July 6, 2016

7616HeatherShady175Heather Shady of Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star employee. “The patients and family members have a difficult time being out of their daily routine, and I find it very rewarding to bring out the best in a difficult situation,” Shady said. Read more of Shady’s interview and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Heather Shady. I am a Patient Care Assistant, chairman of skin champions in Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and a safety coach. I have worked at Texas Children’s Hospital for three and a half years.

What month are you Super Star for?
June 2016

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
I was asked to come to a meeting for the skin champions and was told they needed my input on a few things. However, when I arrived they yelled surprise! I was given a party showing their appreciation. It was very nice and thoughtful.

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?
Receiving this award has been the highlight of this year for me. It is amazing to win such an award. I really do go above and beyond to help patients, family and coworkers. This organization has provided me with support and boosted my confidence. Specific mentors at Texas Children’s have guided me with my goal to achieve my BSN.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
A super star at Texas Children’s is a committed, kind hearted, compassionate person who truly loves what they do. We are all superstars.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
The exceptional coworkers I work with every day. Everyone is always so helpful and happy. It really makes a difference in how the day goes. The patients and family members have a difficult time being out of their daily routine, and I find it very rewarding to bring out the best in a difficult situation. Watching my patients with a congenital heart defect (CHD) grow up and achieve their goals motivates me to achieve my goals.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Everyone’s positive attitude and willingness to help others. Texas Children’s motivates you to always be better.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
Everyone is considered a leader because he or she takes ownership in the role they have. My definition of a leader is someone who wants to excel in what they do, stands up to do what’s right, and doesn’t give up.

Anything else you want to share?
Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look harder.

7616CedricAugust175Cedric August of the Food Court is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star employee. “My definition for being a leader is to be a good role model to people that are looking up to me,” August said. Read more of his interview below and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Your name, title and department.
Cedric August, Food Court Specialist, Food Court

What month are you Super Star for?
July 2016

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
I was told during our line meeting.

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 means I am doing a great job. The organization has helped me be motivated a lot to be a better person.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
They show they are a hard worker.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
The people I am working with and also my family.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Seeing the wonderful kids and the people I work with.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
My definition for being a leader is to be a good role model to people that are looking up to me. Everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader by working hard and helping everybody else.

Anything else you want to share?
I am grateful to work hard at Texas Children’s.

7616dradamsday640The City of Houston has proclaimed Thursday, June 30, 2016, as James Mervyn Adams Day!

Dr. James Adams was presented with a proclamation from the City of Houston designating Thursday, June 30, 2016 as James Mervyn Adams Day at an event honoring his legacy and retirement on June 29 in the Feigin Center lobby.

The proclamation reads, in part, “A cofounder of Texas Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Dr. James Adams became the leader and medical director of one of the largest NICUs in the United States, growing a humble four bed-unit to a 178-bed Newborn Center over 30 years.

In 1978, with vision and determination, Dr. Adams established the first Texas Children’s Hospital Neonatal Transport Service, eventually becoming known as the Kangaroo Crew Neonatal Transport Service.

Dr. Adams was the first physician to design, develop and implement a new Texas Children’s Hospital Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program and a Pediatric Respiratory Care Program, bringing neonatal nurse practitioners and respiratory therapists to the forefront of newborn care in the Texas Children’s Hospital NICU.

Few people in one’s lifetime can actually bend the course of medical history. Professor James M. Adams has undoubtedly bent the history of Neonatology at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and across the nation.

After more than 46 years of dedication to saving the lives of newborns and improving their birth outcomes, Dr. Adams has chosen to begin a well-earned retirement on June 30. In recognition and appreciation of his dedication and loyal service, the City of Houston congratulates and commends, Dr. James Mervyn Adams on this milestone occasion and extends best wishes for a long and happy retirement.”

Dr. Adams will be missed but his legacy and dedication to providing only the best care for our patients will never leave us.

7616drlotze175Dr. Timothy Lotze recently received the 2016 Program Director Recognition Award from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The award acknowledges excellence on behalf of neurology program directors whose leadership, creativity and innovation are crucial in ensuring the future of neurology.

“This is a huge accomplishment for a pediatric neurologist as our physicians are competing with adult neurology program directors as well,” said Texas Children’s Chief of Neurology Dr. Gary Clark, who nominated Lotze for this distinguished award.

As director of the Pediatric Neurology Residency Training Program at Baylor College of Medicine since 2005, Lotze’s contributions to resident education include expanding the child neurology residency to five approved slots per year and enhancing trainee exposure to clinical research and subspecialties, such as genetics, to help residents understand the roles of modern genetic testing in the discovery and diagnosis of neurological diseases.

In addition, Lotze has developed educational programs that are very forward thinking. For instance, as child neurology training requires education in adult neurology, Lotze established integrated rotations that combine adult and pediatric neurology training in specific areas. These include clinics in neuromuscular disease, movement disorders and multiple sclerosis. Through this type of training, residents better understand the full spectrum of such conditions through the lifespan to include how children transition from a pediatric to an adult care environment with various chronic conditions.

“When I tapped Dr. Lotze to lead our program, I recognized rare qualities in him that would make him invaluable as a program director,” Clark said. “His innovative approach to resident education, his adoption of technology, and his development of educational assessment tools combined with his warm, supportive personality is why I believe he is the best program director in child neurology in the United States.”

In recognition for his teaching and leadership in academic medicine, Lotze has also received two Fulbright and Jaworski LLP Faculty Excellence Awards from Baylor. His tireless dedication to training the next generation of pediatric neurologists has won the appreciation and support from his former trainees.

“Dr. Lotze’s professionalism, dependence on evidence-based medicine and patient compassion and advocacy strongly influenced me during my training,” Dr. Amber Stocco said. “He taught me how to care for a complex patient with an organized, systematic approach while not losing sight of the family and the child.”

Lotze was one of two recipients of the 2016 Program Director Recognition Award. Congratulations to Lotze for this much deserved award.

7616jrcheer640Children ages 7-11 who love to dance and cheer are invited to participate in the Houston Texans Jr. Cheer Program.

This Texas Children’s Hospital-sponsored event will give participants the opportunity to practice and perform with the Houston Texan cheerleaders in August. Click here to register for and to get more details about the event.

Texas Children’s teamed up with the Houston Texans last year to inspire children to lead healthier, more active lives through camps, programs and events all year long. We are working alongside the Texans through community engagement and education programs to give Houston-area kids the tools necessary to make healthy choices throughout their lives.

The Houston Texans Jr. Cheer Program is just one of many of the exciting events we’ll take part in throughout the year. Click here to learn about some of the other ones.

June 29, 2016

7616DrElizabethCollins175Dr. Elizabeth Collins, associate professor of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine; and Texas Children’s Health Center for International Adoption received the Alumni of the Year Award from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

The award was presented at the commencement ceremony in May in Springfield, Illinois for Distinguished Service and “for an outstanding commitment to the health & welfare of their patients and their community and for humanitarian activities.”

June 28, 2016

62916HEI640Texas Children’s was recently recognized as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization.

Every year, the HRC conducts a unique survey called the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), which benchmarks and encourages equal care for LGBT individuals by evaluating inclusive policies and practices related to LGBT patients, visitors and employees in healthcare organizations throughout the nation.

For the HEI 2016 report, more than 2,000 health care facilities nationwide were included in the survey – a record 568 health care organizations voluntarily participated while the rest were proactively researched by HEI. Texas Children’s is one of only three hospitals – and the only pediatric facility – in Houston to achieve the “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” award.

In order to receive this leadership distinction, Texas Children’s fulfilled the HEI’s Core Four Leader Criteria, which focused on policies and practices considered foundational for equitable and inclusive LGBT care such as patient and employee non-discrimination, equal visitation and training of key staff members.

“We are very proud of this designation. Our philosophy of family-centered care is contingent on providing a safe and respectful environment for our patients and their families as well as our caregivers to foster open communication and teamwork.” said David Wykes, director of Employee Relations. “As a leader in pediatric health care, we must lead by example, and this designation further exemplifies Texas Children’s dedication to our mission of providing quality health care to our patients and families regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation and ability to pay.”

Click here to learn more about the HEI.