February 6, 2018

When a patient is admitted to Texas Children’s Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, we not only want them to receive the best possible medical care, but also feel comfortable and supported during their stay whether that means receiving help from one of our child life specialists, learning more about their health care team or simply finding out how to park and where to grab a bite to eat.

All of this information and more can be found in a new 20-page guide to Texas Children’s Hospital. Titled “Your Guide to Texas Children’s Hospital, the book is being placed in every inpatient room by Environmental Services as they prepare the rooms for patients and their families. The guides also can be found online at https://www.texaschildrens.org/yourguide and via the Texas Children’s Wayfinding App, which is available for Android and iPhones. For more information about the app, click here.

“We are so pleased to be able to provide such a comprehensive resource to our patients and families,” said Director of Patient and Family Services Katie Kalenda-Daggett. “We want them to feel informed and empowered in their experience with us – and we want them to know that we are here to support them in any way we can.”

Available in English and Spanish, the guide includes information about the many patient and family services Texas children’s provides, as well as more details about the hospital.

Topics discussed in “Your Guide to Texas Children’s Hospital” include:

  • Important phone numbers
  • Your child’s health care team
  • Family support services
  • Tips for parents
  • Amenities and dining
  • Parking
  • Texas Children’s locations
  • Patients and family safety
  • Privacy
  • Patient rights and responsibilities
  • Billing
  • Donations

The guide also contains several phone numbers and tips on how to find additional information if needed and not included.

Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace says in the guide’s welcome letter that “Your Guide to Texas Children’s Hospital” is a good example of how we practice family-centered care, which is based on: dignity and respect, information sharing, participation and collaboration.

“You know your child best,” Wallace said. “That’s why you are an important member of your child’s health care team.”

Several guides have been used throughout Texas Children’s Hospital’s history. This edition began with Environmental Services and Sustainability Director Elex Sanchez and his former AQI team, and was published with the help of Marketing and Public Relations, Patient and Family Services, Guest Services, Translation Services, the Care First Advisory Group, Environmental Services and Facilities Operations. Guides for other Texas Children’s locations are in the works.

Supporting information such as local dining options and destinations and area attractions also can be found on the Marketing Connect site. Please feel free to download and print and use as needed.

If you have any feedback about the guide or supporting documents, please contact brand@texaschildrens.org.

The Mark A. Wallace New Employee Pep Rally was held at West Campus last week complete with giant foam fingers, pompoms, dance music, and of course, our President and CEO, Mark Wallace. The gathering gave nearly 100 new and recent hires a cheerful and uniquely spirited welcome to the Texas Children’s family.

The pep rally, modeled after the redesigned Texas Children’s Hi orientation that sends new employees back to school to learn about the organization and its special culture, is an opportunity for new employees to become better acquainted with the organization as a whole and meet executives and other leaders within a friendly and festive atmosphere.

The high-energy pep rally format replaces the more traditional new employee reception that Wallace has hosted for decades. All new employees invited to attend were part of the Texas Children’s Hi Class of 2017 with their mascot the “Armadillo.”

“You don’t work for me; I work for each and every one of you,” said Wallace, who personally introduced himself to every new employee attending the pep rally, trading jokes and posing for photos and selfies – complete with duck-faces.

Recalling the days when Texas Children’s consisted of just one, seven-story building with fewer than 300 registered nurses, Wallace discussed the growth the organization has experienced since he arrived in 1989 and the plans to expand even further by moving into Austin and opening the Legacy Tower in the Texas Medical Center. Having so many great employees dedicated to the Texas Children’s mission plays a key role in driving that progress, he said.

“This is not just a job. You can build a career here,” Wallace said. “Thank you for choosing us and allowing us to choose you for this partnership. You’re going to enjoy working at Texas Children’s Hospital.”

Jordan Nedbalek, an orthopedic technician at Specialty Care Bellaire, attended the West Campus pep rally with colleagues and radiology specialists Anjail Abdullah and Amanda Schell. All three said they especially enjoyed the themed decorations and the lighthearted, warm mood set by Wallace and the other leaders and staff volunteers at the event.

“At every point you’re always made to feel welcome,” Nedbalek said.

Many new hires at the pep rally agreed and said their Texas Children’s careers are already off to a good start. Few expected to ever meet Wallace or leaders like Executive Vice President Michelle Riley-Brown, given the size of the organization, and they appreciated their chance to make a more personal connection.

“When I met Mr. Wallace it was like I’d known him for years,” said Ina Gill, an ambulatory service representative who handles scheduling for the Sleep Center at West Campus. “The pep rally experience is fun. We know all this is for us, which makes a difference. I’m loving it at Texas Children’s and learning a lot. It already feels like family and I’m here to stay.”

Texas Children’s Pediatrics acquired its first practice site in 1995. Two decades later, 50 more have been added and as of December 2017, all practices, hold the highest Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

NCQA Recognition Programs allow employers, patients and consumers to make quality informed health care decisions. This prestigious distinction celebrates patient care organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving quality care for their patients.

“NCQA has become the gold standard for quality of care amongst primary care physicians around the country,” said Dr. Stanley Spinner, Texas Children’s Pediatrics chief medical officer and vice president.

All 51 of the Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice sites submitted documented evidence to demonstrate data requirements for the distinction. All clinics are structured to follow the six required PCMH 2014 Standards:

  • Patient Centered Access
  • Team Based Care
  • Population Health Management
  • Care Management and Support
  • Care Coordination and Care Transitions
  • Performance Measurement and Quality Improvement

“Achieving this high level of quality of care has led to improved outcomes, often at a lower cost,” Spinner said. “Texas Children’s Pediatrics is extremely proud of the work that has been done throughout all levels of our organization during the past three years. This offers us a distinct advantage in our current managed care market.”

To date, Texas Children’s Pediatrics has achieved three successful cycles of PCMH Level III recognition, signifying organizational commitment to excellence by working together at every level across the system.

“This is an opportunity for our organization to show and prove that we only want the best care for our patients and their families,” said Natasha Fields, Texas Children’s Pediatrics Nanes Practice Manager. “Moving forward I believe it will continue to display our dedication, passion and integrity for all. It’s a special occasion and we all should celebrate.”

Texas Children’s Transplant Team recently received a glowing review from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recertification evaluation team during an unannounced four-day visit to survey the program for recertification.

This was the first recertification survey for the entire transplant program, which was initially certified for kidney transplants in 1987 and lung, heart and liver transplants in 2012. The recertification period is every four to six years.

During the team’s recent survey, surveyors reviewed patient medical records, interviewed patient families, staff nurses, and the transplant multidisciplinary team to ascertain continued compliance with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Transplant regulation. They also reviewed more than 50 medical records, and conducted a review of the team’s Transplant Quality program and its integration into the Texas Children’s Hospital Quality Program. The team finished the survey with only one deficiency found in documentation in a medical record.

“The transplant team did amazing,” said Executive Vice President Mark Mullarkey. “The reviewers were so complimentary. It was obvious that the hard work that has occurred in transplant with quality and structure has resulted in something our surveyors felt was fantastic.”

Medical Director of Transplant Services Dr. John Goss said he is proud of his team and the hard work they put into providing the best possible care for some of Texas Children’s most delicate patients.

“Your efforts are significant and make such a difference in the lives of so many,” Goss said.

“Congratulations on a job well done. I know you will continue to strive for the best.”

Stephen Davis, a manager with Texas Children’s Pharmacy Department, was recently honored by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) New Practitioners Forum as one of six recipients of a distinguished service award.

The awards were presented at a reception during ASHP’s 52nd mid-year clinical meeting and exhibition in Orlando, Florida. The ASHP Pharmacy Practice Sections and New Practitioners Forum Distinguished Service Award recognizes a member whose volunteer activities have supported their mission and helped advance the profession.

For the past 75 years, ASHP has made efforts to improve medication use and enhance patient safety. The organization has more than 44,000 members including pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. ASHP represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory settings.

Davis is the residency program director for the Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at Texas Children’s. This program offers residency slots to students, residents, and pharmacists, to help them develop their clinical and leadership skills.

He is a former chair of the ASHP New Practitioners Leadership and Career Development Advisory Group, a faculty member for the ASHP manager’s boot camp, and is a member of the organization’s Commission on Credentialing as well.

He is the former chair of the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists Editorial Advisory Board, and a current member of its Education Affairs Council.

February 1, 2018

Since we first opened our doors on February 1, 1954, Texas Children’s Hospital has grown by leaps and bounds.

From our three hospital campuses to our health centers, urgent care clinics, pediatric practices and specialty care clinics, Texas Children’s has grown into one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric and women’s health care organizations in the nation. The opening of Texas Children’s Legacy Tower in 2018 and plans to expand the hospital’s pediatric and OB/GN services into Austin also will enhance the care and access we provide to our patients and their families.

As we celebrate our hospital’s 64th birthday, we asked employees and staff what their birthday wish is for Texas Children’s.

January 30, 2018

On January 22 to 24, four appraisers from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) evaluated Texas Children’s for Magnet® re-designation. The Magnet® appraisers had very busy schedules during the site visit and were kept on track by the Texas Children’s staff nurse escorts. The appraisers visited and held sessions with a variety of the Texas Children’s patient care areas including the Medical Center Campus, West Campus, The Woodlands campus, health centers and maternal fetal medicine clinics. The appraisers will write a summary of their site visit and send to the Magnet® commission for review and final approval of re-designation.

Since 2003, Texas Children’s has been a Magnet-designated organization. Every four years, the hospital applies for Magnet® re-designation, which is the highest and most prestigious recognition provided by the ANCC, and reflects Texas Children’s commitment to providing excellence through quality, safety and outcomes that positively influence patient and family-centered care.

“This successful site visit was a true team effort, and we are well on our way to Magnet® re-designation,” said Texas Children’s Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre. “We will learn the status of our official re-designation in a couple of months, and we have every confidence we will be receiving good news.”

What Magnet® appraisers noted

The appraisers remarked that our nurses’ teamwork, collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, dedication to the care of their patients and supportive practice environment were apparent throughout the organization.

Texas Children’s nursing excellence was seen throughout the organization. Here are some of the appraisers’ positive feedback:

  • Nurses are proud to work for Texas Children’s
  • Nursing Shared Governance – bi-directional communication
  • Family Centered Care – staff live it; patients/families know it
  • Continuity of care across all setting and facilities
  • Response to Harvey
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration was seen throughout the organization
  • Legacy Tower – input provided by staff on design and workflow, staff participation in simulation
  • Great leaders cascades down throughout the organization

“We are very proud of our nursing and interdisciplinary team members and are grateful for their participation in making the Magnet® site visit very successful,” said Texas Children’s Magnet® Program Director Emily Weber. “During the site visit, our nurses and entire health care team shared their accomplishments, highlighted our great partnership, exceptional care delivery and collaboration to enhance patient outcomes.”