Kids, and their mission to end pediatric cancer.