February 21, 2017

On February 8, the March of Dimes hosted the 2017 March for Babies Citywide Kickoff Celebration at the downtown Hyatt Regency to recognize everyone who contributed to the success of the March for Babies’ fundraising campaign last year with the hopes of adding to this success again this year.

Through the generous support from Texas Children’s employees, team leaders and donors, Texas Children’s was named the 2016 Top Corporate Team in Houston. The hospital raised nearly $180,000 for the March of Dimes based on corporate sponsorship and employee and team fundraising.

Surrounded by more than 300 guests at the Hyatt Regency, the celebratory luncheon featured opening remarks from Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women Senior Vice President and Chair for the 2017 Houston March for Babies Cris Daskevich, who congratulated the Executive Leadership Team, 2016 Top 10 Teams and 2017 sponsors for their continued leadership and commitment to healthy babies.

“Each and every one of you who are serving as ambassadors and fundraisers for the March of Dimes mission are critical to the March of Dimes and the families and babies they serve,” Daskevich said. “The March of Dimes and Texas Children’s share a mission to end premature birth. Together with your support, we can give every baby a fighting chance and make a meaningful difference in their young lives.”

The luncheon also featured guest speakers including Texas Children’s and Houston’s 2017 Ambassador Family, Leanne and Kiran O’Brien, who shared their touching story and the challenges they faced as their twins were being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit at Texas Children’s for four and a half months. O’Brien was also cared for at the Pavilion for Women after experiencing potentially life-threatening complications following the delivery of her babies.

This year will be particularly exciting for Texas Children’s. The organization will serve as the 2017 Signature Sponsor for the March for Babies Walk scheduled for Sunday, April 23, at the University of Houston. This year’s goal is to raise $2.2 million for the March of Dimes!

Teams are already forming at Texas Children’s! If you would like to support the March of Dimes, be sure to register for the March for Babies Walk. Click here for more information on how to register and/or join a Texas Children’s team to help support this worthy cause.

Let’s go Texas Children’s as we gear up for another successful March for Babies Walk and campaign!

Want to be part of the largest USATriathlon sanctioned kids triathlon in the world? Sign up to volunteer for the 2017 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon.

Presented by Texas Children’s Hospital, the event will be Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 at NRG Stadium. Drawing more than 3,000 participants ages 6 to 15, the event aims to help build a generation of healthy, active responsible children.

Volunteers are needed for everything from course set-up and clean-up to registration, expo and race-day assistance. Click here to learn more and to sign up to be a 2017 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon volunteer.

As part of our commitment to our employees’ health and well-being, Texas Children’s is excited to announce the opening of an Employee Medical Clinic at West Campus.

When will clinical services be available?

Beginning March 1, 2017, employees at West Campus, as well as in nearby Texas Children’s Pediatrics practices, can access clinical services on the first and third Wednesday of each month. To provide convenient access, the medical clinic will share office space with the Employee Health Clinic located on the second floor of West Campus. Hours of operations will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While scheduled appointments are preferred, walk-in patients will be worked into the schedule based on availability.

What services can I receive?

Dr. Irene M. Lomeda, from our clinic in the Texas Medical Center, will be the physician on-site. In addition to primary and urgent care services, the following services will also be offered:

  • Annual physicals/well-woman/well-men exams
  • Rapid strep, flu, glucose, urinalysis, and pregnancy testing
  • Chronic disease management for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease
  • Phone consultations (for established patients) for treatment of non-emergency medical issues
  • Vaccinations (meningococcal, papilloma virus, pneumococcal and shingles)
  • Travel medicine (limited)
  • Health Coaching program

Employees enrolled in Texas Children’s medical insurance plans will have a $10 co-pay per visit. Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us; your information will be secure via confidential electronic medical records, which is hosted externally.

To learn more about the services offered at the new Employee Medical Clinic at West Campus, please click here.

January 31, 2017

12517hearthealthy640There are several numbers we all know by heart: our phone numbers, dates of birth, debit and credit card PINs, and social security numbers. But do you know the most critical numbers for your heart health? That knowledge could save your life.

The Employee Medical Clinic will help you learn that information if you don’t already know if by offering heart education and blood pressure checks at no cost to employees. We encourage you to come and learn the most critical numbers in your life.

Date: Friday, February 3
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Main Campus location: Pavilion for Women, Fresh Bistro (entrance)
West Campus location: DOTS Kitchen (corridor)

In celebration of Go Red for Women, employees are encouraged to wear red on this day to raise awareness for heart disease.

Complimentary Heart Healthy Sweet
Texas Children’s is partnering with Morrison Chefs to offer heart healthy meal options in celebration of Go Red for Women. With the purchase of a heart healthy meal you will receive a complimentary heart healthy sweet* during lunchtime at the Pavilion for Women Fresh Bistro and West Campus DOTS Kitchen.

Healthy Heart Program
Year-round, the Employee Medical Clinic offers a Healthy Heart Program at no cost for employees. The program features three individual sessions with a registered dietitian who will work with you to improve your blood pressure and/or cholesterol through healthy lifestyle modifications including nutrition, physical activity, stress management and blood pressure monitoring. Click here to learn more.

For more information about the Healthy Heart Program or to make an appointment, please call ext. 4-2424.
*Free heart healthy sweet with purchase, while supplies last, to Texas Children’s badge holders wearing red.

January 24, 2017

12517retirement640As we welcome 2017, take this opportunity to include retirement planning among your New Year’s resolutions.

To help you in your retirement planning process, Human Resources is excited to announce three new educational tools on our benefits website to help you achieve your New Year’s resolution to plan for the right retirement.

Our new interactive retirement modules streamline the retirement planning process into three different career/life stages with tips and tools best suited for your needs. Valuable information on Texas Children’s retirement benefits, including the 403(b) Savings Plan and a Pension Plan, are available in addition to various resources that aid in retirement planning and saving.

Take advantage of tools such as:

  • Retirement calculator for projected cost of living
  • Money management tips
  • Overview of various financial considerations during different life stages

As you commit to your New Year’s resolutions, make the commitment to plan the right retirement strategy today!

Throughout the year, we will continue to announce additional retirement resources such as Fidelity one-on-one consultations and workshops, so stay tuned!

Did you know?
In 2016, Texas Children’s contributed $18.6 million to match your 403(b) Savings Plan investments and $22 million for approximately 9,000 participants in our Pension Plan. Also, Texas Children’s matches 50 percent on the first 6 percent of your pre-tax contributions per pay period. To learn more about your retirement benefits, click here.

12517MLKholiday640In an email announcement Monday morning, Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark Wallace shared exciting news: beginning in 2018, Texas Children’s will observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an organizational holiday.

This holiday is a new holiday and will be added to all of the holidays employees currently enjoy as a benefit of working at Texas Children’s – employees will not lose My Day or any other holiday. Here is Mr. Wallace’s announcement in its entirety:

Dear Texas Children’s Family,

I am very pleased to share something with you that I have been considering for quite some time now. Beginning in 2018, Texas Children’s will observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an organizational holiday.

I often think about the beliefs and work of Dr. King and how closely aligned they are with the mission of Texas Children’s. Our organization is one that, since its inception nearly 63 years ago, has prided itself in the rich diversity of our culture and the families we serve. We, like Dr. King, embrace inclusiveness and greatly appreciate working in an organization that values all ideas and aspirations, working together for the greater good. Simply put, this is right for our organization. In addition, this makes sense for us operationally, as our partners at Baylor College of Medicine observe the MLK Day holiday.

While you likely understand the sentiment, you might naturally wonder, “Why now?” I want you to understand that while the announcement is occurring today, this has long been on my heart and mind. In fact, we were considering adding MLK Day as an organizational holiday many years ago. However, we also had to consider whether we would subsequently add other observations. Ultimately, we determined that providing employees with the My Day PTO day would allow all to observe MLK Day or, alternately, another special day that may be personally important to them. I sincerely believe that was a good thing for our employees, but I admit to you that I think so many years have passed that the impetus for My Day has been lost.

I also admit to you that the nation’s racial climate in recent years stirs me. America has always been considered a melting pot, but we are now growing increasingly more diverse at a much more rapid pace than most people have ever experienced. We, as a nation, are learning how to redefine our country, but not without growing pains. Yet, in the midst of this, I see how we at Texas Children’s use our differences to make us better. The brilliant tapestry of our cultures, religions, races and genders is woven perfectly with our collective talents, gifts and aspirations. This is beautiful, and it is worth celebrating on the day that salutes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I hope you will join me in my excitement and look forward to enjoying this special day of reflection for years to come.

Regards,

Mark

12517running640Texas Children’s helped push 51 runners across the finish line of the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon January 15 in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center. As part of the Texas Children’s Running Team, the runners signed up for the 26.2 mile or 13.1 mile race not only to hit the pavement but to raise money for a good cause – Texas Children’s.

The team – comprised of Texas Children’s employees, patient family members and others who have been touched by the organization – has raised almost $30,000 for Promise: The Campaign for Texas Children’s Hospital. Members have until mid-February to continue fundraising. If you would like to give to those who went the extra mile, click here.