June 3, 2014

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The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is known around the world as perhaps the most prestigious medical publication. The peer-reviewed medical journal publishes research, editorials, review articles and case reports and is a window into the world of medicine. So when the work of three Texas Children’s advanced practice nurses was selected to be published in the journal, they were thrilled about their findings being shared with medical professionals around the world.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Amy McCay, director of Advanced Practice Providers Elizabeth “Charley” Elliott, and Nurse Scientist Marlene Walden produced an instructional video on Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter PICC placement in neonates with information on what the complications can be. “Being recognized as a nurse published in a medical journal elevates the science of nursing,” Elliot said. “The selection involves a rigorous process that evaluates manuscripts for scientific accuracy and importance.”

The three learned so much from their investigation that they wanted to share their findings in a publication that would be seen around the globe. They submitted an instructional video on PICC placement in the neonatal patient population and a written overview of the process. The nurses hoped that sharing the knowledge they gained would help other nurses learn the best method for this procedure and how to avoid complications.

“The video is innovative and offers clinicians an opportunity to see into the procedure,” Elliott said. “It brings the process together for those who need visuals and brings the work to a whole new level.”

The journal receives more than 5,000 submissions a year and only about five percent are actually selected and published. All submissions are reviewed by panels of experts that review the current literature and determine if what is being submitted is relevant to current practice and represents evidence.

For the nurses, the process of submission started in 2011 when they began to determine the patients who would be involved in the video, the information that would be presented and how to best present this procedure.

Once submitted, a panel of experts reviews for content, relevance, and best evidence available before they will consent to publish in the journal. Most of the articles published are submitted by physicians and researchers, so the nurses were honored to be selected.

As Elliot puts it, “To have a nurse published in a medical journal is big and validating.”

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When you think of Texas Children’s Neuroscience Center, two distinct attributes come to mind: integrated expertise and comprehensive patient care.

“Every single day, our neurologists, neurosurgeons and clinical researchers work together to pioneer innovative therapies to improve the lives of children with neurological disorders,” said Dr. Gary Clark, chief of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience at Texas Children’s. “We needed a name that communicated this partnership and our firm commitment to providing high-quality comprehensive care to all of our patients.”

As a result, the neurology and neurosurgery divisions merged under one marketing umbrella to become the Neuroscience Center which focuses on a multidisciplinary team approach for treating childhood neurological disorders. If a neurologist diagnoses a brain disorder in a patient that cannot be treated by medication alone, for instance, then surgical treatment may be required.

Expert teams of neurologists collaborate with neurosurgeons daily to deliver complete care in more than 12 pediatric specialty clinics. Our Neuroscience Center brings together a diverse group of pediatric specialists representing different areas of expertise:

  • Neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Neurophysiology
  • Neurological Critical Care
  • Genetics

“By combining clinical care with easy access to surgery, our Neuroscience Center offers patients and their families access to treatment in one centralized location,” said Dr. Thomas Luerssen, chief of Neurosurgery and chief quality officer of Surgery at Texas Children’s. “From diagnosis to treatment, whether it involves surgery, inpatient rehabilitation or access to a clinical trial, our patients will have the full complement of services.”

Texas Children’s has consistently been ranked among the nation’s top children’s hospitals in neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report.

“Since neurology and neurosurgery are measured as one specialty program by U.S. News & World Report, it makes sense to market them together as the Neuroscience Center,” said Dr. Clark.

Texas Children’s is one of the largest pediatric neurological service providers in the country. On average, more than 30,000 clinic visits take place every year and more than 900 surgeries are performed by providers in our Neuroscience Center.

Click link to learn more about Texas Children’s Neuroscience Center.

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Information Services (IS) will introduce several customer improvements this month to simplify service requests, solve problems more quickly and track service better.

“Information Services continually works to assess the effectiveness of our customer services, and we are aware our Service Desk customer care does not currently meet our standards or our customers’ needs,” said Myra Davis, senior vice president of IS.

Within the next few weeks, IS will implement several service enhancements, including improved staff, self-service options and a new support portal that allows customers to:

  • Report an issue or submit a request to IS online.
  • Check the status of any open service ticket previously submitted (with or without the ticket number).
  • Add comments to your ticket for the service analyst working on your issue.
  • Search articles and answers to common questions to help quickly resolve issues that may not need a service analyst.

How will this affect me?
Davis said customer improvements will provide a better, more efficient experience for all.

“We have renovated our customer service model to introduce enhancements like a new customer portal for online status updates and staffing improvements to reduce wait times,” she said. “New self-service options will help resolve issues without having to call the IS Service Desk. Everything is designed to improve the customer experiences of employees by helping our staff be more efficient.”

What employees need to do
The new customer support portal will pull contact information from each employee’s Connect Profile. Click here to check your Connect profile to make sure all of your contact information is current.

Questions?
Information Services is dedicated to providing a secure, reliable technology environment. If you have questions about IS customer service improvements, please call the IS Service Desk at Ext. 4-3512 (external 832-824-3512).

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Watch the newest “Super Star” video featuring Felicia Cruise in Ambulatory Services. “I have an attitude to pursue great customer service,” Felicia said. “I seek to treat people the way I want to be treated.”

Check out her video, and find out how you can nominate a Super Star to be featured in the “Super Star” section on Connect.

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As we celebrate our 60th birthday this year, we wanted to take a closer look at what the hospital was like throughout the years. Take a peek at the 1980s by visiting our Facebook page!

By Amy Aiken Puglia

When Steven and I decided to grow our family, we had no idea it would happen so soon. It really took us by surprise when those two pink lines appeared! That’s why it was so comforting to know that I would have access to great quality care just a hop, skip, and a jump away at the Pavilion for Women. While I haven’t been skipping, hopping, or jumping to any of my recent appointments being seven months pregnant, it is with an even greater confidence and trust that I check in at each visit with my new women’s specialist, Dr. Codi Weiner. I have found the Women’s Specialists of Houston, and particularly Dr. Weiner and her staff, to be very responsive to all of my worried first-time-mom calls and emails. Also, they have readily worked with me in re-booking appointments when I have any scheduling blunders that need sorting out.


Click above to view the very creative announcement “trailer.”

Some of the most amazing experiences we’ve had since the three of us started this new journey include hearing our daughter’s heartbeat for the first time when she was just seven weeks old and then seeing her for the first time during our anatomy scan sonogram appointment at nineteen weeks. As we looked into my “womb with a view” and saw our little girl, it was as though she knew mommy and daddy were watching. She began to wiggle, stretch, and tap dance her way deeper into our hearts. Towards the end of the appointment, she began to get sleepy (as you can tell from the clip at the end of our video). She let out a big yawn and then nestled down for a nap. So cute! We just cannot wait to meet her and get to know her as the newest member of the Puglia family. 

​About Amy Puglia: Amy is the manager of emergency management. She and her husband, Steven, are expecting their first on July 25.

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The Clinical Research Center presented the Clinical Research Award for First Quarter 2014 to Catherine Loffredo, research nurse, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics-Clinical Program.

The award was established by the Clinical Research Center in collaboration with the Research Resources Office to recognize and honor individual contributions to protecting the best interest of the research subjects and compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

Ms. Loffredo’s research activities in the CRC focus on genetic syndromes.