June 30, 2015

7115nursingplan640Last week, Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre met with a room full of nursing leaders at the monthly Nursing Congress meeting to outline the framework of an aggressive 100-day plan for nursing.

Andre said she and other leaders are examining all nursing feedback from the past several months to determine where to prioritize efforts to improve the overall work environment/satisfaction of the care team. She shared her vision to modify the patient care manager role to allow more time for leadership and management in support of care at the bedside. Andre encouraged ideas for cultivating staff satisfaction in support of nursing retention with a renewed commitment to a healthy work environment and a culture of transparency.

“In my 29 years at Texas Children’s, I have learned the importance of being transparent, and I want our nurses to know I take my promise seriously,” Andre said. “I also want that same assurance of transparency from all of you. I know we will have the strongest nursing team if we are able to collaborate together through open dialogue around what your needs are.”

During the meeting, she asked for feedback and followed up with a survey to all nurses and nursing leaders. Andre plans to use the survey to help prioritize areas of concern and immediate improvements needed. Once the survey closes, the feedback will be used to refine the 100-day plan, which Andre aims to share with the organization in July. Among the items on her agenda as she examines plans for the next 100 days are:

  • Patient care assistants (PCA): the need for additional PCA positions to support optimal patient care delivery
  • Patient care managers (PCM): the need to allocate more of their time to mentoring/coaching staff and leading their teams
  • Float pool: the need to build a float pool to reduce dependence on contract/OT utilization
  • Resource nurse role: the need to adjust this role and grandfather in non-BSN nurses and others that previously served in the charge nurse role
  • Flexible staffing: the need to build a different model that enables more nurses to work part-time/per-diem

In addition, Andre emphasized the need for all nurses to stay at Texas Children’s and help with building and implementing this plan for change. She explained that nursing turnover at Texas Children’s, while in line with the national average, presents particular challenges as the organization is trying to significantly grow the nursing workforce. Andre asked nursing leaders to take immediate action to encourage and retain nurses on their teams and said she hopes many of the changes proposed in the 100-day plan will improve nursing satisfaction and retention as well as ensure continued excellence in quality and outcomes.

“I wholeheartedly believe our nurses are at the heart of our organization and our mission, and I strongly support the improvements we will begin making in the next 100 days and beyond,” said John Nickens, executive vice president over nursing. “We have tremendous support from leaders across the organization, and I know it will take every one of you to help our nursing team be the best it can be.”

All staff nurses are asked to complete this short survey by Friday, July 3 to help Andre and her leadership team as they strategize and set a framework for next steps.

7115NRIswannlab640As world leaders in neuroscience research, scientists from the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) and the Cain Foundation Labs at Texas Children’s continue to pioneer innovative treatments to improve the quality of life for children with devastating neurological diseases.

From unlocking the molecular mysteries of epileptic seizures to providing novel insights on how to repair brain injuries in newborns, NRI researchers are helping to revolutionize the care and treatment for our patients at Texas Children’s Neuroscience Center and patients around the world.

In her blog, Texas Children’s scientific research writer Dr. Rajalaxmi Natarajan highlights some of the 2015 groundbreaking discoveries from the NRI labs of Drs. Benjamin Deneen, Hugo Bellen, Mirjana Malatic-Savatic and Anne Anderson.

June 23, 2015

62415newshuttles640Everybody likes getting a new vehicle. The whole experience – from the new-car smell and shiny gadgets to the sleek paint job and smooth ride – is exciting.

On Monday, June 29, the entire Texas Children’s family will get to have such an experience when six of our 12 new shuttles are rolled out sporting colorful designs and several innovative features.

“We are very excited about this new capability for Texas Children’s,” said Director of Supply Chain Rick McFee. “We think you will be too.”

The first thing people will notice about the new shuttles is the outside of them, McFee said. All 12 will be bright, bold colors and graphics with designs of 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 will have is an environmentally-friendly fueling system. Instead of using diesel, all 12 shuttles will 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 completely green-friendly shuttle service.

Some of the 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.
  • On-board 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 charging ports will be available at each seat for riders who need to charge their phone or other electronic devices.

All buses will be 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.

McFee said the GPS technology will give Texas Children’s management the opportunity to monitor the shuttles’ movements and to adjust accordingly based on ridership activity. As for now, however, all routes will stay the same.

The remaining six larger shuttles in the fleet will be on the road in late summer.

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

62415tandemsupport640Chief Safety Officer Dr. Joan Shook knows firsthand just how stressful it can be to work in a health care environment as demanding and complex as ours.

For the past 20 plus years, she has tended to patients with various types of health conditions in the Emergency Center. Some of those patients got well and went on to live productive lives. Others weren’t so lucky.

The impact of the negative events often leads to stress, fatigue and sometimes depression and blame for all involved in the situation, Shook said. The most profound example of such emotions happened years ago when Shook was a section head in the EC and a therapist came to talk to her group about workplace stress.

“Everyone broke down in tears at that meeting,” she said. “I had no idea the burden my people were carrying.”

To help employees cope with adverse patient events such as errors, unanticipated outcomes or even death, Texas Children’s recently launched a peer-to-peer support team that can be tapped 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Texas Children’s Tandem Support Team provides access to more than 100 trained peer volunteers who are willing and ready to provide reassurance, guidance and overall support.

Director of Employee Health & Wellness Jill Fragoso said the team is comprised of clinical and nonclinical employees from across the entire Texas Children’s system and that all members have been trained by the leading experts in the field of workplace stress in a health care setting.

62315TandemSupport350“Adverse patient events can have a significant impact on the health care professional, colleagues and subsequent patients,” Fragoso said. “That’s why we want to ensure Texas Children’s is doing all we can to guide our employees through such events so they don’t burn out and/or have long lasting emotional effects.”

Staff Chaplain Kristen Springmeyer is one of the 100 trained members of the Tandem Support Team and said she volunteered because she’s seen the need for such a program and believes it will be transformative.

She said the team will give our health care workers the chance to decompress with someone they can trust and with someone who understands where they are coming from. In addition, the team will be able to point employees in need to resources such as the Employee Assistance Program, which provides confidential, professional services such as counseling, stress management and grief support.

“My job is to listen and refer when needed,” Springmeyer said. “It’s that simple, yet so important.”

All employees, managers, supervisors and peers are encouraged to contact the Tandem Support Team after any patient event that causes distress. You can do so one of three ways:

  • Page: 832-824-2099 and ask for the “Tandem Support Team.”
  • Go to: Connect Sites and Services > Centers, Clinics, Departments > Tandem Support Team
  • Find a team member at your location by looking for their special badge slip or lanyard.

 

62415tcpapp640Managing health care decisions and accessing provider relationships just got easier for thousands of patients and families in the greater Houston area thanks to a new mobile application introduced by Texas Children’s Pediatrics.

The ParentAdvice Center, available for free on iTunes and Google Play, will help families make smart decisions about what level of care is needed for their child and how to provide symptom relief for minor illnesses or injuries at home. The new app also includes answers to common behavior and wellness questions, medication dosage tables, links to each Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice web page and maps to our urgent care locations.

“As the world moves in a more digital direction, we feel it is important to meet patient families exactly where they are, providing the information they need in the way they want to receive it,” said Dr. Stanley Spinner, chief medical officer and vice president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “The clinical advice, validated by TCP leadership, is the same evidence-based, high-quality advice we already give patients, only now it will be available in a digital format around the clock.”

Produced by StayWell, a leading provider of health education and engagement solutions, the app will help families better understand their children’s health symptoms. The app will give parents the support and information they need to make timely decisions about the appropriate level of care for their child – whether that means providing care for minor illnesses at home or finding a Texas Children’s facility. The mobile app also will give parents access to their child’s health records via the MyChart patient portal.

Some of the app’s valuable features include:

  • Online symptom checker with access to 129 care guides, first-aid illustrations, parent message boards and over-the-counter medication guides.
  • Access to MyChart patient portal for personal medical information and to manage relationships with Texas Children’s hospitals and clinics.
  • Ability to find a practice or care facility within the Texas Children’s Pediatrics, from individual pediatricians, urgent care centers or emergency rooms.
  • Tips on how to prepare for an appointment and connections to popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

“This is an important step in meeting the needs of our families where it’s convenient for them – on their smart phones,” said Lou Fragoso, vice president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “Now, patient families can have easy and quick access to helpful medical information and links to our pediatric practices, urgent care facilities and emergency rooms.”

Download the app and tell patients, friends and family about it today. Anyone who has children or spends time with children can benefit from Texas Children’s Pediatric ParentAdvice Center. For more information about the app, click here.

62415TCPParentAdvicePoster640

62415SSPatrickHatcher640

Patrick Hatcher from Facilities Planning and Development is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star leader. “A Super Star at Texas Children’s is one who takes initiative, leads by example and focuses on the opportunities in spite of the obstacles,” Hatcher said. Read more of Hatcher’s interview, and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Q&A: Patrick Hatcher, January – March 2015 Leader

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Patrick Hatcher, Logistics Program Manager, Facilities Planning & Development. I have worked here for 2 ½ years.

What month are you Super Star for?
First Quarter 2015 (January – March)

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
The good news came through my leader, Allison Muth, disguised as an “Organizational Update” meeting. Very surprising!

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do?
It is great to be appreciated, but also very humbling. I work alongside so many other super stars both in Facilities Planning & Development and other departments.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
A Super Star at Texas Children’s is one who takes initiative, leads by example and focuses on the opportunities in spite of the obstacles.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
Contributing to the well-being of our patients and coworkers is my main motivation.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
The best thing about working at Texas Children’s is understanding that our efforts are tied to a greater purpose.

Anything else you want to share?
I would like thank my leaders Pete Dawson, Jill Pearsall and Allison Muth for affording me with opportunities to grow personally and professionally. I am truly fortunate to work for such an amazing organization with an equally amazing mission and vision.

June 17, 2015

Tropical Storm Bill has been downgraded to Tropical Depression Bill.  As the storm moves northward through Central Texas, additional periodic bands of rain will impact the Houston area throughout the day. Some localized street flooding will be possible with an additional 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.

We urge employees to continue to exercise caution when navigating roadways, and do not drive into flooded areas as you head home or make your way into work today.  If you plan to commute by Metro, all services are operating normally.

This is the last communications update regarding Tropical Depression Bill.

Judy Swanson, Administrator on call
Amy Puglia, Emergency Management