July 14, 2015

71515HeartFAILUREICU640Texas Children’s Heart Center and the section of Critical Care Medicine cut the ribbon July 6 on a new, first-of-its-kind pediatric Heart Failure Intensive Care Unit. This highly-specialized 12-bed unit focuses on the treatment of children with heart failure, as well as those requiring intensive care before and after heart transplant.

“We are thrilled to be the first in the nation to offer this highly-specialized level of pediatric critical care,” said Dr. Paul Checchia, medical director of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Patient outcomes will only continue to improve as we treat their unique needs in this new setting.”

Checchia and Dr. Lara Shekerdemian, chief of critical care medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital, oversee the unit. Drs. Antonio Cabrera and Jack Price, associate professors of pediatrics-cardiology and critical care at Baylor, serve as associate medical directors of the unit. Shekerdemian had the honor of leading the recent ribbon cutting, which was attended by attended by the CVICU team, Heart Center leadership, Physician-in-Chief Dr. Mark W. Kline, Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr., Chief of Pediatric Cardiology Dr. Daniel Penny, and other Texas Children’s leaders.

“We are excited about our additional capacity and space to care for our critically ill cardiovascular patients in a less congested and more family supportive setting, said Kerry Sembera, a heart center clinical liaison.

Sembera and Gail Parazynski, assistant vice president of Critical Care, worked in collaboration with physician leadership to execute a successful intensive care room design as well as plan for safe transition of patients to this new environment. Patient Care Manager Amanada Wollam in partnership with the CVICU nursing team, were enthusiastic champions of the unit leading to a seamless transition.

The heart failure and cardiac transplantation programs at Texas Children’s Heart Center are among the largest and most successful programs in the world. More than 650 cardiomyopathy patients are cared for each year by a team of physicians, nurse coordinators and administrative personnel. When a transplant is not immediately available, a variety of circulatory support devices are used as a bridge to transplantation. Currently, Texas Children’s Heart Center is able to offer a wide range of mechanical circulatory support devices, as well as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), to children whose hearts are failing: Maquet Rotaflow, Cardiac Assist Tandem Heart, Thoratec Paracorporeal VAD (ventricular assist device), Thoratec HeartMate II, Berlin Heart EXCOR, Heartware LVAD and Syncardia Total Artificial Heart.

July 7, 2015

7815H2OChallenge640Texas Children’s is launching a 21-day water challenge for all staff starting Monday, July 20 to promote consuming the recommended amount of water during the dog days of summer.

As the temperatures rise, it is more important than ever to stay hydrated. Drinking enough water provides a variety of benefits including proper digestion, sustained energy levels and reduction of food cravings. It also prevents headaches and promotes a clear complexion.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends adults take in at least 64 ounces of water per day. Although it sounds simple, consistently drinking the recommended amount can be challenging.

That’s why we are encouraging all Texas Children’s staff to take the 21-day H20 challenge! We want you to commit to drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day for 21 days. Challenges are usually more fun with friends, so invite your coworkers to participate. Let’s rock the ripple effect and unite around this simple yet powerful wellness goal.

Challenge details

  • Each participant will receive an individual 21-day H20 Tracker by July 20.
  • Post this tracker near your workspace and track your daily water intake.
  • Receive motivation and wellness tips throughout the challenge.
  • Look out for special water deals at our dining venues.
  • Get a Texas Children’s water bottle when you complete the program!

Ready to dive in?

Click here to take the challenge!

7815RADIOLOGYREADING640It’s 9 a.m. and outside the new radiology reading room a group has gathered to talk through the day’s challenges and prepare for the day ahead. Yesterday, several patients cancelled appointments due to heavy rainfall, and today there will be more appointments than expected to make up for it. With a team there to talk through the situation and challenges, the problems are quickly resolved. Dr. Lane Donnelly, associate radiologist-in-chief, asks if the right amount of staff are here to take care of this higher demand. Next, he talks about any other concerns. One MRI machine is down, which may slow down the process, but an alternative plan has been put in place to move patients through the system as seamlessly as possible.

The morning huddle operation was brought to Texas Children’s by way of Donnelly who had devised similar processes in his previous roles at other institutions.

“It improves our coordination and ability to identify and track issues,” Donnelly said. “It builds in support by bringing everyone together to resolve issues efficiently.”

The daily readiness process takes place every morning within the Radiology Department to ensure that the hospital’s imaging services are ready for patients. Present for this meeting are radiologists, radiology nurses and techs, other support services staff, such as representatives from information services and biomed, along with leaders within the department. Each day the team discusses safety, methods, equipment, supplies and work staff adequacy. This process is made to ensure that every machine and every staff member is properly equipped and ready to handle various cases throughout the day in our diverse imaging facilities throughout the hospital and our community locations.

The huddle is also a communication vehicle to share lessons-learned and best practices.

“I think the sense of our team changes because of this new process,” Donnelly said. “The informal huddle allows for better collaboration.”

The huddles are held just outside a new ballroom style reading room built to bring together radiologists who were previously spread throughout the organization at various locations on Main Campus. Radiologist-in-Chief Dr. George Bisset said this new process is just one of the many ways this new expansion and the concentration of the radiology services have helped the team and its partners.

“The greatest thing that this new area provides is teamwork,” Bisset said. “It is also a positive move for our clinicians who can now visit our large reading room, which serves as a one-stop-shop to receive all information on imaging for their patients.”

Radiologists have better access to their leaders and to each other. Fellows and residents are given access to all areas of radiology and can be educated on rare cases when they arise, even if it’s not within the area of their current rotation.

7815BWLeaming640By Dr. Katherine Leaming-Van Zandt

Our world shifted when we were told that our son had Down syndrome. Although I was 37 years old, and acutely aware of my “advanced maternal age,” I was more apprehensive of the sleepless nights and non-stop feeds and diaper changes versus the risk for a chromosomal abnormality. Intermittently, I would reflect on the possibility of our baby having a genetic disorder, but would quickly suppress those thoughts and feelings with a nonchalant response of “Well, it wouldn’t make a difference” or “I’m just being paranoid.” Perhaps, as a physician, I should have taken more time to consider the medical evidence and undergone further genetic testing, but as a mother, I just wanted to envelop myself in the excitement of being pregnant with a healthy baby.

Our baby’s 20-week ultrasound was an emotional turning point for us. Unexpectedly, we were informed that our son possessed some soft markers for Down syndrome, and to know if he truly had a genetic disorder, we needed to decide whether or not to undergo an amniocentesis. Because my husband and I wanted a more definitive answer and if need be, time to process and accept his diagnosis, we agreed to the procedure and found ourselves in the very same waiting room where we had happily and anxiously awaited our baby’s initial ultrasound. This time, however, we sat in silence, holding back tears and clinging to each other for support, as we watched couple after couple emerge from their ultrasound rooms with smiles and laughter. In those moments, I envied their happiness and joy…and, felt overwhelmed by the plethora of emotions that bombarded my mind and soul.

After our son’s diagnosis was confirmed, my husband and I did a lot of soul searching, both as a couple and individually. We knew that he would be at increased risk for certain developmental and medical conditions more commonly associated with Down syndrome, and we worried about his health and well-being, quality of life and future needs. However, even as we struggled with these potential unknowns and “what-ifs,” we embraced our son’s life and sought to learn as much as we could by reviewing the medical literature, reading parenting books and online blogs, and contacting the Down Syndrome Association of Houston. We also scheduled a fetal echocardiogram and follow-up ultrasound, met with the medical team at the Texas Children’s Hospital Down Syndrome Clinic, toured the Rise School of Houston, and conversed with an estate planning lawyer who specialized in special needs trusts.

For me, although planning and preparing for our son’s potential medical, educational and financial needs alleviated many of my concerns and worries, the brief, unexpected interactions that I had with some of the parents of children with Down syndrome while working in the emergency center gave me the most hope and reassurance. With some hesitation, I’d tell them about my son’s diagnosis and they would shower me with stories of optimism and strength and offer me unconditional guidance and friendship. Those moments, along with our family, friends and colleagues’ love and support, allowed us to overcome many of our fears and doubts and focus on the joyous arrival of our son, Joseph Dash Van Zandt.

7815BabyLeaming640Joseph was born on April 16, 2015, and his father, older sisters and I couldn’t feel more blessed to have this wonderful, little boy in our lives. Since his arrival, Joseph has brought our family nothing but love, happiness, and fulfillment, and in his short, six weeks of life, has enriched all of our lives. Even with a brief NICU stay and some outpatient, follow-up appointments, Joseph has continuously thrived and flourished and his strength and sweet disposition continue to amaze and thrill us every day. Regardless of what challenges may come his way, we know that Joseph will enrich society with meaningful contributions, maintain long-lasting friendships and relationships and live a life full of love and contentment. Many have told us that Joseph couldn’t have “chosen” a better family…we, however, think the opposite is true, for our family couldn’t have been blessed with a more precious gift.

June 30, 2015

7115kidszone640Garth Brooks was on-site to celebrate the grand opening of the newly renovated and expanded Child Life Zone. Funded through the Teammates for Kids foundation, which Brooks co-founded in 1999, the Zone provides a fun, safe and procedure-free environment for Texas Children’s inpatient population and their families.

“The kids in this hospital, and hospitals around the world, have a hard climb,” Brooks said. “I love being part of Child Life because they understand the greatest healing principle we can bring children is to let them be children.”

Texas Children’s Child Life Zone originally opened in 2001 and now features a completely renovated and expanded play space. The Zone offers a variety of video gaming choices thanks to the new Microsoft Media Wall and Surface Pro tablets. Patients can challenge their friends to a game of pool, air hockey or race car driving on the Zone’s arcade games. An expanded kitchen offers unique programming for patients and families to learn more about healthy lifestyles while cooking with the hospital’s chef.

When the kitchen is “closed” the 24-foot kitchen counter doubles as an arts and craft bar. The Zone also includes an expanded production studio which offers patients the opportunity to explore and create music as a part of the hospital’s music therapy program. Kids can go “on air” each week as Radio Lollipop broadcasts their radio program throughout the hospital. With the new closed-circuit television system, patients on isolation will now be able to see what’s happening in the Zone and participate in live shows being broadcast from the studio.

The Zone, located in the hospital’s West Tower and adjacent to other support services, is available to patients ages 6 and up and their families. The focus of the Zone is as much on the family, in particular siblings of patients who can often feel overlooked, as it is on the patients themselves who greatly benefit from the therapeutic play the Zone provides.

“Providing patients and families with the opportunity to play normalizes the hospital environment,” said Mary Tietjens, child life manager at Texas Children’s. “Play is a wonderful therapeutic tool that supports a healing environment and promotes positive coping. We can’t thank Teammates for Kids and Microsoft enough for all they have done to make the vision a reality.”

More than 100 patients and their families attended the grand opening event and were given the chance to meet Brooks. Representatives from Teammates for Kids and Microsoft were on hand to show families the activities and resources available at the Zone. Brooks chatted with patients and families, signed autographs and posed for pictures.

“Kids are what it is all about for me. They are the greatest gift God has ever invented and they should be happy,” said Brooks.

7115shuttleupdate640Have you ever wondered if you have time to cross one more task off your to-do list before hopping on the shuttle? Better yet, have you debated whether you even have time to make the bus?

Answers to both of these questions and other shuttle-related quandaries now can be found online via your desktop or smartphone.

All six new Texas Children’s shuttles that hit the road June 29 are equipped with GPS technology, allowing riders to connect to an Internet link that will tell them where a bus is, when it’s going to arrive and how long it will be until the next stop.

You can access this information on your desktop here and on your smartphone here.

In addition to enhancing your riding experience, Director of Supply Chain Rick McFee said the GPS technology will give authorities the opportunity to monitor the shuttles’ movements and to adjust accordingly. As for now, however, all routes will stay the same.

Some additional features inside the shuttles include:

  • A comprehensive security system that will keep employees safe and will record how many people get on and off the shuttle.
  • Video capabilities will give Texas Children’s another avenue to share important information.
  • A voice announcement system will keep riders up to date about where the shuttle is and where it’s headed.
  • USB ports will be available for riders who need to charge their phone or other electronic devices.

The first thing people notice about the new shuttles is the outside of them, McFee said. All of the shuttles are painted in a bright, bold color and have a graphic design on the side. The designs are of either clouds, fish, flowers or blades of grass.

“The wraps share the excitement we all have to work for Texas Children’s Hospital,” McFee said. “They also share a bit of the spirit we have when it comes to healing sick children and taking care of women.”

A not-so-obvious feature the buses have is an environmentally-friendly fueling system. Instead of using diesel, the new shuttles are be fueled by propane. Switching to this much cleaner-burning gas will reduce our carbon footprint by 70 percent and make Texas Children’s Hospital the first hospital in the Medical Center to offer green-friendly shuttle service.

“Welcome aboard!” McFee said. “We are glad to have you on our new shuttles.”

Six additional new buses will hit the road later this summer.

7115smallanimal640We’ve all heard the saying, “Hard work pays off.”

That old adage certainly rings true for Dr. Susan Blaney, deputy director of Texas Children’s Cancer Center and executive vice chair of Research for Baylor College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.

While advancing pediatric cancer research remains one of her top priorities, Blaney has worked passionately to ensure researchers have the tools to advance their scientific investigations – all in the hopes of putting more childhood diseases on the curable or preventable list.

Seven years ago, Blaney garnered the support of the hospital’s section chiefs and the Chair of Department of Pediatrics, the late Dr. Ralph D. Feigin, who approved her proposal to establish the Small Animal Imaging Facility (SAIF). Blaney credits the SAIF as an important contribution to the success of translational research efforts at Texas Children’s Hospital.

“Small animal models of disease, particularly genetically engineered mice and mouse models of human tumors, are powerful tools in medical research,” Blaney said. “New, non-invasive in vivo methods for imaging small animals have greatly enhanced our ability to explore the pathological processes of human disease at the molecular and genomic levels.”

As the primary users of the SAIF, Texas Children’s and Baylor researchers rely on the facility’s resources to obtain preliminary data for grant proposals, with the goal of publishing their groundbreaking research in premier scientific journals and ultimately to improve the outcome for disease of childhood.

While there are multiple animal imaging facilities throughout the Texas Medical Center, many outside researchers use our facility to launch their pilot projects in collaboration with Texas Children’s faculty. These include principal investigators from the Texas Heart Institute, Rice University, the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Houston, Houston Methodist Hospital and the University of Tennessee.

Co-directed by Drs. Robia G. Pautler and M. Waleed Gaber under the guidance of Blaney and Dr. Jordan Orange, vice chair of Research for Baylor’s Department of Pediatrics, the SAIF provides a comprehensive suite of state-of-the-art, high-resolution imaging equipment including:

  • magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy
  • ultrasound
  • optical imaging (including bioluminescence and fluorescence)
  • computed topography
  • positron emission tomography
  • bone densitometer
  • pathological imaging (Leica microscope)
  • digital autoradiography system
  • single photon emission computed tomography

“We can uncover all sorts of amazing findings in human disease processes using multiple in vivo imaging modalities,” Pautler said. “We can measure fibrosis in the heart, track cellular and genetic activity in real-time, create blood flow maps to understand tumor growth and trace neural pathways in live animal models to detect early signs of neurodegenerative disorders.”

To enhance the power of translational research, the SAIF also helps investigators conduct longitudinal studies in the same live animal to observe different stages of disease progression and analyze what happens when potential therapeutic or diagnostic interventions are introduced.

In May, the SAIF hosted its first imaging symposium highlighting compelling research findings that would not have been possible without the support of Texas Children’s small animal imaging technologies. With approximately 100 attendees, the symposium also provided a forum to create new research ideas and initiate new collaborations with other investigators that will lead to higher levels of innovative research.

7115smallanimalinsideR640Without question, Blaney’s hard work has certainly paid off. With her vision fulfilled for the SAIF, the research vision of others has been enabled.

For example, a Texas Children’s principal investigator – who used MRI data from the SAIF to help drive his National Institutes of Health R01 grant application – recently received a score that ranked in the top one percent. Additionally, a junior Texas Children’s principal investigator who used imaging data from the SAIF in a grant application was recently awarded his very first foundation grant that will help launch his career.

“Researchers are starting to really appreciate the outstanding services provided to them through the SAIF,” Blaney said. “We are making incredible advances in research that will undoubtedly lead to novel treatments for our patients.”