July 9, 2019

The First Lady of Botswana, Neo Jane Masisi, was recently announced as an inaugural member of the Global HOPE International Council. The International Council which will comprise African leaders and dignitaries, noteworthy global health care leaders, philanthropists and other key influencers, will serve as advocates for Global HOPE to raise awareness for the program and the plight of children with cancer in Africa.

Masisi is an accountant by profession and has held various portfolios in Botswana within the private sector. She further embarked on a career as an International Civil Servant where she served the United Nations in USA, Ethiopia and Central African Republic. Masisi has extensive experience in management and budgetary controls, grants management and financial reporting. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA – UK) and holds an MBA.

Currently, as First Lady, Masisi is involved in national issues geared at addressing HIV/AIDS. She is passionate about girls and rural women, causes that she pursues in her personal capacity. Having worked in both Botswana and the international arena, Mrs. Masisi brings across a “global view’’ approach to issues that affect humanity.

Global HOPE (Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence), recently celebrated its two-year anniversary. It is a transformative initiative focused on creating an innovative pediatric hematology-oncology treatment network in sub-Saharan Africa that will build long-term capacity to treat and dramatically improve the prognosis of thousands of children with cancer and blood disorders. The program was created in partnership with Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation and Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatrics AIDS Initiative at Texas Children’s Hospital (BIPAI).

Global HOPE works closely with Ministries of Health in its three initial countries of focus including Botswana, Malawi and Uganda. Within two short years, the program has seen extraordinary progress, including treating more than 3,000 patients, training over 1,000 health care professionals, and graduating its first class of physician fellows from the Global HOPE Pediatric Hematology Oncology Fellowship Program, the first of its kind in East Africa.

While Global HOPE initiative is relatively new, the relationship with these countries in Sub-Saharan Africa goes back nearly 20 years with the implementation of Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), the largest pediatric HIV treatment network in the world, leveraging existing experience, infrastructure and public/private partnerships created through the initiative. To date, BIPAI has provided care and support to more than 1 million HIV-infected children and adolescents, and has trained more than 52,000 health care workers on issues of pediatric HIV. Building on this experience, Global HOPE is using this approach to address childhood cancer.

In the U.S., where there are 15,000 cases of pediatric cancer a year, over 80 percent of children survive and most have a very good quality life. In contrast, of the more than 100,000 children who develop pediatric cancer each year in sub-Saharan Africa, 90 percent die. In an effort to correct this glaring inequity, Global HOPE established a $150 million campaign to launch their program in three initial countries, including Botswana.

In September 2018, Dr. David Poplack, Director of Global Hope and Associate Director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, had the pleasure of hosting His Excellency OP and Mrs. Masisi in Houston, Texas. The visit offered an opportunity to assess the progress made to help combat pediatric illnesses in Botswana including HIV/AIDS.

“As First Lady of the Republic of Botswana, Mrs. Masisi has an incredibly powerful voice capable of raising awareness and garnering support for initiatives to address childhood cancer in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Dr. Poplack. “With our hallmark program in Botswana, she was able to see the work we are doing firsthand, and I believe she has the ability to help expand our reach. I also believe she will be an extraordinary advocate for children with cancer and blood disorders.”

With the support of Mrs. Masisi and the entire International Council, Global HOPE will have the ability to expand its reach and to dramatically improve childhood cancer treatment and care in sub-Saharan Africa.

July 8, 2019

Texas Children’s patient Eden Green visits Capitol Hill to advocate for graduate medical education funding.

Progress doesn’t just happen. It takes real conversations between people who care.

That’s exactly what happened recently when Texas Children’s Hospital patient Eden Green visited Washington, D.C., during the 15th annual Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day.

The vibrant 14-year-old met with a handful of Texas lawmakers, including former Congressman Gene Green and Representatives Michael McCaul and Dan Crenshaw. She hopes her voice brings change and increased investment in pediatric cancer research.

Family Advocacy Day, hosted by the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), was focused on ensuring that a federally-funded pediatrician training program receives an increase in financial support, among other issues.

According to CHA, the hospitals that receive Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) train approximately half of the nation’s pediatricians. Texas Children’s is one of those hospitals.

Increased CHGME funding helps recruit and retain the highest quality pediatricians.

A Young Advocate in the Making

Eden’s story is one we can all be proud of. In 2015 at just 10 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare tumor – so rare it still doesn’t have a name. It had spread throughout her body. An individualized treatment plan was drafted by the Rare Tumors and Neuroblastoma Programs at Texas Children’s Cancer Center, which included many rounds of chemotherapy and hip surgery.

Eden was cancer free for nearly two years when she relapsed in June 2018. Thanks to funding by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), Eden had the opportunity to participate in a novel clinical trial at Texas Children’s Cancer Center for pediatric patients with relapsed disease that allowed her to go into remission for the second time.

Dr. Jennifer Foster, who is Eden’s pediatric oncologist at Texas Children’s, couldn’t be prouder of her patient’s trip to D.C. Foster said she often urges patients and medical professionals to get involved in the legislative process.

“As medical professionals, we can all advocate at a patient level, but we won’t experience any real change on a global level until we tap into the policy side of health care,” Foster said. “There is so much we can do as pediatricians and getting involved in the political process is part of that.”

Foster goes on to say that everyone can help the cause in their own way.

“Eden is an incredibly dynamic individual – truly someone who lights up a room when she walks in. Speaking out and interacting with people is one of her gifts and she’s using it to give back to Texas Children’s.”

You can also help.

Texas Children’s is a hospital that receives CHGME funding. You can help the cause! Let your voice be heard, here: https://actnow.io/m8pHocn

July 2, 2019

As the nation celebrates Independence Day on July 4, Maria Dahl reflects on her service in the U.S. Army and how her experiences inspired her to pursue a career in nursing. Read more

July 1, 2019

 

Texas Children’s Hospital’s first community campus therapy dog has officially started at The Woodlands campus. A week after Child Life’s gender reveal, Cohen began to make his mark on the hospital and in the hearts of employees and patients.

The 19-month-old golden retriever, doodle mix, is the fourth therapy dog in Texas Children’s Pawsitive Play Program, which uses animal-assisted therapy to enhance the emotional well-being of pediatric patients by reducing their anxiety, perception of pain and fear of hospitalization.

Like the other therapy dogs Cohen was specifically trained for this position at Canine Assistants, a non-profit in Atlanta, which has matched more than 1,500 service dogs with individuals and hospitals. He will be groomed weekly and his paws will be wiped down daily. Patients who are allergic to dogs will not be consulted and the dog will not go into patient rooms without first receiving verbal permission from a guardian and the medical team.

Cohen offers distraction and motivation to patients undergoing certain medical procedures, but it’s not just him that aids in this process. Child Life Specialist Carolyn Canlas, who goes by CJ, has the amazing opportunity to be Cohen’s handler. Both she and Cohen have been trained to collaborate with medical teams and physical and occupational therapists to visit with several patients each day who are having a particularly difficult time during their hospitalization.

“Words cannot express how much gratitude I feel in taking on this new role,” Canlas said. “This is such an awesome opportunity to utilize my child life skillset in such a unique way. I can’t wait to see the joy that Cohen brings to patients, families and staff.”

On June 26 Cohen met his other furry co-workers, Elsa, Bailey, and Pinto who support the Medical Center Campus, before heading off on his first day of work. Cohen was generously funded through a gift from Newfield Foundation. This new addition to the Woodlands family is just one of the many ways that the campus continues to expand and support the community.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have CJ and Cohen on our Woodlands Child Life Team,” Manager of Patient and Family Services Cynda Parrish said. “CJ and Cohen will be able to create special opportunities with our patients, families and staff through targeted therapeutic interventions to support coping and provide positive hospital experiences. We are excited to integrate this amazing resource into our child life team’s clinical practice.”

As a manager and veteran nurse, Almea Montillo is someone that both patients and employees can count on. Her experience over the past 20 years has allowed her to form relationships with some of the most critically ill patients, and watch their journey to recovery.

“I’ve gotten to be very fortunate to see how my patients that I have sent from the Emergency Center, up here to the floor get better and go home,” Montillo said. “It’s really a great feeling to see how well we’ve taken care of them.”

Montillo began working in the Emergency Center, then became a staff nurse for a few years and later an educator. Now as she manages other nurses, she also makes time to be an active member of the Patient Experience Leader Rounding and Bedside Shift Report teams. She provides valuable feedback and is seen as a leader in the realm of patient experience.

“It’s been an awesome experience working at Texas Children’s,” Montillo said. “I’m very fortunate to be in an institution where you’re supported by leadership, and I feel that we take care of our patients very well.”

She is known for the love and comfort she provides patients, and the guidance and encouragement she gives employees. Between greeting staff, leading huddles, leadership rounding, and administrative tasks, her days can be pretty busy. She is also a Central Line Champion, as she makes sure that the staff carryout cap changes, and central line dressing changes properly.

“Mea personally rounds on each and every patient and family every day. She enjoys developing a relationship with the families and wants them to feel they can come to her for any need,” Assistant Clinical Director of Nursing at West Campus Sondra Morris said. “She ensures they feel comfortable by making sure they are aware of the resources at the campus and in the unit. She is a role model for the staff and a great example of how we should care for our patients and families.”

Montillo says that although the Caught You Caring Award came as a surprise, she was very excited to receive confirmation that the immense amount of effort and heart she puts into her work has not gone unrecognized.

“I was very happy to know that I made a difference with someone. I don’t ever look for any kind of praise, she said. “I feel like it’s my job to know the patients and the families and make sure that they have the best possible experience, because nobody wants to be in the hospital. It’s our job to make it a positive experience no matter what’s going on, and that is my motto and goal every single day.”

When Dr. Mark W. Kline accepted the position of Texas Children’s Physician-in-Chief in 2009, it was an extraordinary moment for the hospital. The bar set by his predecessors, Dr. Russell Blattner and Dr. Ralph D. Feigin, was high to say the least.

In the decade since, Kline has worked tirelessly to fulfill Texas Children’s mission of providing the very best care to the children and families who need us most. One need only look at Texas Children’s Hospital today to see the transformational difference his leadership has made.

“Dr. Kline has been a spectacular leader during his entire tenure at Texas Children’s, but his years as Physician-in-Chief have been nothing short of extraordinary,” said President and CEO Mark Wallace. “I know the entire Texas Children’s family joins me in congratulating him on this milestone, in thanking him for his vision, leadership and steadfast commitment to Texas Children’s, and in wishing him much success in the years to come.”

In honor of 10 incredible years as Physician-in-Chief, we sat down with Kline for 10 questions about what it has meant to serve in the role, the lessons learned and his hopes for the future.

After being named Physician-in-Chief, you said you had big shoes to fill. What has assuming that mantle meant to you?

Kline: I never take lightly the position I have here. It’s an honor and privilege every day to come to work because I follow in the footsteps of people like Dr. Blattner and Dr. Feigin. Also because Texas Children’s Hospital has such a pristine reputation for excellence that has been built over the past 65 years. Frankly, that’s why every day I sweat every detail – because I know I’m responsible for the legacy of Texas Children’s and would never want to do anything to dishonor the work of the many people who’ve gone before me to lay the foundation for what we have here today.

How do you manage your numerous responsibilities without being overwhelmed?

Kline: No one could do it alone, that’s for sure. I depend on the good people around me.

I concentrated the first year I was in the job on building a leadership team. I was able to do that successfully, and I’ve had good continuity among those team members. You have to surround yourself with people who are capable, who you trust and who you know will represent you well. They know what I’d be thinking at any particular juncture, and I know how they work, what they think and what their strengths are. We make it work.

With more than 1,400 faculty members, another 200-plus Texas Children’s Pediatrics providers, and with facilities in Austin, West Houston and The Woodlands, it’s imperative to have to have that kind of support.

When you first took the position, what was your personal vision for Texas Children’s, and how have the past 10 years compared to that expectation?

Kline: These 10 years have exceeded anything I ever imagined. The rate of growth that we’ve experienced has been truly remarkable. When I started, one of the perceptions I had was that the hospital was a little siloed in the Texas Medical Center. I imagined a Texas Children’s Hospital that was more far-flung across the community. Today, we certainly have a better representation across the greater Houston area. But even I didn’t anticipate the expansion into Austin. And of course through Texas Children’s Health Plan, we’re up into East Texas and all the way to the Red River in the north.

All of that really gets at the root of our mission. We were never Houston Children’s Hospital. We are Texas Children’s Hospital. And I think we’re right on the cusp of fully realizing the initial vision the founders had for the hospital when they named it.

What have been the most remarkable differences or changes you’ve seen at Texas Children’s?

Kline: If you look at patient visits, inpatient admissions, the size of our medical staff, research funding, number of applications to our educational programs – everything is two-and-a-half times bigger than it was a decade ago. But we’re not just bigger, we’re better than we have ever been. The fact that we have been able to substantially reduce serious safety events in the hospital despite the incredible growth – that’s truly remarkable.

We also have added some really differentiating programs – the kind of things where if you talked to someone at another institution about it, they’d say, “Wow, you’re doing that at Texas Children’s Hospital! Who else is doing that?” And the answer is no one. These are programs such as our Global Health services; Dr. Peter Hotez’s work on vaccines for some of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world; and our Heart Center. There are a number of things that we do today that weren’t in existence 10 years ago that distinguish us from any other children’s hospital, and I’m really proud of those.

What are some accomplishments of which you’re particularly proud?

Kline: You could start by going down the U.S. News & World Report rankings. We’re now the No. 3 children’s hospital in the country. The Heart Center is the No.1 center in the country for children, perhaps in the world. We have the No. 1-ranked Pulmonary Medicine service in the United States. We have four other subspecialties ranked among the top 3 in the nation in their respective categories. We’re better and deeper than we’ve ever been before.

The diversification of our research programs is also something to be proud of. Ten years ago, we had a total research portfolio of about $60 million across five areas. Today, we have more than $117 million in annual research funding across 16 discreet areas. There’s hardly an area of pediatric medicine where Texas Children’s is not making a meaningful contribution. That’s tremendously exciting.

And there’s not another children’s hospital in the world that can match Texas Children’s for contributions to global child health. We provide care and treatment for more HIV-infected children that any other organization or institution in the world. That’s something to really be proud of.

What’s one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?

Kline: I try to remind myself every day that there’s a lot of value in humility. As big as we are and as good as we are, it would be easy to feel a little bit smug. We can’t. We’ve got to pay attention and be better at every little thing we do. We owe it to the patients and the families that we serve.

Was there ever a special piece of advice anyone offered you that’s been particularly helpful in your role at Texas Children’s?

Kline: Sweat the small stuff.

What advice would you offer young caregivers – physicians, surgeons, nurses and others – who are early in their medical career?

Kline: Be open-minded about where the career will take you. It’s fine to have a plan, but be open to the possibility that the plan might change. I never planned to do what I’m doing now, but I’m happy I was open-minded to it because I really love it. It’s been a great ride.

How about those with an eye on assuming a leadership role in medicine?

Kline: This kind of role is not for everybody. You have to really be invested in it. But one of the attributes I have is that I’m not afraid to ask for help. And that’s a key for being a good leader – being able to call on others when you don’t know something, because nobody has all the answers. Doing that enables you to flesh out your own skill set and work collaboratively with others and their skills.

What do you hope the next 10 years look like at Texas Children’s?

Kline: Hopefully, we will continue to grow and extend our reach. I think we’ll be in more places than we are today, training more young professionals, building more capacity for the care of seriously ill children and doing what Texas Children’s Hospital does best.

I think we’re on a great trajectory. If we can continue that, and at the same pace, it’ll be a great 10 years ahead.

About Dr. Mark Kline

Dr. Mark Kline’s medical career began at the age of 15, when he started working at an emergency center in his hometown of San Antonio. At 16, he was a licensed EMT and on a trajectory for a career as a trauma surgeon, or so he thought.

Kline graduated summa cum laude from Trinity University (San Antonio) with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He came to Houston as a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine, where during clinical rotations he discovered a passion for Pediatrics. He graduated with honors from Baylor in 1981 and completed pediatric residency training, chief residency and a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at Baylor and Texas Children’s Hospital in 1987.

In 1996, Kline witnessed firsthand the devastation of pediatric HIV/AIDS during a trip to hospitals, clinics and orphanages in Romania. This experience gave birth to the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children’s Hospital. The program builds health care infrastructure, trains health professionals and provides medical care and treatment to children and families across sub-Saharan Africa and in Romania. BIPAI currently provides HIV/AIDS care and treatment to more than 350,000 of the world’s poorest and least fortunate children and families, more than any other organization worldwide.

Those efforts have also given rise to Texas Children’s Global Health programs. Leveraging resources, infrastructure and medical programs initially created through BIPAI, Global Health now partners with more than 18 governments, UNICEF, USAID, CDC, WHO and many others, to share expertise and best practices around the world in underserved nations such as Argentina, Colombia, Haiti, Malawi, Mexico, Pakistan, Tanzania and Uganda.

An internationally respected leader in pediatric HIV/AIDS and global child health, Dr. Kline has been the recipient and principal investigator for more than $150 million in research grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has authored more than 250 scientific articles and textbook chapters and has presented over 350 national and international lectures. Dr. Kline is editor-in-chief of Rudolph’s Pediatrics, one of the world’s most widely recognized and read medical textbooks.

Last year, Texas Children’s Palliative Care Program celebrated being awarded The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Palliative Care Certification. Texas Children’s Palliative Care Program is one out of ninety programs across the country to receive this distinction. Learn more by visiting our 2018 virtual Annual Report.