December 23, 2014

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The holidays came early this year for Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine employees thanks to their hard work and dedication to the women and children they serve each and every day.

On December 19, all Texas Children’s Hospital employees and Texas Children’s based Baylor College of Medicine faculty and staff received a $50 gift card to Walmart from the Texas Children’s executive team as a token of appreciation for their contribution and commitment, and as a tribute to their service and hard work.

“Thank you for exemplifying our incredible culture, always putting service before self as you care for our patients, their families, your loved ones, and one another,” says a thank you note signed by all members of the executive team. “We are grateful for all you do, each and every day, to ensure Texas Children’s remains the very finest place to work, practice medicine, and receive care.”

Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr. was one of the executives who signed the note and said people who work at Texas Children’s are very special people.

“They decided to come here because they believe it’s a great thing to take care of children, their mothers and families,” Fraser said. “They are cut out a different cloth. That’s why we need to remember to take care of each other.”

Linda Aldred, a senior vice president with Texas Children’s, said, “Regardless of the role, we have seen remarkable service and hard work at every level of the organization this past year.”

“Our team member’s actions have had a tremendous impact on Texas Children’s, both big and small,” Aldred said. “We are grateful for their contribution and commitment and as a tribute to their service and hard work, we want to say thank you!”

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Five years ago, Priscilla Boos heard the worst news she could ever imagine – her husband had been given six months to a year to live.

“I was devastated,” said Boos, who is a business manager in the Department of Pathology. “I started grieving the loss of my husband of 39 years that day.”

To deal with her feelings and to try and prepare for when her husband really was gone, Boos said she attended the Texas Children’s Employee Assistance Program’s Grief Recovery Group.

The free 10-week program is dedicated to helping people find the support they need to move beyond grief, whether it’s over the loss of a loved one, a divorce or a situation at work. Facilitated by EAP staff and open to all Texas Children’s and Baylor employees, the program follows specific tasks outlined in The Grief Recovery Handbook by John James and Russel Friedman.

“Recovery from loss is accomplished by discovering and completing all of the undelivered communications that accrue in relationships,” said EAP Program Manager Brent Lo-Caste-Wilken. “If you have experienced one or more losses, and you wish to move beyond the pain, this program offers you the probability of a richer and more rewarding life.”

Boos said the group made a huge difference in her life and that it made the journey toward her husband’s death much easier to bare.

“When it was time for him to go, we talked about a lot of things most couples don’t talk about during that time,” she said. “We wouldn’t have been able to have had that conversation had I attended the Grief Support Group.”

Most people don’t get the opportunity to complete unfinished conversations like Boos did because their loved is already gone or their loss has already occurred. Grief recovery helps people who are both anticipating a loss as well as suffering the effects of a loss that has already happened. In short, it helps people complete anything that was left unfinished at the time of a loss.

“Successful completion of unfinished emotions allows us to become complete with the often painful reality that the physical relationship has ended,” James and Friedman said.

To sign up for the next session of the Grief Recovery Group see below. Space is limited, so don’t delay.

What do I need to know if I am interested in participating in the Grief Recovery Group?

  • For the safety and success of all participants, commitment to and attendance at the 10-week program are essential.
  • Group sessions will be held in the Meyer Building first-floor conference room from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. every
  • Thursday beginning January 22 and ending March 26.

To register for the program go to the Learning Academy webpage, call Ext. 4-3327 or email eap@texaschildrens.org.

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Eden McCleskey’s kiddos, Austen (9 months) and Jess (almost 2).

Bump Watch thanks everyone who contributed adorable pictures capturing memorable moments of their kiddos this holiday season.

As we ring in the New Year, the smiles on these tiny faces spread plenty of holiday cheer!

Caroline Nakamura's 6-month-old son, Luke, loves his festive green suit.
Caroline Nakamura’s 6-month-old son, Luke, loves his festive green suit.

xDr. Susan Leong-Kee's 15-month-old twins, Daniel and Abigail, love to entertain.
Dr. Susan Leong-Kee’s 15-month-old twins, Daniel and Abigail, love to entertain.

 

Harper with mom
Harper (who will be 2 in May) poses with her mom, Veronika Javor.

 

Keno Okiomah Xmas Portrait 2014
Ujiro Okiomah’s 10-month-old son Keno is looking handsome as ever!

Anabelle Boudrea
Annabelle (9 months) is fascinated with holiday lights. Her dad is Warren Boudrea.

 

Cameron Griffith
Julie Griffith’s 5-month-old son, Cameron, enjoys the radiant spotlight.

 

Yamil Torress
Mercedes Sleiman’s son, Yamil Torres (2), is happy to meet Santa Claus.

 

Madison Beasley
Rachel Beasley’s daughter, Madison, dawns her festive knit cap while she snoozes.

 

Goudys
It’s holiday photo time for Lord-Rudy Goudy’s kids: Zariya (12), Zion (6) and Zachary (1).

 

Monroe
Natasha Curtis’ kids, Arden Monroe and Chandler Curtis, hang out with Santa’s reindeer.

 

Vivian yay
Amy Puglia’s daughter, Vivian (4 months old), doesn’t mind being held by Santa Claus.

 

Emmy and Presley Cohen
Jennifer Cohen’s girls, Emmy (6 months) and Presley (3), are ready for the holidays!

 

Berss
Kaylan Berss’ son, 16-month-old Brantley, has a special holiday announcement!

 

dezzmone
Krystal Hall’s 6-year-old son, Dezzmone, untangles the holiday lights to decorate outside.

 

Christian Jacques
Christian (3) can’t wait to open gifts from his parents, Brian and Samantha Jacques.

 

Cadence Picture
Maria Dahl’s daughter, Cadence (4), smiles for the camera!

 

Zachary Goudy
One-year-old Zachary Goudy wishes everyone a blessed holiday season!

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Michelle Riley-Brown and Dr. Charles Hankins received a heartfelt goodbye December 16 from the people they have served during the past four years at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.

The farewell came as a surprise to the leaders, who will be moving to Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands at the beginning of the new year. Soon after they arrived at what they thought was a routine leaders meeting, a room packed with colleagues directed their attention to a video about the history of West Campus and how Riley-Brown and Hankins have been key to its success.

“The Woodlands is lucky to get such a great team,” one employee said in the video.

“It’s because of you that we are the best of the west,” another employee said.

“Please come back!” another employee jokingly pleaded.

With tears in their eyes, Riley-Brown and Hankins watched the video and the many other gestures of appreciation their colleagues made during the hour-long affair.

Some of those gestures include:

  • A framed photo of a large group of West Campus employees standing next to a large “Thank You” sign.
  • A T-shirt with Riley-Brown’s signature saying, “That’s how we roll.”
  • The unveiling of a “That’s how we roll” program that will give children coming into the hospital the opportunity to hitch a ride to their appointment in a toy car.
  • The announcement that Riley-Brown and Hankins are the Best of the West winners for the month of December.

“I am going to miss every one of you,” Riley-Brown said at the meeting. “It’s been a true blessing working with you.”
Hankins said he would take all of his colleagues at West Campus with him to The Woodlands if he could, but that wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

“The reason I wanted to go to The Woodlands is because I didn’t want to compete, I wanted to cooperate,” he said. “We all are going to work together to make Texas Children’s better for the whole community.”

Riley-Brown will become president of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, and Hankins will become chief medical officer of the institution, which will open its doors to outpatient care in the fall of 2016 and inpatient services the following year. Riley-Brown and Hankins will assume their new roles in January.

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Texas Children’s Transition Medicine Team hosted a dinner this fall at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in conjunction with the Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference. More than 100 people interested in transition medicine attended to learn about Texas Children’s program and the progress being made in this new branch of medicine.

Transition medicine describes the planned process of moving pediatric patients into the adult health care system in a way that optimizes their health and ability to function. Texas Children’s is dedicated to helping these patients smoothly transfer to adult care without a decline or break in treatment needed for optimal health.

David Gonzalez, a Texas Children’s patient and student at Saint Thomas University, kicked off the dinner with his inspirational story and spoke to the importance of a solid transition program. He encouraged the audience to support the hospital’s efforts so that future patients will not have the same difficulties he had during his transition period.

The October 2 dinner also offered an opportunity to award the second Benjamin B. Ligums Scholar to Dr. David Hall, medical director for the Harris Health System’s El Franco Lee Health Center. The scholar program allows a provider in the community to receive training on the adult special needs population as well as project management assistance in setting up a referral process between them and their surrounding pediatric providers. Hall will build upon the successes of Dr. Elizabeth Bosquez, the first Benjamin B. Ligums Scholar.

This night also celebrated and acknowledged two remarkable families who have dedicated themselves to the transition medicine cause with their generous philanthropic support. The Ligums family was acknowledged for their support in creating the Benjamin B. Ligums Scholar Program, and the Robbins family was acknowledged for their commitment to support the Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference each year.

The transition medicine team has been working together for more than two years and has made great progress. They have focused on:

Readiness – preparing patients to self manage their disease and succeed in the adult world.
Handoff – ensuring that patients are not lost to follow-up during the move from the pediatric to the adult health care system.
Transfer – guaranteeing an adult provider for our patients to transition to at the appropriate age.

For a more comprehensive look inside the transition medicine plan, visit www.texaschildrens.org/transitionmedicine. For questions or additional information, please contact Caitlyn Barrow at crbarrow@texaschildrens.org or 713-798-3323, or Kris Barton at krbarton@texaschildrens.org or Ext. 4-1265.

December 18, 2014

Dr. M. Elizabeth Tessier, a pediatric gastroenterology fellow at Texas Children’s, received the 2014 Fellow Research Award from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN).

Her award-winning study titled, “Bile acid signatures in children confer protection from clostridium difficile infection,” found that changes in the bile acid composition in the stool may predispose patients to Clostridium difficile (C.diff), a bacterial infection that causes intestinal inflammation and diarrhea.

In general, children are less susceptible to C.diff infection than adults and tend to have milder disease. However, Tessier says pediatric cases are on the rise, which may be attributed to a newer more toxigenic strain of C. diff called NAP1.

Antibiotics disrupt the bacterial communities in the colon which can alter bile acid compositions, creating favorable conditions for C.diff spores to germinate. Certain types of bile acids can activate or inhibit the growth of this bacterium.

In their study, Tessier and her colleagues in Tor Savidge’s lab in the Texas Children’s Microbiome Center, collected stool samples to examine the bile acid profiles of healthy children between the ages of 7 and 12, healthy adults, patients with antibiotic-induced diarrhea and C.diff patients.

The healthy control group had higher levels of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) – which inhibits C.diff growth – compared to the other two groups. They found healthy children had more CDCA than healthy adults, which may contribute to children’s decreased susceptibility to C.diff infection.

In contrast, patients with antibiotic-induced diarrhea, who may be prone to C.diff infection, had elevated levels of the spore-germinating bile acid called taurocholate. While C. diff patients had lower levels of both bile acid types, they had high serum levels of fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF-19), a hormone that regulates bile acid synthesis in the liver.

“Based on our findings, C.difficile toxins may alter bile acid profiles in the gut by inducing FGF-19 production,” said Tessier. “Further studies need to be done to determine if this hormone is a true marker of C.diff infection.”

Tessier’s study also examined the bile acid profiles of four patients who received liver transplants. High levels of taurocholate were found in their stool, which increased their risk of C.diff infection.

December 17, 2014
The Texas Children’s Hospital Division of Neurosurgery was well represented at the recent American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting in Amelia Island, Fla. The division had eight posters accepted for presentation. Of those eight, three were selected as “Top Posters.” In addition, Neurosurgery had four abstracts accepted for oral presentation.
Top Poster Presentations
  • Comparison of Patient Populations and Utilization for Hypothalamic Hamartoma Treatment
    Dr. Sandi Lam, Dr. Daniel Curry, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Iwen Elaine Pan, PhD
  • Use of a Formal Assessment Instrument of Evaluation of Resident Operative Skills in Pediatric Neurosurgery
    Caroline Hadley, Dr. Sandi Lam, Valentina Briceno Marmol, RN, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Dr. Andrew Jea
  • Endonasal Endoscopic Resection of Pediatric Craniopharyngiomas
    Dr. Sohum Desai, Dr. William Whitehead
Poster Presentations
  • Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy and Ventriculoperitoneal Shunting: A Comparative Effectiveness Study with MarketScan Administrative Data
    Dr. Sandi Lam, Dr. Dominic Harris, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Iwen Elaine Pan, PhD
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Placement in Children: A Model of Hospitalization Cost
    Dr. Sandi Lam, Dr. Visish Srinivasan, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Iwen Elaine Pan, PhD
  • Using Pediatrics National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Data to Examine 30-Day Outcomes of Craniosynostosis Surgery
    Dr. Jared Fridley, Dr. Sandi Lam, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Iwen Elaine Pan, PhD
  • Using Pediatrics National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Data to Examine 30-day Outcomes of Posterior Fossa Tumor Surgery
    Dr. Sandi Lam, Dr. Jared Fridley, Dr. Andrew Jea, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Iwen Elaine Pan, PhD
  • The Safety and Efficacy of Use of Low Molecular Weight Heparin in Pediatric Neurosurgical Patients
    Dr. David Gonda, Dr. Jared Fridley, Sheila Ryan, JD, MPH, CCRP, Valentina Briceno Marmol, RN, Dr. Sandi Lam, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Dr. Andrew Jea
Oral Presentations
  • Outcomes of Pediatric Autologous Cranioplasty after Decompressive Craniectomy: A Multicenter Study
    Dr. Sandi Lam, Pediatric Outcomes Workgroup
  • Streamlining Fetal Repair of Myelomeningoceles
    Dr. Jared Fridley, Dr.William Whitehead
  • The Efficacy of Routine Use of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 in Occipitocervical and Atlantoaxial Fusions of the Pediatric Spine
    Dr. Christina Sayama, Caroline Hadley, Valentina Briceno Marmol, RN, Dr. Huy Dinh, Sheila Ryan, JD, MPH, CCRP, Dr. Daniel Fulkerson, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Dr. Andrew Jea
  • Acute Implantatationo Reduced Graphene Oxide Scaffolds in Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
    Dr. Jared Fridley, Dr. Thomas Luerssen, Dr. Andrew Jea