December 22, 2015

122315Acutecare640To meet the growing need for pediatric inpatient acute care beds, the Acute Care Nursing Team has opened a temporary Acute Care Holding Unit (ACHU). The unit is located in the West Tower on the fourth floor (across from the NICU Sibling’s Playroom-Old NICU pod S) and can hold up to 10 non-complex, low acuity care patients.

The purpose of the ACHU is to improve patient flow through the Emergency Center (EC) by moving patients from a bed in the EC to an area where they will be cared for by an Acute Care RN. This move will free up high acuity EC beds which are currently being occupied by low acuity care patients.

“Texas Children’s has been experiencing unprecedented patient volumes,” said Monica Simmons, assistant clinical director of nursing for the ACHU. “This morning there were 25 patients holding in the Emergency Center waiting for a bed to open in the Acute Care units. This creates a backlog in the EC because the beds are occupied and new patients cannot be seen.”

By moving acute care patients to this new area, the beds in the EC will be used to see additional patients which will help reduce wait times in the EC and improve patient flow and patient satisfaction. It will also free the EC staff to care for the EC patients (which is their practice specialty) and allow acute care patients to be cared for by Acute Care staff.

The ACHU at West Tower is a temporary holding unit until the new 16-bed inpatient acute care unit opens on 5 North Abercrombie in March 2016. The unit will see primarily Pediatric Hospital Medicine patients of all ages and all diagnoses. The unit is currently under construction.

From now until March 2016, the ACHU will be open Mondays at 7 p.m. to Fridays at 7 p.m. to reflect the hospital’s highest census times.

122315nurseresident640The July 2015 class of nurse residents were recognized at their graduation ceremony on December 10. Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre delivered an inspirational welcome to the graduates and guests – encouraging the graduates to get involved and to stay connected with their fellow nurse residents.

The 47 graduates were applauded by proud friends, family members, co-workers and leaders as they received their certificates. Each nurse resident was required to select a project to work on during their residency. The posters illustrating their respective projects were on display at the graduation ceremony. All attendees were encouraged to view the poster projects and graduates were available to respond to questions.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates and their guests enjoyed refreshments.

Nursing Professional Development Specialist Megnon Stewart, who shepherded the graduates through their residency program, described the July 2015 class as “extraordinary. The nurse residents went above and beyond to give back to their units as shown through their evidence based and/or quality improvement projects.”

Stewart also recognized Clinical Training and Development Coordinator Jaime Choate who helped co-lead the group; as well as the educators, clinical nurse specialists and the nurse residents preceptors who ensured that each resident had a successful orientation.

122315radiothon640Cox Media Group Houston recently held the 12th annual Cure Kids Cancer Radiothon benefitting Texas Children’s Cancer Center, the largest pediatric cancer center in the nation. This year’s radiothon raised more than $592,000.

During the two-day radiothon, DJs on Country Legends and The Eagle broadcasted live from Texas Children’s and shared inspiring patient stories with listeners, encouraging them to take action and back the cause. Funds raised during the radiothon will support innovative research and treatment advances aimed at treating and curing childhood cancer. Texas Children’s Cancer Center strives to provide personalized, comprehensive services that address both the physical and emotional aspects of the disease.

Cox Media Group Houston has raised millions of dollars for Texas Children’s Cancer Center since the Cure Kids Cancer Radiothon began in 2004. In appreciation of their long-standing partnership, Texas Children’s has recognized Cox Media Group Houston with a special naming opportunity in the Cancer Center Infusion Play Area.

Click here for more information about Texas Children’s Cancer Center.

122315EAPinsideTwo new counselors have joined the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), strengthening the services it offers to employees during their time of need.

“We are ecstatic to have Allison Bell and Lakeisha Gatling on our team,” said EAP Program Manager Brent Lo Caste-Wilken. “Their talent and experience will allow us to better serve employees across the organization.”

Bell is a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed clinical supervisor. She earned her undergraduate degree in anthropology from Tulane University and received her Masters in Social Work from Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. Before joining Texas Children’s as a contract employee in 2008, Bell worked in schools, child protection, early intervention, military, mental health and other hospitals. She has been a family advocate, medical social worker, parent educator, therapist and a counselor. In addition to her degrees and certifications, Bell is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management, Applied Suicide Intervention Training Skills Teacher, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

Gatling is a licensed master social worker. She earned her undergraduate degree from St. Joseph’s College New York in Community Health and Human Services and her Masters of Social Work from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Gatling has worked as a medical social worker for a local behavioral health hospital. She also has more than seven years of experience with both internal and external employee assistance programs, providing individual counseling, case management and brief crisis intervention.

The EAP offers confidential, professional services to assist employees in solving personal difficulties affecting their personal lives and work. To learn more or to contact Bell or Gatling, call Ext. 4-3327.

122315missouricitygroupinsideTexas Children’s Pediatrics recently opened a practice in Missouri City, bringing the total number of locations in its network to 52. Located at 5819 Highway 6, the new practice is run by Dr. Dean Gmoser.

Prior to joining Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Gmoser ran a private pediatric primary care practice in Missouri City. He said he joined Texas Children’s Pediatrics to enhance and expand his practice vision and to immerse himself in a system he has been a part of since completing his residency in the early 1980s with Baylor College of Medicine affiliated hospitals, include Texas Children’s Hospital.

“I have always been associated with Texas Children’s since I did all of my pediatric training there,” Gmoser said. “In practice, I continued to admit patients there and mentor continuity residents from the program.”

A native of Wisconsin, Gmoser earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University. Gmoser specializes in ADHD behavior, infants and healthy eating.

“My goal is to help you acquire the tools and methods to become self-confident as a parent and to use me as a resource to raise a confident, healthy and well-adjusted child,” Gmoser said. “I truly enjoy the ability to interact with patients and their families.”

In addition to Gmoser, nurse practitioner Ann Poulin will be seeing patients at the new practice twice a week.

Texas Children’s Pediatrics is a group of board-certified, expert pediatricians who have extensive training in children’s health care. With convenient locations throughout the greater Houston area, the group provides the finest pediatricians dedicated to meeting the healthcare needs of infants to teenagers.

For more information about Texas Children’s Pediatrics, visit http://www.texaschildrenspediatrics.org/.

122315SurgicalResearchDay640Plans are underway for the sixth annual Edmond T. Gonzales, Jr., Surgical Research Day which will be held on May 6, 2016.

In addition to a half day of presentations, there will be a moderated poster session on May 5, 2016, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 pm. At this session, poster authors will have an opportunity to present their research to reviewers as scoring takes place.

Anyone involved in surgery-related research is encouraged to participate. The deadline to submit abstracts is Friday, January 15, 2016. Abstracts can be submitted here. For more information, call Research Administration at Ext. 4-3335.

93015JohnDormans175Chief of Orthopedics Dr. John Dormans was recently awarded the L.E. Simmons Chair in Orthopedics. Provided by the Houston Endowment in recognition of Simmons, who served as chairman of Texas Children’s Board of Trustees from 2003-2004, the purpose of this chair is to support orthopedic research, education, clinic program development and advocacy at Texas Children’s.

“I’m extremely honored to be awarded this distinction,” Dormans said. “My vision is for Texas Children’s to be the best place in the world for families to receive pediatric orthopedic care.”

Dormans has distinguished himself nationally and internationally as a leader in the field and is a highly regarded clinician and surgeon with accomplishments in research and teaching. His primary clinical focus is on the treatment of complex spinal disorders and orthopedic oncology care. He previously served as president of the following organizations: Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America; International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SICOT-USA); the Board of Directors of Orthopaedics Overseas; and the Scoliosis Research Society’s 50th anniversary meeting. He is current president of World Orthopedic Concern. In addition, he served as president of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Medical Staff (1999-2001).

Dormans obtained his undergraduate degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and went on to earn his medical degree at the university’s school of medicine in Indianapolis. He then completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Michigan State University, followed by a clinical pediatric orthopedic fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. He rounded out his post-graduate training with programs at Harvard’s School of Public Health, CHOP and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Dormans has been an invited lecturer in more than 50 countries, published more than 340 articles, authored more than 140 chapters and wrote five books. He has received numerous awards including the Jesse T. Nicholson Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching from CHOP, where he served as chief of orthopedic surgery prior to joining Texas Children’s and Baylor, and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching from Penn.

With seven specialty clinics and more than 20 physicians and physician assistants, the Texas Children’s pediatric orthopedics program cares for children in Houston, across the nation and internationally, treating everything from minor fractures to complex disorders, ensuring the highest level of individualized care for pediatric patients from newborns to young adults.