June 1, 2016

6116WCBusinessPartnership640Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus recently received the Houston West Chamber of Commerce’s Business Partnership Award for their continued efforts to improve and enrich the lives of individuals in the west Houston area.

Since the hospital opened its doors five years ago, leadership and staff have been incredibly committed to not only providing the highest-quality care possible for patients, but investing in the community through partnerships, events and educational opportunities.

“We are so honored to receive this award,” said Chanda Cashen Chacón, president of Texas Children’s West Campus. “Here at West Campus, we are dedicated to the west Houston community and love being involved with so many wonderful individuals and organizations in the area.”

As part of its community engagement efforts, West Campus hosts annual events such as the Family Fun Run and sponsors area events including the inaugural Typhoon Texas Triathlon. The hospital also recently hosted a group of over 50 eighth graders from The Village School to teach them about the health care industry and the numerous career opportunities available. This new partnership will provide additional experiences for more students in the community to learn about the hospital and help them choose potential areas of interest to study in high school and college.

52616retirementREV640Are you looking forward to retirement, or does the thought of planning for your future keep you awake at night? As part of our Total Rewards program, Texas Children’s has partnered with Fidelity Investments, our 403(b) administrator, to create various retirement services and resources that can help you kick start or fuel your retirement planning.

Take advantage of these ingredients and develop your own recipe for retirement success!

Ingredient 1: Enroll in Texas Children’s 403(b) savings plan
Don’t miss out on our 50 percent match of the first 6 percent of your pre-tax per paycheck contribution. You can enroll anytime by contacting Fidelity at 800-343-0860 or online at www.fidelity.com/atwork.

Ingredient 2: Attend a retirement seminar in June
Learn how to navigate the retirement process with this 30-minute seminar so that you can establish financial goals for your future, learn tips on how to build a plan, and much more. The seminars will be hosted at multiple locations throughout our Texas Children’s campuses in June. Click here for dates, times and locations. Register today online or call 800-642-7131. Space is limited, register today to reserve a seat.

Ingredient 3: Schedule a one-on-one session with a retirement consultant
Use this opportunity to have a personal discussion about your retirement and learn how to build a plan that fits your future needs. Sessions are currently available at Main and West Campuses through the year. Space is limited, click here to register.

Ingredient 4: Participate in this online workshop – Thrive: Financial Wellness
Attend this series of online workshops at Fidelity at your own time and pace. These sessions focus on how you can save for your future, along with the tools and resources you can use to become a more educated investor. Click here to register.

This recipe yields your path to retirement success.

If you have any retirement-related questions, contact Fidelity at 800-343-0860 or visit them online at www.fidelity.com/atwork.

May 18, 2016

51816wills640Do you have a will? If not, Texas Children’s can help you draw one up during Free Wills Month in May.

To get more people to better prepare their estates for when they are gone, Texas Children’s employees and any other Houston-area residents 55 and older can have their wills written or amended free of charge by a participating local attorney. Simply call 888-786-1752 or visit www.freewillsmonth.com during the month of May to schedule an appointment.

Despite your age, it’s never too early to start thinking about the importance of wills and estate planning. Creating a will and an estate plan gives peace of mind to you as well as your family. A will written by an attorney helps ensure that your wishes are respected and that your loved ones avoid difficult decisions and legal complications. Free Wills Month makes it easy for you to provide for your family and friends, and if you wish, nonprofits organizations like Texas Children’s Hospital.

“Not only does Texas Children’s provide compassionate care for children and families, the hospital also takes care of its employees,” said Charlene Barclay, a clinical data specialist for Texas Children’s Hospital Outcomes & Impact Services who included Texas Children’s Hospital in her estate plans in 2011. “I give because I believe in Texas Children’s.”

With an estate plan, you can:

  • Provide support and financial stability for your surviving spouse, children, and grandchildren.
  • Preserve your wealth for later generations.
  • Make sure your wishes are carried out when you can no longer manage your affairs. Along with a will, it’s important to have both a power of attorney and a directive to physicians (living will).
  • Support a favorite charity or cause with a gift of money, securities, or other property.
  • Distribute assets in a timely fashion with a minimum of legal hassle.
  • Minimize taxes and expenses that can go along with transferring assets.
  • Provide enough cash to meet expenses and prevent the forced sale of assets.
  • Avoid problems for your loved ones by ensuring that the beneficiaries named on your life insurance and retirement plans are still the people you want to benefit.
  • Protect your family’s privacy with an estate plan designed to be kept private.
  • Set and meet expectations of your survivors so there is no confusion or misunderstanding.

51816flowerdoorsinside175Texas Children’s first annual May Flowers fundraising drive is currently underway, and employees can be a part of making it a huge success!

Here’s the plan: Members of the Development Department are going to hang spring flowers on the doors of our patients’ rooms to brighten their days. Donors who give to Texas Children’s as part of the campaign can personalize the flowers with their names and locations to show our patients they are thinking of them and to help Texas Children’s continue to provide the very best care to children and families in the Houston area and beyond.

Here are two things that you can do to help:

  • Share on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Let your friends and family know they can join you in bringing some spring fun to our patients.
  • Send a flower by making a donation. Send a flower to one of our patients, and we’ll decorate their door with a personalized flower from you. texaschildrens.org/flowers.

These flowers will do more than bring some spring cheer inside our walls. More importantly, they will help Texas Children’s ensure that children in need of advanced critical, surgical and emergency care can always find it here when they need it the most.

We are well on our way to being able to decorate all our patients’ doors with colorful spring flowers that show them just how much people care. With your help, our hallways will soon be in full bloom!

The last day of the campaign is Friday, May 20. Flowers will be hung in early June and stay up through the end of the month.

To personalize one with your name, give today: texaschildrens.org/flowers.

51816RoulaZoghbiSmith175Roula Zoghbi Smith of Business Planning is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star leader. “I think people that are passionate about delighting those they come in contact with – through quality work, interactions, and customer service – possess a unique attribute that drives them to be true super stars,” Smith said. Read more of Smith’s interview and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Q&A: Roula Zoghbi Smith, April – June 2016 Leader

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Roula Zoghbi Smith, Assistant Director in Business Planning. I have worked at Texas Children’s for six years.

What month are you Super Star for?
April – June 2016

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
My leader, Paola Álvarez-Malo, scheduled a meeting with our Business Planning team. She seemed very serious at first as she instructed the team that she needed their help. She asked them to take down my birthday decorations because she needed them to plaster my office with stars and confetti because I had won the Super Star Leader award. I was in complete shock and disbelief! It was an incredible surprise, and I had the privilege of celebrating this great honor along with my birthday later that day with my team.

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do? How has the organization helped you achieve your personal and professional goals?
It is such an honor to be recognized at Texas Children’s as there are so many hardworking and talented employees within the organization. Texas Children’s has contributed to my ability to achieve my personal and professional goals through leadership development, mentorship from leaders across the organization, and by affording me a variety of opportunities to grow in my career.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
I think people that are passionate about delighting those they come in contact with – through quality work, interactions, and customer service – possess a unique attribute that drives them to be true super stars.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
My motivation for going above and beyond is rooted in the incredible people here at Texas Children’s – both patients and employees. My goal is to ensure that both our patients and employees have stellar experiences within our organization.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
The best thing about working at Texas Children’s is working with one amazing team! I feel privileged to work with the Business Planning team (Aisha, Angie, Brad, Josh, Kathleen, Megan, and Paola) on a day to day basis. They are a complete joy to work with and put a smile on my face every day. Working with them and many others highlights what incredibly bright and committed people exist within our organization.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
I believe that every individual, regardless of role or title, has the opportunity to be a leader through actions and influence. Leadership is doing the right thing for your people, customers, and the organization, even when no one is watching.

Anything else you want to share?
I would like to thank all the wonderful people who have mentored me throughout my career at Texas Children’s as well as all of my team members (past and present) in the Business Planning, Pavilion for Women, and Leadership / Organizational Development teams. I would especially like to thank Chanda Cashen Chacón, Opera Wagner-Ross, Sarah Maytum, Perry Ann Reed, Diane Scardino, Mark Mullarkey, Alec King and most of all Paola Álvarez-Malo.

51816KateMazur175The Clinical Research Center/Research Resources Office has presented the Clinical Research Award for Second Quarter 2016 to Kate Mazur, instructor and pediatric nurse practitioner, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers.

This 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.

Mazur’s research activities in the CRC focus on conducting clinical trials of novel therapies to treat pediatric cancers. She actively participates in the consent process and screening, management of patients enrolled on Phase I and II clinical trials, as well as palliative and supportive care for these patients and their families.

May 10, 2016

51116TCHCoupon640Between now and Saturday, May 28, Texas Children’s employees can get 20 percent off items at the Houston Texans’ official team store, the Go Texan Store, at NRG Stadium. Employees are getting this exciting offer/opportunity since we are the Houston Texans Official Children’s Hospital.

The offer is valid on all in-store items except for sale items, publications, customizations, jerseys and other special items.

Click here or above to print out your coupon, which must be shown at time of purchase.

The Go Texan Store is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Shoppers can park in the Blue Lot 18, which is accessible for free from Gate 9 at the intersection of Kirby and Westridge. Fans can find everything from new Nike jerseys and fresh New Era/47 Brand hats to miscellaneous team memorabilia, women’s apparel and accessories, youth merchandise, tailgating necessities, and much more.

Enjoy and Go Texans!