January 7, 2019

Toss out those rigid and complicated New Year’s resolutions! Instead, kickstart 2019 by setting your intentions with One Word and gaining the tools and knowledge to become a healthier, happier you – not just for the year, but for life.

Join your Employee Well-Being and EAP Plus teams for the first Kickstart 2019 Workshop Series, which will feature the following activities and sessions:

Create Your Well-Being Vision – Choose one word that sums up how you want to be or live this year, then learn how to build the lifelong skills and behaviors you need to create and follow healthy habits that stick.

Ready to get started? We are too! Click here for the My One Word goal card and post it somewhere visible to maintain inspiration throughout the year.

Mastering Meal Prep – Eating healthy is all about the preparation. Learn how to master meal prep, from navigating the grocery store, to identifying the tools that should become your best friends in the kitchen, to finding easy recipes that you can cook in bulk. Meal prep is a tool that can be utilized by everyone, whether you are new to the kitchen or a well-seasoned home chef.

Fundamentals of Fitness – With all the fresh motivation the new year gives you to achieve your fitness goals, you’re primed and ready to tone up – but where and how exactly do you start? Get ready for a dynamic discussion about building a new workout routine and putting it into action.

Focusing Daily Energy – Between work, family and other responsibilities, our lives pull us in so many directions each day. Learn how to focus and shift your energy to the right places, at the right times. Make more mindful choices on how you spend your time and connect with people who bring positive energy.

Register Today
Click here for a full schedule of the Kickstart 2019 Workshop Series, including all session dates and locations. Class space is limited, register today.

Ready, Set, Win in 2019 with WW and New Fitness Partnerships
Weight Watchers is now “WW,” a reimagined and revamped program designed to inspire healthy habits for real life for people, families and communities around the world. WW is about more than weight loss; it’s about providing participants with a partner in wellness – whether that means eating better, moving more, developing a positive mindset, taking pounds off the scale or all of the above. WW also includes the new WellnessWins™ rewards program to recognize members at every steps of their wellness journey.

Click here to check out the new WW and join from January 2-25 to be enrolled in the Jumpstart Promotion, and as a new members, you’ll receive a free gift.

Texas Children’s badge holders receive reduced monthly membership rates, waived enrollment fees, and discounted programs and services from a variety of wellness partners. Click here to learn more about all of Texas Children’s wellness partnerships.

Introducing ClassPass, our newest wellness partner, offering one of the world’s most flexible memberships that allows you to work out where you want, when you want and how you want. Click here to learn more.

If you have any questions, contact the Well-Being team at wellbeing@texaschildrens.org.


The Centers for Children and Women at Texas Children’s recently received community pharmacy practice accreditation from the Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation (CPPA). This accreditation demonstrates Texas Children’s ongoing commitment to high quality care and patient safety.

With approximately 33,000 community pharmacies located across the United States, The Centers in Greenspoint and Southwest are the first in Texas to gain this esteemed accreditation.

“Gaining this voluntary accreditation is an important way for us to show our investment in continuous improvement of our pharmacy practice,” said Yen Phan, pharmacy manager at The Centers for Children and Women. “Our team worked very hard to meet the rigorous CPPA requirements for accreditation, and we will continue to focus our efforts on providing exceptional patient-centered care.”

The CPPA, a non-profit organization, recognizes pharmacy practices that foster medication safety and effectiveness, ensure continuous quality improvement and facilitate desired patient health outcomes.

The Centers at Greenspoint and Southwest implemented several initiatives to meet the CPPA standards for community pharmacy accreditation including creating a Quality Committee that provides an organized forum to review quality metrics and develop solutions to prevent potential medication errors. The Quality Committee also assessed overall performance and identified areas in need of quality improvement.

“The surveyors were very impressed with our best practices and model of care,” Phan said. “Our hope is that our best practices can serve as a benchmark for other community pharmacies to replicate.”

For more information about the CPPA accreditation process, visit www.pharmacypracticeaccredit.org
For more information about The Center for Children and Women, visit www.jointhecenter.org

On January 1, 2019, Dr. Rajkumar Venkatramani assumed the role of director of the Solid Tumor Program at Texas Children’s Cancer Center. Venkatramani, associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, is a board-certified pediatric hematologist-oncologist who is internationally recognized for his expertise in the care of children with pediatric solid tumors.

Dr. Murali Chintagumpala, who has served as director of both the Solid Tumor and Neuro-Oncology programs for many years, will continue to serve as director of the Neuro-Oncology Program, and will continue to play an integral role in the Solid Tumor Program.

Venkatramani completed his pediatric training at Kings College in London and obtained membership in the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health. He completed another pediatric residency at University of Illinois College of Medicine and a fellowship in pediatric hematology oncology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Venkatramani served on the faculty at University of Southern California for three years prior to joining the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Cancer Center in 2014.

At Texas Children’s, Venkatramani has been instrumental in developing a rare tumors program. He has established a national registry for children with rare tumors that will provide important data to physician scientists as they work to find a cure for these often times difficult to treat cancers.

Venkatramani is also a member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Renal Tumor Committee, where he is actively involved in developing a national clinical trial for children with a type of recurrent or relapsed kidney tumor known as Wilms tumor.

Venkatramani has published more than 60 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and has been a recipient of numerous awards, including: The Walter Laug Distinguished Teacher Award for Outstanding Teaching and the Guidance and Inspiration and Outstanding Resident Teacher Award. In 2017, he was appointed to the editorial board of Pediatric Blood and Cancer, the premier publication that focuses on laboratory and clinical investigations for children and adolescents with cancer or blood disorders.

“I am extremely excited to have Dr. Venkatramani transition into this leadership role, as his expertise in solid tumors will serve our patients and program well,” said Dr. Susan Blaney, director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers. “I am also very appreciative of the leadership that Dr. Chintagumpala has provided to the Solid Tumor Program for many years and pleased that he will continue to be actively involved in this program as well as to continue to lead the Neuro-Oncology Program as well as play a leadership role in other Center activities.”

December 18, 2018

Two recent radiothons held in conjunction with local radio stations raised more than a million dollars for Texas Children’s Hospital.

On December 6 and 7, Mega 101 FM raised more than $392,000 for Texas Children’s Hospital through its annual holiday Radiothon. As the leading Spanish contemporary FM station, Mega 101 is an exemplary partner that represents giving back to the children and families in the community whenever there is a need by their listeners.

Days later on December 13 and 14, the 15th Annual Cox Cares For Kids Radiothon brought in more than $625,000 for Texas Children’s Hospital. For two days, radio personalities from The New 93Q, Country Legends and The Eagle interviewed children and families who shared their stories of being treated at Texas Children’s.

Donations were raised through pledges called into a phone bank, as well as those made online through a text-to-donate campaign. The event was broadcast live from Texas Children’s in the third floor common area of the Pavilion For Women.

Experts from across the country recently convened for the fourth Symposium on Coronary Artery Anomalies, hosted by Texas Children’s Heart Center®.

The event was founded by leaders of Texas Children’s groundbreaking Coronary Anomalies Program – the first of its kind in the nation – as a way for caregivers, researchers and others to gather and discuss the diagnosis and management of patients with coronary artery anomalies, such as anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery (AAOCA), which can lead to the phenomenon known as sudden cardiac death (SCD), which usually occurs in young athletes.

“Before we began to really focus on these conditions, there was very little data about the potential risks or causes, which in turn led to controversy surrounding the proper ways to evaluate, treat and monitor children with these conditions,” said Texas Children’s cardiologist Dr. Silvana Molossi. “This event provides an open, dedicated forum for discussion and information sharing, and has become a valuable resource for experts nationwide who are involved in the diagnosis and care of patients with these rare conditions.”

The event featured comprehensive presentations by members of Texas Children’s Coronary Anomalies Program, as well as 11 visiting faculty from some of the country’s preeminent pediatric health care institutions, including Boston Children’s, CHOP, Stanford University, Columbia University, UT Southwestern, and the Heart & Vascular Institute at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. Major topics included AAOCA, Kawasaki disease and myocardial bridges.

An addition to this year’s conference was a special Patients & Families Symposium.

“We were astounded by the response to the family symposium before it even started,” said Molossi. “We expected between 25 and 30 people to register – we ended up having nearly 80 in attendance.”

During this day-long event, parents and children attended talks that addressed topics such as the impact of coronary anomalies on families and the importance of counseling and shared decision-making when determining a plan of care. And in a session titled, “This is My Story: Patients and Families Living with AAOCA,” visitors had an opportunity to hear from Texas Children’s patients and families who have had similar experiences of unknowingly living with these life-threatening conditions, receiving crucial diagnoses and making the tough decisions that follow, undergoing open-heart surgery, and living a normal life in the aftermath. This emotional and powerful session was followed by discussions about the importance of networking and building a sense of community and collective support for people affected by coronary anomalies.

About the Coronary Anomalies Program at Texas Children’s

Seeing the need for more complete data and a more specialized approach to care, experts at Texas Children’s formed the Coronary Anomalies Program. The multidisciplinary core team of cardiologists, congenital heart surgeons, radiologists and researchers works together to provide the best treatment for patients with congenital coronary anomalies, study outcomes, and educate health care providers and the public about these conditions.

A cornerstone of this team’s approach is the development and use of a clinical algorithm to facilitate the diagnosis and management of these patients. The team presents cases in monthly multidisciplinary meetings to determine the best course of action for each patient, and then tracks the patients’ outcomes over time.

For Lauren Meredith and her family, this holiday season has been a time of joy and gratefulness after the care and expertise they received from the experts in Texas Children’s Colorectal and Pelvic Health Program. It stands in sharp contrast to the nightmare she and husband, Ryan, experienced a year ago when their third child, Ava, was born with a rare congenital disorder of the colon that doctors thought would make her unable to pass stool. With sparse information and little time to weigh their options, the anxious parents had to make the quick decision to have Ava transported to a hospital in the Texas Medical Center for surgery – a colostomy – which she underwent at just 12 hours old.

Unfortunately, their long, hard journey was only beginning.

“We were sent home with relatively little information on how to properly care for her,” Meredith said. “I was making 10 to 15 calls a day to the doctor’s office, the insurance company and the medical supply company, but no one was helping. We felt completely alone and unprepared to tackle this complex medical issue.”

At a breaking point, Lauren began a search for help and answers online, where she first read about Texas Children’s Colorectal and Pelvic Health Program. On Christmas Eve 2017, she sent an email to Dr. Timothy Lee, pediatric surgeon and program director, explaining their ordeal.

The next day, the Merediths got their own holiday miracle.

“Dr. Lee emailed me back – on Christmas Day – and three days later we had our first appointment,” Meredith said. “The care, from the minute we walked in, was like stepping into a different world. The communication was incredible. I really felt like I was being heard for the first time.”

In August 2018, the colorectal and pelvic health team performed an operation to repair Ava’s initial defect and assess her gynecologic anatomy. And this past November, Ava had her colostomy reversal. Her prognosis is excellent.

Today, Ava – who turned one year old on December 13 – is a happy, healthy little girl who loves when her older brothers, Jackson and Greyson, sing to her and build forts for her to play in. She loves to snack, especially tacos. And she loves cuddles with her dad when he gets home from work.

“The team at Texas Children’s has given us so much to be thankful for,” Meredith said. “They took the burden off us and made us feel like they were on our side. We could tell from the very beginning that the entire Colorectal and Pelvic Health Program cared about Ava and wanted the best outcome.”

The full spectrum of care

A child’s diagnosis with a congenital disorder of the colorectal and urogenital system can be a heartbreaking and trying ordeal for families. Since these conditions are rare and often complex – and because no two cases are exactly alike – some institutions may lack the expertise necessary to provide effective treatment.

Fortunately, a highly skilled, multidisciplinary team of specialists at Texas Children’s Hospital offers patients and families the full spectrum of care for these disorders in our Colorectal and Pelvic Health Program.

Watch the video to learn more.

The Colorectal and Pelvic Health Program comprises four different specialties – pediatric surgery, pediatric urology, pediatric and adolescent gynecology, and gastroenterology – and provides treatment for several disorders and developmental anomalies, including imperforate anus, hirschsprung’s disease, cloacal malformation, cloacal exstrophy, and severe idiopathic constipation.

Regardless of the disorder, the team works together to develop a customized approach to care for these complex, and often sensitive, medical issues.

“Many of these conditions can have an extreme negative impact on the self-esteem of a child,” said Dr. Paul Austin, director of Texas Children’s Complex Urologic Reconstruction Program. “Knowing that we can make a positive difference through the care that we provide is extremely rewarding.”

Specialists collaborate to identify the patient’s specific issues and determine the best path to a positive outcome and improved quality of life, whether through surgery, medication or some combination of treatments. Additionally, the team has focused on improving patient care through clinical research and development of best practice pathways to standardize and streamline clinical care for this complex patient population.

“This hallmark of the program is providing multi-disciplinary collaborative care,” said Lee, pediatric surgeon and program director. “Even though these conditions aren’t common, we’ve seen more and more of them at Texas Children’s as our patient volume has grown. Parents can be confident when they come to us that they will be receiving truly comprehensive, collaborative care delivered by experts who have been treating these kinds of patients for years.”

Learn more about the Colorectal and Pelvic Health Program.

Standing in a packed auditorium at the University of Houston’s Student Center South on the evening of December 9, Natalie Martinez gripped a white candle and whispered Angelina when the person seated next to her lit her wick. Angelina is Natalie’s 11-month-old daughter who died five years ago of an undiagnosed medical condition.

“I have been looking for a way to formally honor my little girl and this is it,” Natalie said. “I had to bring a friend for support because I might break down, but I’m here and I’m thankful to have such an opportunity.”

Natalie was one of about 700 people who attended Texas Children’s First Annual Candle Lighting Ceremony to remember, honor, mourn and celebrate the lives of children taken from this world too soon. Hosted by Texas Children’s Palliative Care Team (PACT), the first annual Candle Lighting Ceremony was held in conjunction with the Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting Day, which unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour at 7 p.m. on December 9 in memory of children who have passed away. All families whose children died and were patients at Texas Children’s Hospital were invited to attend the ceremony, which included free parking, refreshments, childcare and access to grief resources.

Dr. Tammy Kang, section chief of Palliative Care at Texas Children’s, and Jackie Ward, associate chief nursing officer, kicked off the ceremony with words of encouragement and hope.

“Together we come together in unity to honor those lost,” Ward said. “We will forever remember them, cherish them and their imprint on this world.”

Kang agreed and said she hoped the ceremony would provide a healthy outlet of remembrance for families grieving the loss of their child, and to begin to heal from the pain and sadness they are going through.

A slide show of those lost brought many people to tears, giving faces and names to those who have died, as did a display of paper hearts hung on trees at the front of the auditorium. Attendees were given the option to write a message to their child on the hearts. Natalie’s heart read: Some people dream of angels. I’ve held one in my arms.

During the ceremony, five candles were lit at the front of the room – one for grief, another for courage and the rest for memories, love and hope. Then, the candles of everyone in the audience were lit as music therapists Alix Brickley and Abi Carlton sang This Little Light of Mine.

“Take a deep breath,” Chaplain James Denham said soothingly. “You are not alone.”

Melissa Lopez, a nurse in the Cancer Center, was both a volunteer and an event participant as her 16-year-old daughter, Natalia, passed away nine years ago after fighting her battle against cancer.

“Texas Children’s needed this type of event,” she said. “People like me need to know and feel like our children have not been forgotten.”

Taryn Schuelke, the grief and bereavement specialist with the Palliative Care team and ceremony chair, said she is pleased so many people attended the first of what will be an annual ceremony for those tied to Texas Children’s who have lost a child.

“We are honored to have known these children and to be able to recognize them,” she said. “We also are thankful to have so many people who are willing to help make such a special remembrance happen.”

Some of those people and organizations include:

  • The Aleksandra Petra Mondlak Palliative Care Endowed Fund
  • Texas Medical Center Orchestra
  • Texas Children’s Hospital Language Services
  • Texas Children’s Art Therapist Ashley Wood created the art used on all ceremony branding and will turn the paper hearts into a display for next year’s ceremony.
  • The Palliative Care Team’s Senior Administrative Assistant Lindsey Gurganious built the ceremony mantle and poured the large ceremony candle.
  • Texas Children’s Spiritual Care Department
  • Texas Children’s music therapists
  • More than 100 Texas Children’s Hospital staff and their families
  • Various local restaurants and florists

The Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) is an interdisciplinary team comprised of attending physicians, physicians in training, advanced practice nurses, a nurse, chaplain, social worker, grief and bereavement specialist, research coordinator and administrators who work together to provide excellent palliative care to patients and their families across the Texas Children’s Institution.

The team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide care in either the inpatient or outpatient setting in partnership with other health care providers. The team also supports staff. Just last year, the program earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Palliative Care Certification, making Texas Children’s Palliative Care Program the first of its kind in Houston and one of only 90 across the United States to receive such a distinction. To learn more about the team, click here.