January 28, 2020

 

Today, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced the addition of Texas Children’s Hospital to the USOPC National Medical Network. Texas Children’s will serve as a national medical center and the Official Pediatric Medicine Provider, offering expertise to Team USA athletes in coordination with USOPC medical practitioners. Texas Children’s also has established a dedicated USOPC Technology and Innovation Endowment to provide additional support.

“Texas Children’s Hospital has a history of high-quality medical care and leadership and is an exceptional addition to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s National Medical Network,” said Bahati VanPelt, USOPC chief of athlete services.

“Working with specialty providers represents a great opportunity for Team USA athletes to benefit from leading practitioners in sports medicine – and in this case specialized service for young athletes – as part of the broad USOPC commitment to whole-athlete wellness.”

The National Medical Network partners with leading medical centers and practitioners with proven sports medicine expertise to provide additional services to America’s elite athletes. Our partnership with the USOPC will allow for integration of Texas Children’s expertise into the USOPC’s Sports Medicine program.

“We are thrilled to support the USOPC and America’s elite athletes as the exclusive pediatric care provider of the National Medical Network,” said Dr. Jeffrey Shilt, Texas Children’s chief of community surgery and the sports medicine liaison to the USOPC.

“As young athletes transition from the playground with the goal of representing Team USA, we look forward to helping them achieve these milestones by providing expert care during an illness or injury, and maintaining their overall health and well-being. We take great pride in being able to support the next generation of Olympians and Paralympians as they optimize their health and performance through this world-class relationship.”

In addition to joining the National Medical Network, Texas Children’s committed additional resources to the USOPC’s Technology and Innovation Fund, which will specifically support investments in pediatric medical innovations and services. In conjunction with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, and with support from generous investors, the fund was created to use the brightest ideas in technology and engineering to benefit Team USA’s sports and athletes.

The fund delivers groundbreaking improvements to current sport technology, drives future development and bridges the gap between innovation and utilization to put the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee – and the athletes and National Governing Bodies it serves – at the forefront of sport performance innovation.

“The USOPC is committed to leading in the fields of sport high performance and innovation, supporting Team USA athletes where they train and compete with cutting-edge research – and, importantly, the ability to translate research into best practices,” said Finbarr Kirwan, USOPC vice president, sport performance. “Texas Children’s support of the Tech and Innovation Fund dramatically increases our ability to build on our successes to date, and significantly expand our ability to provide for Team USA athletes of all ages.”

National Medical Network organizations are designated by the USOPC as either national or regional based on the scope of available services and specific geographic proximity to training and competition centers and sites.

The following organizations are members of the National Medical Network:

National Medical Centers

  • Steadman Philippon Research Institute and The Steadman Clinic – Vail, Colorado
  • Texas Children’s Hospital – Houston, Texas
  • University of Utah Health – Salt Lake City, Utah

Regional Medical Centers

  • Adirondack Health – Saranac Lake, New York
  • Allegheny Health Network – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Colorado Center of Orthopedic Excellence – Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Lake Placid Sports Medicine – Lake Placid, New York
  • Memorial Health, part of UCHealth – Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • For more information on USOPC athlete care and the National Medical Network, visit TeamUSA.org

About the USOPC

Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America’s athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.

 

Cary Cain reflects on the many nursing opportunities she’s had at Texas Children’s and shares how her involvement in the UpWORDS Program is helping her make a difference for children and families out in the community. Read more

The Texas 2020 Primary election is March 3, 2020, and the deadline to register to vote is February 3, 2020. Now is the time for each of us to ask our co-workers, friends, neighbors, and patient family members if they have registered to vote or if their registration is up-to-date.

Texas Children’s government relations department is partnering with the League of Women Voters to offer several voter registration drives leading up to the state’s registration deadline. See below for more details on time/location and stop by our tables to receive information on the voting process, creating your personal plan to vote and help Get Out The Vote in 2020!

Take advantage of one of these opportunities to register:

Main Campus

Thursday, January 30: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., The Auxiliary Bridge
Friday, January 31: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., The Auxiliary Bridge

West Campus

Thursday, January 30: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., (Lobby)
Friday, January 31: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., (Lobby)

The Woodlands

Thursday, January 30: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., (Lobby area close to the cafeteria)
Friday, January 31: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., (Lobby area close to the cafeteria)

The City of Houston’s bike share system, BCycle, has recently added a new bicycle station near Texas Children’s that can help employees stay in line with their New Year health goals.

The BCycle station located at the METRORail stop on Fannin & Dryden, is a solution for work commutes, short trips around the Texas Medical Center, and after-work/weekend outings throughout Hermann Park and a variety of other neighborhoods across Houston.

There are 14 BCycle stations in the Texas Medical Center area, and more than 20 in Rice Village, Hermann Park and the Museum District. For convenience, you can take a bike from one BCycle station and ride it to any other station as well. You can check out a full map of BCycle stations by clicking here.

Houston BCycle is operated by Houston Bikes Share, a local nonprofit, whose mission is to provide equitable access to bike share that fosters recreation, mobility and personal wellness.

There are 109 BCycle stations and 700 bikes available across Houston. To use the bicycles you begin by signing up on the free BCycle mobile app, then purchase a membership for just $13 per month (or $79 per year) and get you unlimited hour-long trips. The app also allows you to check out bikes, track your trip history, and navigate from station to station. If you’re not ready to commit to a membership, you can test out a bike as a guest user for $3 per 30 minutes at any station.

Bike share is an effective alternative to driving and parking hassles, and also helps with your overall health and the environment. Click here for more information about how you can snag one of those red BCycles that are seen across the Medical Center.

January 27, 2020

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo takes over NRG Park from Tuesday, March 3 through Sunday, March 22. As we do every year, Texas Children’s will be giving employees an opportunity to conveniently purchase tickets for the different rodeo events, including those must-see musical performances.

Rodeo Concert ticket drawing – February 5 – 13

As of right now, RODEOHOUSTON has announced 17 artists for this year with another three concerts set to be announced on February 4. Once the full schedule is released, Texas Children’s will launch its annual Rodeo Concert Ticket Drawing, taking place from February 5 to February 13, during which employees will have the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets for this year’s most popular performances, including Dierks Bentley, Gwen Stefani, Willie Nelson, and more. Additional information about the drawing will be emailed next week. In the meantime, if you would like to participate in this year’s drawing, please do the following:

All concert tickets awarded through the drawing will be immediately paid for through payroll deduction. If you are not already enrolled in the Voluntary Purchase Program through MOLI, and plan to enter the drawing, please follow these instructions. Signing up typically takes about 5-10 minutes.

Rodeo concert tickets will be issued electronically via Flash Seats. Since paper tickets will not be distributed, you are encouraged to set up a Flash Seat account in advance by registering at flashseats.com.

Tickets on sale now for rodeo festivities

For added convenience, employees may 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 at any time 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!

Dr. Stacey Berg and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Kate Mazur served as editors of the recently published textbook Ethical Issues in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. The textbook fills a vital gap in currently available literature on ethical issues in pediatric hematology/oncology.

This book identifies the various ethical challenges that arise in pediatric hematology/oncology and provides the necessary tools to overcome these challenges. Aiming to expand upon and strengthen providers’ knowledge and experience in pediatric health care ethical issues, the text positions providers to be beneficial resources to faculty, staff, patients, and families within their institution. It presents a multidisciplinary approach to sound ethical practices that is necessary to effectively care for these patients and their families.

The book reviews the principles of ethical decision-making, the unique difficulties in using children as research subjects, common ethical conundrums involved in providing end-of-life care, and general moralities of professional practice. Written by experts in their fields, Ethical Issues in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology is an innovative and valuable resource for clinicians, practitioners, and trainees who work in the field of pediatric hematology/oncology.

“We’re very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful colleagues to put together a book specifically focused on ethical issues in our highly specialized area of pediatric hematology/oncology,” Berg said. We hope that this text will be a valuable reference for everyone in the field.”

Mazur echoed Berg’s statements and said it’s been a privilege to collaborate with many experts in the field on this important project.

“We hope that this book will increase understanding of the unique ethical dilemmas faced in our practice and provide a useful resource that will ultimately improve our care of patients and their families,” she said.

Those at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine who contributed to the effort include:

Editors
Stacey Berg, MD
Kate Mazur, PNP

Chapter Authors
Ernest Frugé, PhD
Amanda Gutierrez, BA
Melody Brown-Hellsten, DNP
Laura Loftis, MD
Mary Majumder, JD, PhD
Amy McGuire, JD, PhD
Stacey Pereira, PhD
Perry Ann Reed, MBA, MS
Michael Sprehe, MD, MPH

On November 9, nearly 100 people gathered at the Meyer Building for Texas Children’s Microtia Awareness Day Celebration, sponsored by the Division of Otolaryngology’s Microtia Clinic.

The event featured educational talks and Q&A sessions offered by experts across numerous Texas Children’s specialties and subspecialties, including Pediatric Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Speech and Language Pathology, Audiology, Anaplastology and a patient experience testimonial. There also was a full slate of games and activities for children, such as pottery painting, face painting, a bean bag toss, Hula-Hooping and mini bowling.

For patients and families alike, it was a wonderful opportunity to meet with members of the multidisciplinary care team in Texas Children’s Microtia and Atresia Program and to interact with other families who have been affected by these rare conditions.

Microtia is a rare congenital malformation of the ear, occurring in about one in 10,000 births. Typically, the condition affects only one ear and the severity of symptoms can vary widely. In less severe cases, the ear might be slightly smaller than normal. However, in the most severe cases, the ear may be completely absent. Because the external and internal structures of the ear are so developmentally linked, children with microtia may also experience atresia – an absence or underdevelopment of the ear canal and middle ear structures. Atresia can potentially cause hearing loss and speech difficulties, which can in turn contribute to poor academic performance.

The effects of these conditions on physical appearance and on speech, hearing and learning, especially during crucial early developmental years, could potentially have a lasting negative impact on self-esteem and overall quality of life.

To meet the complex needs of patients with microtia and atresia, Texas Children’s has built the only comprehensive program in the state that offers the full spectrum of care, from reconstruction of the outer ear, to complex repair of aural atresia, to hearing aids or implants for appropriate candidates.

“With our program, we have created a one-stop shop where families have access to care for children of all ages – and our demand is high,” said Dr. Rodrigo Silva, director of Texas Children’s Ear and Hearing Center. “These conditions may be rare, but because of Houston’s size and diversity we see a very large number of patients each year.”

The Microtia and Atresia Program offers families a multidisciplinary approach to care that includes audiology, with experts trained in age-appropriate hearing testing and solutions; speech and language pathology; and surgical interventions to address cosmetic needs and hearing loss. The event gave Texas Children’s caregivers an opportunity to share the many ways we can help.

“We wanted to highlight our capabilities and let families know that we offer individualized treatment paths for each child we see,” said Dr. Yi-Chun Liu, Texas Children’s pediatric otolaryngologist and associate program director for the Microtia and Atresia Program. “Whether the child needs a reconstruction surgery of the ear or ear canal, a hearing aid or implant, speech and language therapy, or some combination of all of these, we’re committed to providing them with the best possible care.”

At the end of the event, parents were given survey cards that asked for suggestions about the kinds of information regarding microtia and atresia that families might find most helpful when starting their care journey. There was also a section for feedback and comments.

Judging by some of the responses, the event was a success.

  • “The wealth of knowledge was amazing.”
  • “Loved that multiple options were discussed and the importance of team partnerships.”
  • “This is our second year, we will continue to come every year.”

“We’ve already had requests to make it an annual event,” said Jessie Marcet-Gonzalez, Microtia Day celebration coordinator with the Division of Otolaryngology. “We had so many volunteers who helped make this day special for our families and in letting them know that we really care.”

One patient who made the day particularly special was Liliana Montano. The 13-year-old raised the funds to make the awesome red shirts everyone was wearing at the event. Liliana donated the shirts to all attendees.

Learn more about Texas Children’s Microtia and Atresia Program by clicking here.