February 8, 2022

Financial well-being is critical for all of us because it not only helps lower your stress levels, but it can also positively affect your physical, mental and social well-being. Stress related to financial worry can affect every aspect of your life, potentially causing your personal and professional productivity to suffer. Ensure you are off to a healthier you in 2022 by prioritizing your financial well-being.

Need help with meeting financial challenges, establishing or meeting financial goals?

Are you struggling with unexpected expenses or credit card debt? Would you like to start a retirement or college savings plan? Fidelity can help with a myriad of services like 1:1 financial coaching sessions, emergency savings account mentoring, setting up identity theft protection, finding community resources, and more. Leverage Fidelity as a resource for:

  • Monthly Webinars – Watch for opportunities to register for Fidelity’s upcoming sessions including:
    • Setting Goals and Developing an Emergency Savings Plan – February

Tuesday, February 8 – 12 PM CST register now

    • Making Your Money Work as Hard as You Do – March

Wednesday, March 2 – 12 PM CST register now

  • Financial Coaching sessions. Take advantage of 1-on-1 consultations with Texas Children’s personal Fidelity representatives for the opportunity to ask questions and create a financial plan in a private setting. Sign up for appointments and also RSVP for seminars here. If you prefer a group setting, Fidelity will provide the same opportunity in the company of your co-workers. Reach out to Alyssa Barnes or Christine Jasek to set up a workshop with your group.
  • Identity protection. New, to help protect your identity and give you greater peace of mind, Texas Children’s now offers voluntary identity theft protection with Allstate. You may sign up during Open Enrollment or at any time. Click here for information.
  • Personal assistance. With your whole family in mind, the Texas Children’s Family Resources site is available to help you find free or reduced-cost food, healthcare, employment assistance, affordable housing, transportation, daycare, financial assistance, education opportunities and legal services by entering your zip code.
Save with Texas Children’s Benefits Hub

One more item to help you stay financially healthy in 2022: click here to start saving! Check out Texas Children’s easy-to-use discounts and rewards marketplace. You’ll find discounts on wellness, entertainment, sports and goods. The first time you log in you will be prompted to enter a code. Use code AH5SYC, then complete the sign-up form to start exploring!

Each week you have the opportunity to enrich your Black History knowledge and participate in an online activity for a chance to win a special prize. Read more

Now the future director of Outpatient and Clinical Support Services at the Texas Children’s Austin Campus in 2024, learn how Valencia Gant plans to spread compassion to the families of Central Texas. Read more

Newly released industry data places Texas Children’s Hospital No. 1 for heart, liver and lung transplants; No. 2 for kidney transplants in the United States

Texas Children’s Hospital leads the nation in pediatric transplants, as reported by the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN), the country’s unique public-private registry for organ matching.

The newly released OPTN data places the nation’s largest children’s hospital No. 1 for pediatric heart, liver and lung transplants, and No. 2 for pediatric kidney transplants in the United States.

In 2021, Texas Children’s Hospital Transplant Services successfully performed 118 transplants, outpacing all other children’s hospitals by more than 30 complex surgeries.

“This exceptional team has worked tirelessly to consistently improve care, develop new avenues, and have now ultimately paved the way for Texas Children’s to be the premier hospital for lifesaving transplant surgeries,” said Mark A. Wallace, President and CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital. “The expertise and unwavering passion of every single member of this team is unlike any other. I am incredibly proud of all they’ve accomplished, and I know this is only the beginning.”

Last year, the Texas Children’s Hospital Transplant Services team achieved two first-in-the-nation milestones: its 2000th transplant patient, solidifying the program’s status as the highest volume pediatric transplant center in the United States for the fourth consecutive year; and its 500th pediatric heart transplant, a benchmark that highlights Texas Children’s world-class pediatric heart transplant program.

“The Texas Children’s Hospital Transplant Services team’s impressive volume of pediatric transplants is topped only by its success rate,” said Dr. Larry H. Hollier, Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair of the Texas Children’s Hospital Department of Surgery. “Among the highest in both the nation and the world, our pediatric transplant success rate underscores the Transplant Services team’s cutting-edge, leading position in the field.”

As the most active pediatric transplant center in the world, Texas Children’s Hospital possesses a depth of skill and service, both within the program and throughout the hospital, that allows for best-in-class care of newborns to young adults in need of heart, kidney, liver and lung transplants.

The staff offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach through all aspects of the transplant process, from initial referrals, which are accepted from around the world, to hospitalization and outpatient management. The pediatric transplant team – including transplant surgeons, immunologists, coordinators, dietitians, child life specialists, and social workers – works closely with patients, families and referring physicians to help make the evaluation process as convenient and efficient as possible.

Building on its record of excellence, the Texas Children’s Hospital’s Transplant Services team often accepts and achieves success with cases other programs may consider untreatable. For this reason, the Transplant Services team boasts an impressive list of firsts, including:

  • The first successful infant heart transplant in the United States;
  • The first pediatric lung-kidney transplant in the United States;
  • The hospital’s first – and one of only three in the nation – triple transplant of heart, lungs, and liver in one procedure.

“The real heroes in every transplant story are the selfless donors and their families,” said Dr. John A. Goss, Medical Director of Transplant Services at Texas Children’s Hospital. “As doctors, we are humbled and honored to witness the impact this incredible gift of life has on the lives of our pediatric transplant patients and their families.”

For more information about Texas Children’s Hospital Transplant Services, please visit https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/transplant-services.

After Caring for the Dream as the national medical center and Official Pediatric Medicine Provider of the 2021 Summer Olympics and Paralympics games, Texas Children’s is supporting Team USA in the 2022 Winter Games by delivering expert care to the elite athletes of tomorrow.

To kick off the opening of the games in Beijing this month and celebrate our ongoing partnership with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Texas Children’s has installed a dynamic new mural at The Woodlands hospital campus.

The wall-sized artwork features Hannah Harrell, Solomon Simmons and Oksana Masters, award-winning athletes representing Team USA and patients of Texas Children’s Hospital. The mural is located close by the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Clinic – a state-of-the-art facility where practitioners care for and treat acute and chronic sports injuries, concussions, exercise-induced asthma and other conditions affecting sports performance.

Texas Children’s is among the top 12 children’s hospitals in the nation for Orthopedics, according to the 2021-22 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings from U.S. News and World Report.

“As young athletes transition from the playground with the goal of representing Team USA, we look forward to helping them achieve these milestones by providing expert care during an illness or injury, and maintaining their overall health and well-being,” said Dr. Jeffrey Shilt, chief of community surgery and the sports medicine liaison to the USOPC, when Texas Children’s addition to the USOPC National Medical Network was announced.

“We take great pride in being able to support the next generation of Olympians and Paralympians as they optimize their health and performance,” Shilt said.

To check out the mural for yourself and see snapshots of our colleagues and patients at The Woodlands embracing the Olympic spirit, scroll through the photos in the gallery.

For an inside look at how the mural was installed, click here.

February 4, 2022

Friday, February 4, 2022: 6:15 a.m.

Friday operational updates for Houston, Katy and The Woodlands

As of this morning, Texas Children’s leadership and our Organizational Resilience team have met to assess the current forecast and road conditions, and in many cases have driven into the Texas Medical Center to experience this morning’s commute.

At this time, temperatures are below freezing; however, the moderate precipitation from yesterday evening has only resulted in some light ice on the roadways. That being said, please plan for extra travel time if commuting to work this morning and proceed with attention and caution. Only travel on routes you feel are safe and be particularly aware of icy areas and impacted overpasses. To see up-to-date listings of known road closures or detours, please visit Houston Transtar or Drive Texas.

As communicated yesterday, our clinical staff will conduct one-to-one hand offs this morning to ensure coverage in our clinical areas. At this time, the forecast is expected to improve over the next few hours and to be above freezing later this morning. We will continue to monitor local conditions and provide updates as necessary.

For all other operational areas and local practices, please stay in touch with your leadership to determine any other changes to your operational schedule.

To sign up for emergency text message alerts, follow these instructions.

Thank you for your attention. Stay safe.

Lance Lightfoot
Administrator on Call

Dan DiPrisco
EVP on Call

 

Thursday, February 3, 2022: 8:15 p.m.

Thursday evening operational updates for winter storm

As we continue to monitor the ongoing winter weather, our leadership and Organizational Resilience team is meeting regularly to review the latest forecast, along with any potential impacts on local conditions. Although the winter storm is moving through the area at a slightly faster pace than what was forecasted, please do not let your guard down as we head in to the evening and morning hours, when freezing temperatures are expected for much of our operational areas.

For resources to monitor travel and road conditions, visit Houston Transtar and Drive Texas. For localized updates, see below:

  • Austin: Precipitation is tapering off, but freezing temperatures will continue overnight and into tomorrow morning, causing hazardous road conditions. Friday afternoon’s temperatures will rise above freezing and then dip below freezing again overnight, causing the potential for icy conditions Saturday morning. Austin team members are asked to consult with their leadership on details for their location and practice area.
  • College Station: Wintry precipitation will continue to taper off over the next several hours, but freezing temperatures will continue overnight and into tomorrow morning. Please stay in touch with your leadership about local operations.
  • Houston/Katy/Woodlands: For Katy and The Woodlands, heavy precipitation is currently coming to an end, and freezing temperatures are expected overnight. For the rest of the Houston area, precipitation is expected to taper off later this evening, at which time temperatures will also fall to just below freezing. For those commuting to and from work Friday morning, please plan for extra travel time to allow for detours around icy areas or impacted overpasses. As previously communicated, clinical staff will conduct one-to-one hand offs during Friday morning’s shift change. Team members at our community practices are asked to continue consulting with their leadership about any impacts to local operations.
  • Tyler/Longview: Wintry precipitation will continue to taper off over the next several hours, but freezing temperatures will continue overnight and into tomorrow morning. Services for Health Plan members will continue. There are multiple contingency plans in place if needed and we are reaching out to impacted members and providers as appropriate. Please stay in touch with leadership about local operations.

We will continue to monitor the latest forecast and travel conditions and provide an update early tomorrow morning. To sign up for emergency text message alerts, follow these instructions.

Thank you for your attention.

Lance Lightfoot
Administrator on Call

Dan DiPrisco
EVP on Call

 

Thursday, February 3, 2022: 11:20 a.m.

Thursday operational updates for winter storm

Texas Children’s leadership and our Organizational Resilience team continue to monitor the ongoing winter weather moving across Texas, and are meeting regularly to review the latest forecast, along with any potential impacts on schools, roads, utilities and other hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. As of this morning, the forecast has not changed significantly from yesterday, and for most of our operational areas we are only expecting minor disruptions. For localized updates, please see below.

  • Austin: Freezing temperatures and precipitation have moved into the area causing hazardous travel conditions. This is expected to continue throughout the day and into tomorrow morning. Friday afternoon’s temperatures will rise above freezing and then dip below freezing again overnight, causing the potential for icy conditions Saturday morning. Austin team members are asked to consult with their leadership on details for their location and practice area.
  • College Station: Wintry precipitation is moving into the area this morning. We are monitoring this closely to determine operational decisions. Please stay in touch with your leadership about local operations.
  • Houston/Katy/Woodlands/Beaumont: Freezing temperatures and precipitation are approaching the area from the northwest and are expected to reach our Katy and The Woodlands campuses this evening around 5-6 p.m. For those working and/or living in those areas, please plan for extra travel time and consider arriving early for your shift to avoid inclement weather.

At this time, the bulk of freezing precipitation is expected to arrive within Houston during the evening hours, which may result in some wintry conditions into Friday morning. For those commuting on Friday morning, please plan for extra travel time to allow for detours around icy areas or impacted overpasses. As this will occur during our morning shift change, clinical staff will conduct one-to-one hand offs. During Friday afternoon, temperatures are expected to rise above freezing before dipping back below freezing overnight. Minor travel issues are possible for Saturday morning, though precipitation is expected to be minimal. At this time, the Houston area expects limited precipitation during a limited window this evening. As a result, we do not expect to activate our ride-out operations, despite any potential school closures. Please prepare your back-up child care plans in the case of school closures. We will continue to monitor local conditions and will provide updates as necessary. Team members at our community practices are asked to continue consulting with their leadership about any impacts to local operations.

  • Tyler/Longview: Wintry precipitation is moving into the area this morning and road conditions will continue to worsen. Services for Health Plan members will continue. There are multiple contingency plans in place if needed and we are reaching out to impacted members and providers as appropriate. Please stay in touch with leadership about local operations.

Safety is our highest priority, so please follow the local weather for traffic and safety alerts before traveling. Use caution when navigating roadways and pay close attention to bridges and overpasses, as water can freeze quickly with a sudden drop in temperature.

To sign up for emergency text message alerts, follow these instructions.

Thank you for your attention.

Lance Lightfoot
Administrator on Call

Dan DiPrisco
EVP on Call

 

Wednesday, February 2, 2022: 8:30 p.m.

Operational updates for winter storm

Texas Children’s leadership and Organizational Resilience are continuing to closely monitor weather conditions across our operational areas and are meeting frequently to evaluate any expected impacts on our care delivery. Since this morning’s message, (below on this page) the forecast has not changed significantly, as we still expect freezing temperatures and frozen precipitation to move across much of Texas throughout Thursday and Friday. To see updates for specific areas, please see below.

  • Austin: With weather conditions resulting in local impacts and school closures, we anticipate our community operations to be impacted. Please consult with your leader on the details for your location and practice area.
  • College Station: As we continue to monitor road conditions, please stay in touch with leadership about local operations.
  • Houston/Katy/Woodlands/Beaumont: At this time, conditions are not expected to be inclement until Friday morning, when some light icing on the roadways is expected. As such, for Friday morning, please plan for extra travel time to allow for detours around icy areas or impacted overpasses. As this will occur during our morning shift change, clinical staff will conduct one-to-one hand offs. At this time, we do not expect to activate ride-out operations and are not anticipating impacts to care delivery for our patients and members. We will continue to closely monitor for any changes in the forecast.
  • Tyler/Longview: Services for Health Plan members will proceed under normal operations at this time. There are multiple contingency plans in place if needed and we are reaching out to impacted members as appropriate.

As stated earlier, safety is our highest priority, so please follow the local news and weather for traffic and safety alerts before traveling. Use caution when navigating roadways and pay close attention to bridges and overpasses, as water can freeze quickly with a sudden drop in temperature.

To sign up for emergency text message alerts, follow these instructions.

Thank you for your attention.

Lance Lightfoot
Administrator on Call

Dan DiPrisco
EVP on Call

 

Wednesday, February 2, 2022: 10:40 a.m.

Potential wintry precipitation starting Thursday

Texas Children’s leadership and the Department of Organizational Resilience are closely monitoring a winter storm front with freezing temperatures and potential frozen precipitation across the region.

  • Austin: Freezing temperatures and possible wintry precipitation will move into the area Thursday around 2-3 a.m. bringing a risk of icy conditions all day Thursday and into Friday morning. Please continue to monitor local conditions and stay in touch with your leadership for updated information on business operations.
  • College Station: Freezing temperatures and possible wintry precipitation will move into the area Thursday morning bringing a risk of icy conditions all day Thursday and into Friday morning.
  • Houston: Freezing temperatures and possible wintry precipitation are expected to arrive across the region starting Thursday evening, which could create icy conditions for the Friday morning commute mainly west and northwest of downtown. Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing Friday afternoon. There will be another potential light freeze Saturday morning.
  • Tyler/Longview: Freezing temperatures and wintry precipitation are expected starting early Thursday morning and will persist throughout the day and into Friday. Icy conditions are expected with the possibility of snow flurries with accumulation of around an inch.

Safety is our highest priority, so please follow the local news and weather for traffic and safety alerts when traveling. Use caution when navigating roadways and pay close attention to bridges and overpasses, as water can freeze very quickly with a sudden drop in temperatures. Plan for additional travel time to make detours or adjust your route if necessary.

TCUC/TCP employees should consult their respective leadership over the next 24-48 hours for updated information on business operations.

Please note the important reminders below for personal/home preparedness for this cold weather event:

  • Protect all exposed pipes, shut off and drain sprinkler systems. Open cabinet doors and closet doors to get as much heat against outside facing wall pipes as possible. In some cases, the best course of action may be to shut off water to a structure and drain pipes overnight when water usage is low to avoid pipes freezing and bursting.
  • Heavily cover and protect any tropical vegetation, citrus or vulnerable plants.
  • Pets should have proper shelter, food and water. Normal water supplies could freeze over, including stock ponds and lakes.

To sign up for emergency text message alerts, follow these instructions.

Thank you for your attention.

Lance Lightfoot
Administrator on Call

Dan DiPrisco
EVP on Call

 

Monday, January 31, 2022: 12 p.m.

Potential localized flash flooding – prepare for afternoon commute

Texas Children’s leadership and the Department of Organizational Resilience are closely monitoring a strong upper level storm system with potential for flash flooding across Houston, Austin and College Station.

The heaviest rain is expected between 3-9 p.m. tonight, which may impact both the afternoon commute and shift changes for our employees. Flash flooding, some river flooding and heavy downpours in very short time periods are among the possible threats.

Given the forecast, we advise our team members and medical staff to closely follow the local news and weather for traffic and safety alerts when planning their commute. Please use caution when navigating roadways and plan for additional travel time to make detours or adjust your route if necessary.

To sign up for emergency text message alerts, follow these instructions.

Thank you for your attention.

Lance Lightfoot
Administrator on Call

Dan DiPrisco
EVP on Call

February 3, 2022

Effective February 2, 2022, Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first health maintenance organization (HMO) created just for children, announced the appointment of Dr. Karen Hill as its new Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Dr. Hill is a seasoned health care executive and board-certified Internal Medicine and Pediatrics licensed medical doctor (M.D.). In her new role, she will lead an NCQA-accredited Medicaid plan and the state’s top-rated HMO in Patient Experience, committed to providing its members with dependable health coverage and delivering top-quality patient care.

Dr. Hill will guide clinical and quality initiatives that further position the organization as a leader in patient experience and quality health coverage. She will support efforts that further drive health equity and expand access to top quality care for vulnerable and medically underserved communities.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Hill to the Texas Children’s Health Plan executive team,” said Richelle Fleischer, president of Texas Children’s Health Plan. “Her experience and passion for managed care will be an invaluable asset to the organization, and further enhance the health and well-being of our members and community.”

Dr. Hill has more than 25 years of industry and academic experience, beginning her career as Associate Medical Director for Amerigroup, followed by positions as Senior Medical Director for Cigna, SVP and CMO of Med Affairs for Community Health Choice and CMO for RediClinic. For more than 14 years, she was in private practice as an internal medicine and pediatrics medical doctor and most recently served as Corporate SVP of Programs and Product Management for HealthHelp, a WNS company.

Dr. Hill received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, completed her residency at Baylor College of Medicine, and furthered her education with a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston Bauer College of Business.

“I am inspired by the opportunity to play a role in this next phase of Texas Children’s Health Plan, as we continue to improve access to quality healthcare for our members,” said Dr. Hill. “As Chief Medical Officer and collaborative leader, I look forward to working with our community partners to further expand the health plan’s reach and bring quality care to more vulnerable populations across the state.”

Dr. Hill is an active member of multiple professional organizations which support women executive leaders including Chief and IGNITE. She is also a member of several local, regional and national organizations focused on the industry including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Texas Medical Association and the Harris County Medical Society.

Click here to learn more about Texas Children’s Health Plan.