October 5, 2016

active-shooter-exerciseTexas Children’s emergency response plan will be put to the test during a comprehensive mass casualty exercise this Friday.

Our Emergency Management team is working with the Houston Police Department SWAT team and Houston Fire Department emergency medical services to coordinate a full-scale active shooter exercise with students and staff at Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions.

“Every day we hear reports in our own community of incidents that can result in a significant number of patients arriving at Texas Children’s requiring critical care,” said Risk Management Director Melissa Murrah. “Whether the issue is an active shooter – which is all over the media today – a chemical release or severe weather, it is essential that we are prepared to respond in support of our community.”

The nearly six-hour exercise will involve mock shootings, an improvised explosive device and a hostage situation. The intent is to observe the agencies’ emergency response, to refine the collective response and to help us be better prepared to treat those harmed in a real incident. In addition, Texas Children’s Emergency Management is hoping to test our mass casualty incident plan, emergency communications, incident command structure and patient flow.

About 400 DeBakey High School staff, students and parents will be involved in the exercise, which will begin with a safety briefing to prepare students. The exercise will be activated at 9 a.m. on the campus with an active shooter incident. Students will be triaged initially on site at the high school, and about 50 of them will arrive at Texas Children’s Emergency Center around 11:20 a.m. with mock life-threatening injuries like gunshot wounds, crushing injuries, blast and shrapnel injuries and psychological trauma.

When the students arrive at Texas Children’s, they will be mostly contained to the Emergency Center and Rapid Treatment Areas on the first floor of West Tower so as not to impact care and treatment of our actual patients. Injured students will be in full moulage, which is a detailed application of make-up that simulates wounds.

“Two essential elements of good performance are training and exercise,” said Emergency Management Manager Aaron Freedkin. “Training provides the foundation, and exercises test that foundation. To ensure our training is tested, we must practice as closely as possible to reality. Whether through use of realistic make-up for patients in a mass casualty incident or donning personal protective equipment for decontamination exercises, training efforts pay off when a real incident occurs.”

More than 20 Texas Children’s operations, clinical and logistics teams will be involved in Friday’s exercise, including Emergency Medicine, Trauma Services, Respiratory Therapy, Diagnostic Imaging, Pathology, Child Life, Security, Marketing/PR and others. This is the first exercise of its kind and scope that Texas Children’s has coordinated, but the current climate makes it critical that the organization be prepared.

“Given the risks we face along the Texas Gulf Coast, we spend significant time preparing Texas Children’s in hurricane response and preparedness,” said Emergency Management Assistant Director James Mitchell. “Yet, the reality is that we face a wide range of hazards that are manifesting more frequently than ever before.

“Severe weather and flooding, as we experienced repeatedly this spring, increasing occurrence of active shooter incidents and acts of terrorism all require our planning and preparation. As such, we are dedicated to testing our system in innovative and realistic ways across a variety of scenarios throughout the year.”

October 4, 2016

Texas Children’s unveiled the Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Outpatient Building last week during a private welcome celebration that included breakfast, comments from organization leaders and tours of the six-floor, 209,973-square-foot facility. The building will be open for service to patients and families on October 4.

“This is one of the best projects we’ve done at Texas Children’s Hospital and it’s all about the kids,” said Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace to a crowd of about 500 community members, employees, supporters and friends. “We are coming to The Woodlands to make sure we take care of all of the kids who need our care.”

As the only dedicated pediatric hospital north of Houston, Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, which is scheduled to open in April 2017, and the Outpatient Building will serve children and families in The Woodlands, Kingwood, Conroe, Spring, Magnolia, Humble and communities in surrounding areas.

“On any given day, there are 150 children from these communities who receive care at Texas Children’s Hospital Main Campus, which is 35, 40, 50 miles or more from their homes,” said Michelle Riley-Brown, president of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands and executive vice president of Texas Children’s Hospital. “Estimates indicate that there are about 380,000 children and adolescents in this area right now and each and every one of them needs and deserves the best medical care.”

Designed with a “spirit of the woods” theme to incorporate the lush, woodsy landscape that surrounds it, the new Outpatient Building will house almost 20 areas of specialized care including cardiology, sports medicine, neurology, hematology/oncology. A dedicated medical staff will work in conjunction with the Texas Children’s system to provide top-notch medical care.

The Outpatient Building will be connected to the hospital on floors one and two and offers a fresh, new kid-friendly environment to families seeking the best pediatric care for their children. A state-of-the art sports physical therapy gym is on the first floor, check-in and check-out stations resembling a child’s club house are at the entrance of each clinic, and spacious exam rooms and provider work stations line many of the building’s halls.

  • Level 1 – two radiology rooms, 10 exam rooms, sports physical therapy gym and motion analysis, gait lab
  • Level 2 – six speech therapy rooms, four feeding therapy rooms, swing gym, spasticity clinic, tricycle track, developmental therapy gym
  • Level 3 – six eye exam areas, 18 exam rooms, two audiology sound booths
  • Level 5 – six infusion rooms, plus open living room, 28 exam rooms
  • Level 6 – two pulmonary function testing rooms, 12 exam rooms, three ECHO rooms, one fetal ECHO, one EKG/holter room, and a cardiology stress test lab

During his time at the podium, Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Chief Surgical Officer Dr. Jeffery Shilt incredible technology that will be used in the building and thanked the unwavering support of The Woodlands community during the planning and construction of the facility.

“Everyone always jokes that everything in Texas needs to be the biggest and the best, and the entire organization of Texas Children’s certainly checks off being the biggest,” he said. “But I believe The Woodlands community exemplifies being the best.”

Chief Medical Officer of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Dr. Charles Hankins agreed and said the community is part of the Texas Children’s family.

“It’s all about family now,” he said. “We are family to each other and we will be family to your families; that’s our commitment to you.”

Hankins, Riley-Brown and Shilt were named part of The Woodlands leadership team last year. The rest of the hospital’s administrative leadership team includes:

  • Julie Barrett, director of Outpatient and Clinical Support Services
  • Dan DiPrisco, senior vice president
  • Hillary Griffin, senior project manager
  • Bobbie Jehle, senior project manager
  • Trent Johnson, director of Business Operations and Support Services
  • Cathy Pierantozzi, director of Human Resources
  • Ketrese White, director of Patient Care Services

10516devonstillvisit640The Houston Texans Devon Still and TORO recently paid a special visit to Texas Children’s Hospital in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and in celebration of the hospital’s title game on October 2 vs. the Tennessee Titans.

During their hour-long stay, Still and TORO visited with patients who are battling cancer. The duo also signed autographs and brought smiles to the faces of families on the hospital’s inpatient cancer unit. The event wrapped up with Still reading the children’s book he wrote along with his 6-year-old daughter, Leah Still. Titled “I Am Leah Strong,” the book is about Leah’s fight with pediatric cancer.

Leah was diagnosed with neuroblastoma stage 4 cancer two years ago. Since then, she has undergone surgery to remove her cancerous tumor and surrounding lymph nodes. Doctors deemed Leah cancer-free this year.

Leah’s father has been one of her biggest supporters during her recovery, spending weeks sleeping next to her in the hospital while she was literally fighting for her life. Today, Still shares his family’s experience with others who are going through similar situations in an effort to comfort them and give them hope.

His visit to Texas Children’s Hospital was no exception. Patients and their family members laughed and cried while Still took the time to read to and visit with them.

Still’s visit was the result of Texas Children’s partnership with the Houston Texans. Texas Children’s teamed up with the professional football team earlier this year to inspire children to lead healthier, more active lives through camps, programs and events all year long. For more details about the hospital’s partnership with the Texans click here.

You can read more about “I Am Leah Strong” here.

angelagooden175Angela Gooden of Texas Children’s Heart Center is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star leader. “In order to provide quality family-centered care, we all have to commit to taking the lead and finding new and innovative ways to be the best at what we do,” Gooden said. Read more of her interview below and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Angela Gooden, certified pediatric nurse practitioner and manager of Advanced Practice Providers in Cardiology. I started my career at Texas Children’s Hospital as a graduate registered nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit 17 years ago and transitioned into a nurse practitioner role 8 years ago.

What month are you Super Star for?
October – December 2016

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
My team members planned a surprise reception that included my family and other members of the Cardiology department that I work closely with on a daily basis.

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do?
I’m really very honored and honestly a little bit embarrassed. However, this recognition lets me know that I am doing something right and that’s a great feeling.

How has the organization helped you achieve your personal and professional goals?
I’ve been the recipient of great leadership during my time at Texas Children’s. The encouragement and feedback I have received along the way gave me confidence to explore new opportunities. One of the things I love about Texas Children’s Hospital is professional development is expected.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
One of the comments submitted from my team referred to me as a servant leader. I was extremely honored by this statement because it’s exactly what I aim to achieve on a daily basis. I believe actions speak louder than words and we work better side by side.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
I truly enjoy the work that I do and the people I get to do it with. The experience and knowledge I’ve gained as a nurse practitioner in the Cardiology department has been priceless. I enjoy the people, patients, and families that I work with on a daily basis and care about their quality of life.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Definitely the people! I have made so many great friends with whom I’ve shared countless experiences over the years. I’ve grown (and continue to grow) up here and more days than not I leave knowing that I made a difference.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
We’re tasked as Texas Children’s employees with providing quality family-centered care. In order to do this we all have to commit to taking the lead and finding new and innovative ways to be the best at what we do.

Anything else you want to share?
I’m grateful to my team for the recognition and happy to be working with people I genuinely like.

10516goforgold640This year’s Go for the Gold well-being challenge was a great success thanks to the 1,652 enthusiastic Texas Children’s employees who participated. In commemoration of the sportsmanship and athleticism of the Rio Summer Olympics, participating employees exercised 30 minutes a day for at least 20 days in August. In addition, weekly bonus challenges provided additional opportunities for more physical activity and further motivation with inspirational quotes from Olympic champions.

As the Summer Olympic Games celebrated closing ceremonies, our Go for the Gold well-being challenge kicked into high gear with an exciting giveaway from the Houston Texans. Our partnership with the professional football team awarded 25 pairs of tickets to the Texans game on Sunday, October 2. For a chance to win, participating employees relayed personal stories of how the Go for the Gold well-being challenge positively impacted their well-being.

Many employees expressed that this was a fun way to celebrate the Summer Olympics through participation instead of just watching the Games on television. One participant explained how she became more mindful of her exercise routine and diet: “The Go for the Gold Challenge challenged me to push my physical fitness and well-being. I lifted weights 4-6 times per week as usual, but also focused on water intake, less soda/sugars, and incorporated cardio while enjoying the Olympics!”

Others have shared how this challenge has fostered fun family bonding and exercising time together as a family passion: “My grandchildren joined me on my daily walks including the weekends. We turned it into an obstacle course where I allowed my youngest grandson to take charge. Oh my gosh! He had so much fun as our walk leader. It allowed him to make good decisions because he looked out for not only his siblings and cousins but also me, his grandmother. Now, not only do we exercise as a family, we also have learned to communicate better while bonding at the same time. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to create such a memorable experience with my grandchildren and teach them the healthy benefits of exercise.”

Another employee remarked: “My children noticed my commitment to a healthier lifestyle and now join me at the park. Some days, they will ride their bikes while I run or jog. I love to see my children waiting for me outside on their bikes when I arrive home from work. Go for the Gold!”

Employees also relayed stories of exercising with colleagues and brainstorming as a team on creative ways to be active in the Houston heat. The Information Services team, for example, started a walking movement and regularly completed team walks during the week!

If you participated in the Go for the Gold well-being challenge, don’t forget your prize! To collect it, please stop by the HR Service Center, Abercrombie Building first floor near the red elevators until Friday, September 30, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

If you have questions about the program or are interested in becoming a Wellness Ambassador, contact us at wellbeing@texaschildrens.org.

10516daisytran175The Clinical Research Center/Research Resources Office presented the Clinical Research Award for Third Quarter 2016 to Daisy Tran, lead food allergy program research coordinator, Texas Children’s Food Allergy Program.

This award was established by the Clinical Research Center in collaboration with the Research Resources Office to recognize and honor individual contributions to protecting the best interest of the research subjects and compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

Tran’s research activities in the CRC focus on food allergic disorders including peanut desensitization, diagnosing and treating eosinophilic esophagitis, and atopy patch testing.

10516badpants640On September 22, nurses from Texas Children’s Newborn Center were recognized for their hard work and dedication at the annual Bad Pants Day celebration at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.

Nurses traded in their scrubs for creative, yet cringe-worthy pants that probably wouldn’t get the nod of approval from Giorgio Armani or Gianni Versace: orange and yellow striped pants, polka dot pants and red slacks with stitched pom poms.

For nurses at Texas Children’s Newborn Center, Bad Pants Day was more than just dressing up in whacky attire. It was their day to shine and know how much they are appreciated for their efforts to enhance the outcomes of critically-ill infants in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Rebecca Schiff, assistant clinical nursing director in the Newborn Center, and her husband, Mike, shared their NICU journey when their twins, Jonah and Elliot, were born 24 weeks premature. They expressed their gratitude to the doctors, nurses and staff who took such great care of them.

“I am reminded of what the doctors and nurses in this room gave to me and to my family,” Mike said. “These people invest themselves into such a heavy burden daily, as a matter of routine. While today is about fun, about celebrating contributions and paying tribute, we should honor these heroes not just for the rewards of their heroism, but the burden of that heroism on their capable but often weary shoulders. Each of us owe and readily give our thanks to them.”

Several NICU patient families attended the celebration including NICU Vice President Judy Swanson, NICU Nursing Director Heather Cherry and Rob Cooksey and Les Fox from the Bad Pants Committee. Several members from the local media served as judges for the Bad Pants fashion show. The contest winners from first to fourth place were Sara Somers, Stephanie Lopez, Jessica Gomes and Judy Swanson.

Bad Pants Day also marked the official kick off for the 19th annual Bad Pants Open scheduled for Thursday, October 20. Proceeds from the golf tournament will support Texas Children’s Newborn Center. Click here to register.