June 14, 2023

Devoted parent submitted the following Caught You Caring recognition for Nurse Practitioner Priscila Reid.

“Priscilla Reid is exceptional and she is the absolute only reason we go to Texas Children’s with two children who have needed 10 heart surgeries.”

Caught You Caring

There are countless examples of how team members make an impact every day. Through our Caught You Caring recognition program, anyone (patients, families, colleagues, vendors, volunteers or visitors) can provide a kind word about someone who went the extra mile. Even the smallest act of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Click here to submit a recognition for a colleague. The recipient and their leader will receive an email notification. Since its inception in 2015, there have been more than 30,000 recognitions submitted.

June 7, 2023

Thursdays in The Woodlands are Wellness Walk days thanks to a group of Ambulatory Well-Being Heroes. Needing a mental break during the workday, these team members get outside and get moving. “While we get in our steps and enjoy the fresh air, we have the opportunity to meet team members from different areas and disciplines,” explained Yvonne Barham, Ambulatory Clinics Manager. “It is a regularly scheduled event on my calendar, and I look forward to it every Thursday.” Even therapy dog Cohen joins in on the fun sometimes!

These kinds of simple habits are more powerful than you’d expect. In addition to boosting your mood and strengthening your immune system, physical activities like walking and stretching can help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Walking with friends or co-workers also helps to facilitate connection and can lead to lesser rates of depression and anxiety.

To help you prioritize your physical well-being and create long-lasting habits, onsite fitness classes are back at all campuses. Employees can once again take toning and yoga classes right here in the hospital.

“The afternoon fitness classes are a great fit for me because of the convenience,” said Mariah Yannerella, Financial & Special Projects Coordinator. “Before walking back to my car or catching the shuttle, I can pop into Feigin and work away the stress of the day!”

Family Services Specialist Karen Schwieterman also loves how the classes have given her the opportunity “to be more active and aware of how important it is to be living a healthy lifestyle.”

Want help starting a walking group of your own? Reach out to Workforce Well-being at wellbeing@texaschildrens.org for pointers on how to get started and nearby walking trails.

Health is wealth and Texas Children’s is here to invest in your physical well-being. Take a class or take a walk but take charge and start today.

June 5, 2023

Grateful colleague submitted the following Caught You Caring recognition for Lieutenant Robert Noralez.

“Lieutenant Noralez demonstrates the utmost professionalism, care and compassion while working to ensure the safety of our patient families and my team. He is attentive and engages with each of us (patients/parents/employees) in a warm and welcoming manner. I truly appreciate his leadership, his presence and the service that he provides.”

Caught You Caring

There are countless examples of how team members make an impact every day. Through our Caught You Caring recognition program, anyone (patients, families, colleagues, vendors, volunteers or visitors) can provide a kind word about someone who went the extra mile. Even the smallest act of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Click here to submit a recognition for a colleague. The recipient and their leader will receive an email notification. Since its inception in 2015, there have been more than 30,000 recognitions submitted.

Felicia Spears knew early on working with kids was her calling. Growing up, she enjoyed babysitting and sought out opportunities during high school to work with children on the autism spectrum. She is certified as a registered behavioral technician (RBT).

Felicia always had a goal to work at Texas Children’s because it’s a hospital specifically for children. She persevered through a challenging job search during the pandemic and was offered an opportunity to become a patient sitter. In that role, she supervised individual patients, sometimes for eight to 12 hours a day providing emotional support and companionship before and after treatment. She also ensured the patient’s safety and provided relief for family members and loved ones.

“What a day as a patient sitter is like depends on the child,” Felicia said. “Some may be challenging due to mental health concerns while others are quieter and reserved.”

Proving herself from the start, Felicia was promoted within a year to Patient Care Assistant (PCA). The transition involved offsite workshops and hands-on learning from other PCAs at Texas Children’s designed to ensure our patients receive the most experienced care possible. She works in the float pool and is exposed to different units.

Felicia doesn’t have a favorite unit but appreciates working in the PICU for its many learning opportunities and said it’s the best part of her new role. She is enjoying more responsibility, plus tackling time management while attending to the needs of multiple patients. She’s not sure what the future holds, but is open to whatever comes next.

“I’m not sure I’ll pursue nursing certification, but I know at Texas Children’s the opportunity for advancement is there and, in the PCA role, I will never stop learning,” Felicia said.

Texas Children’s is not just a place to have a job; we want you to build your career with us. We’re always looking for great talent. Please feel free to refer people to our Texas Children’s People careers site to search for open positions.

Through our E.A.R.N. (Everyone is A Recruiter Now) program, team members can receive a $1,000 referral incentive for any candidate they refer who becomes a member of our One Amazing Team. Team members can also receive up to $5,000 for referring candidates who join our team in one of our featured jobs. To learn more about E.A.R.N., click here.

May 30, 2023

Visiting a loved one undergoing treatment means everything to both the patient and their family and friends. Over the past few years, Texas Children’s had to adjust visitation guidelines to protect our patients, families and team members.

With the steady decrease of COVID-19 transmissions in the community, we’re ready to transition away from the COVID-19 visitation guidelines.

The new visitation guidelines went into effect Tuesday, May 30. They are available in English and Spanish. They were thoughtfully developed to provide our patients and their visitors the time and flexibility for meaningful interactions while prioritizing everyone’s safety and security.

They are also accessible on the Visitation Guidelines page on the COVID Command Site on Connect. Please familiarize yourself with these guidelines, so you can be prepared to assist our patients, their families and friends.

Appreciative colleague submitted the following Caught You Caring recognition for Practice Manager Nichole Campbell.

“Today while raining, Nichole walked all the patients and their families out to their vehicles with an umbrella. Although she got cold and wet not once did she complain!”

Caught You Caring

There are countless examples of how team members make an impact every day. Through our Caught You Caring recognition program, anyone (patients, families, colleagues, vendors, volunteers or visitors) can provide a kind word about someone who went the extra mile. Even the smallest act of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Click here to submit a recognition for a colleague. The recipient and their leader will receive an email notification. Since its inception in 2015, there have been more than 30,000 recognitions submitted.

May 26, 2023

On May 24, 2022, 19 children and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary, forever changing the fabric of a small Texas city.

“Texas Children’s Hospital is only a few hours away from Uvalde…these are our neighbors,” said President and CEO Mark A. Wallace on that tragic day. “[We’re] ready and willing to support the children, parents, families, teachers and administrators of Uvalde in any way we can.”

Texas Children’s immediately reached out to offer assistance and support through centralized state agencies. Led by our psychology and psychiatry teams, we forged a partnership with Community Health Development, Inc. (CHDI), a comprehensive community-based health center in Uvalde.

“Through this partnership with CHDI and city leaders, we developed a three-part plan,” explained Dr. Karin Price, chief of psychology at Texas Children’s. “We started by supporting the Uvalde community after other emergency services (including crisis mental health support) left the area…and since then have been focused on providing trauma-focused behavioral health care and integrating into the community to build trust.”

We have two bilingual behavioral health clinicians on-site at CHDI in Uvalde for two full days every other week, also offering telehealth services to interested families during off-site weeks. Last year, we participated in a community-based wellness fair to share children’s books and information with parents/caregivers on developmentally expected responses to trauma and signs to look out for in children who might need professional help. Two more fairs are planned for this summer, and Texas Children’s has been invited as a key participant.

Since August 2022, a team of child psychiatrists from Texas Children’s have also provided psychiatric care to the community through CHDI. “Initially, the psychiatrists were travelling weekly to Uvalde,” said Dr. Kirti Saxena, chief of psychiatry at Texas Children’s. “Since January, we have provided a combination of virtual and weekly on-site care…and our mind-body interventionist has been facilitating on-site and virtual mind-body practices to the staff of CHDI, which have been well-received.”

Texas Children’s will continue to work with CHDI to develop a sustainable plan for offering comprehensive behavioral health care to the Uvalde community using local and regional resources.

First anniversaries are often the hardest to endure. Please join us in thanking our Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine team members who are committed to supporting Uvalde families through this unthinkable time of grief and loss.

Need support? You are not alone. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is confidential and designed to support all Texas Children’s employees and eligible dependents with experienced, licensed and credentialed professionals. If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact EAP at 832-824-3327 or EAP@texaschildrens.org.