June 2, 2015

EAP - HERO

EAP---INFO4---300One of the hardest times in Wanda Davis’ life came more than a decade ago when she learned her mother had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

From that moment until her mother’s death 10 years later, Davis, a human resources manager at West Campus, became her mother’s primary care giver. During that time, Davis took her mother to hundreds of doctor appointments, she spent hours coordinating her mother’s medical care, and she tried to come to terms with the fact that her mother, who was suffering from kidney disease, could pass at any time.

All of this took a toll on Davis, who said she began to lose focus at work and struggled to get things done.

“I felt like I was spinning,” she said. “I wasn’t myself.”

Davis’ leader at the time noticed she was going through a tough time and suggested she reach out to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers confidential, professional services to assist employees in solving personal difficulties affecting their personal lives and work.

Davis took her leader’s advice and started weekly counseling sessions that ended up helping her more than she could have ever imagined. After her mother passed in 2009, Davis completed a grief support program offered by EAP.

“I don’t know where I would be today without EAP,” Davis said. “I learned so much from them and still use the techniques they taught me.”

Davis is one of many Texas Children’s employees EAP helps each year. A recent impact study measuring the department’s outcomes shows EAP has a significant impact on workplace performance. Based on four years of self-reported data collected from employees who have used EAP counseling services, the study found:

  • Absenteeism is down by 53 percent
  • Presenteeism is up by 25 percent
  • Life satisfaction is up by 19 percent
  • Work distress is down by 5 percent

“It is clear from the data that the EAP continually provides services that have a positive impact on worker productivity,” said EAP Program Manager Brent LoCaste-Wilken. “Of particular note is the significant influence on absenteeism.”

The 53 percent improvement is 7 percent higher than 20 other EAP providers in medium to large companies. In addition, it translates into an annual savings of more than 18,000 hours and almost $616,000.

Work presenteeism measures whether an employee is working at his or her optimum. Recent research indicates that losses due to poor presenteeism rival that of medical claims. The impact study shows that the EAP improved people’s concentration and productivity by 25 percent.

Life satisfaction is a general measurement of an employee’s general sense of wellbeing. EAP participants reported that they were significantly more satisfied with their life after coming to the EAP than prior to receiving EAP services. This measurement helps to enhance employee appreciation for Texas Children’s and is speculated to positively affect employee longevity and loyalty.

Work distress measures an employee’s feelings of distress about being at work. Although the impact study did not show a huge change, it does indicate that the EAP is making somewhat of an impact in this area.

“We are very pleased with the results of the study,” LoCaste-Wilken said. “We feel it shows our services are valued by our employees and are valuable to the organization as a whole.”

On average, EAP staff spends almost two hours with almost 1,000 clients each year. The EAP helps with problems such as:

  • Family/relationship issues
  • Workplace concerns
  • Alcohol and drug problems
  • Personal and emotional difficulties
  • Health and behavioral issues
  • Critical incident stress
  • Legal and financial referrals

Let the EAP help you carry out Texas Children’s values of embracing freedom, living compassionately, amplifying unity and leading tirelessly. Contact the EAP via Connect or call (832) 824-3327 for more information.

May 27, 2015

52815rememberme640

Texas Children’s Newborn Center hosted its seventh annual Remember Me Always ceremony on May 16. The ceremony was generously sponsored by the Sinisi and Senn families in honor of their daughter, McKenzie.

Developed in partnership with families and staff, the Remember Me Always ceremony brought comfort to Texas Children’s families who suffered the loss of a beloved baby, and the physicians, nurses and staff who cared for them.

Special highlights of the ceremony included welcome remarks from Patricia Bondurant and Vincent and Erin Sinisi; keynote speakers Dr. Stephen Welty and Amanda Harris; soothing music from harpist, Heather Woitena; a beautiful memorial video presentation and the dedication of a memory tree in honor of babies who touched so many lives.

Families placed hearts in honor of their children on the memory tree. Prayers and notes written on biodegradable note cards were planted with the tree. The Remember Me Always memory tree, located outside the Feigin Center near West Tower, will serve as a permanent reminder of all the babies from the Texas Children’s Newborn Center family who left this world too soon.

May 19, 2015

52015mataaustin640

The Texas Children’s surgical team that facilitated the separation surgery of the conjoined Mata twins was honored at the Texas Capitol in Austin. Dr. Darrell Cass, Dr. Larry Hollier and Head OR Nurse, Audra Rushing, were all recognized on the floor of the State House and the State Senate for their outstanding leadership in preparing for, and successfully executing, the historic separation surgery that occurred for the first time in the Houston area in nearly 20 years. They were also joined by Elysse Mata, the mother of the twins, and members of her family. Houston area State Representative Armando Walle introduced the resolution in the House and recognized the team and family on the House floor while Houston area State Senator Joan Huffman introduced the resolution in the Senate where they were lauded with applause from the Senate gallery.

Click here to see the video of the house presentation of the resolution. (Texas Children’s honored at 26:30)

The Texas Children’s Government Relations team utilized this opportunity to highlight the excellent care provided at Texas Children’s Hospital and the need for increased state funding for children’s hospitals. After the ceremonies, the team met with key State legislators who will be instrumental in crafting the State’s budget for the next two years including State Representative Four Price, State Representative Sarah Davis, State Senator Charles Schwertner, and State Senator Paul Bettencourt.

A link to the House resolution can be found here and a link to the Senate Resolution can be found here.

52015SurgicalResearchDay640

Almost 300 clinicians in the Department of Surgery attended the sixth annual Edmond T. Gonzales Jr., Surgical Research Day at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women on May 8. The event provided a forum for researchers to unveil their work highlighting remarkable advancements in the field of pediatric surgery.

“I look forward to this day every year,” said Dr. Charles D. Fraser, Jr., surgeon-in-chief at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Our surgeons, residents and students are conducting innovative work that should contribute to better understanding of health issues that our patients experience. Their research is central to our core values as academic surgeons at Texas Children’s Hospital.”

The program featured seven oral presentations and 96 poster presentations spotlighting the academic efforts of the surgical faculty, post graduate fellows, nurses and advanced practice providers. In addition, lectures were given on surgical issues and awards were presented to honor faculty and research presentations.

This year’s awards and their recipients are:

  • The Samuel Stal Research Award for outstanding research by a resident or fellow in the Department of Surgery was presented to Dr. Yan Shi. The award is named after Dr. Samuel Stal, former chief of plastic surgery at Texas Children’s. Dr. Shi was recognized for his research in liver carcinoma.
  • Dr. Larry Hollier, chief of Plastic Surgery, was honored with the Faculty Research Mentor Award. The award is given on an annual basis to honor a Department of Surgery faculty member who currently serves as a research through career development, professional guidance or cultivation of research interests.
  • Dr. Paulette Abbas, research fellow in Pediatric Surgery, received the Best Poster award for, “Persistent Hypercarbia after Resuscitation Is Associated with Increased Mortality in Congenital Diaphragm Hernia Patients.”
  • Dr. Adesola C. Akinkuotu, research fellow in Pediatric Surgery, received the Best Oral Presentation award for her research, “Risk Stratification of Severity for Infants with CDH: Prenatal vs. Postnatal Predictors of Outcome.”

This year’s speakers were:

  • This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Tom Jaksic, the W. Hardy Hendren Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He is also Vice Chairman of Pediatric General Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and Surgical Director, Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation. He presented research on the metabolism of critically ill neonates and the management of children with intestinal failure.
  • Dr. Laurence McCullough, Dalton Tomlin chair in Medical Ethics and Health Policy, associate director for Education, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine, presented a lecture on the professional responsibility of surgical innovation, research and treatment.

The Surgical Research Day Planning Committee included Dr. Jed Nuchtern (chair), Melinda Mathis (co-chair), Dr. Jennifer Dietrich, Dr. Chester Koh, Dr. Sandi Lam, Dr. Carlos Mery, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, Kathy Carberry, Matthew Girotto, Veronica Victorian, Shon Bower and Laura Higgins.

View more pictures of the Edmond T. Gonzales Surgical Research Day:

52015Kangarooskintoskin175

May 15 was International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day. At Texas Children’s Newborn Center, our physicians and neonatal nurses are strong believers in the benefits of kangaroo care, which promotes parental bonding with a new baby from the earliest moments of life.

Kangaroo Care is a method of holding babies skin to skin with a parent. The infant wears a diaper and is placed on the parent’s bare chest and covered with a blanket for warmth, much in the same way a kangaroo cares for its baby in the pouch.

The benefits for the infant include improved feeding, temperature stability, stabilized heart rate and respiratory status, improved oxygenation and decreased length of hospitalization. Skin-to-skin contact also improves the bonding between parents and baby, and stimulates breast milk production for new mothers.

Texas Children’s neonatal nurse practitioner and mom Jennifer Gallegos shares her and her husband’s unforgettable bonding experience with their son, Bennett, moments after his birth.

“Kangaroo Care has always been a passion of mine as a bedside nurse and as a nurse practitioner. It took on new meaning when our second child, Bennett, was born at 34 weeks. The time spent with Bennett in skin to skin was memorable, and is treasured by both my husband and I to this day.

The first time my husband, Greg, held Bennett, our son was still on CPAP. For me, it was no big deal, but Greg was terrified of all the “wires and machines.” A little encouragement from Bennett’s nurse persuaded him to try it. The photo to the right is their first of several sessions. Greg became a believer, and he would use their special time to give Bennett “pep talks” on breathing so he could come off the CPAP. While I enjoyed holding Bennett skin to skin, it was just as special watching a father bond with his baby in this way as well.”

To learn more about the benefits of Kangaroo Care at Texas Children’s Newborn Center, click here.

May 12, 2015

51315nursesweek640

It’s hard to contain the celebration of nursing at a place like Texas Children’s to just one week. Every day there is a story of a nurse who’s going above and beyond to impact patient care, experience and outcomes. A nurse who is holding the hands of a parent who’s received tough news about their child. A nurse who’s by the bedside of a patient whose own family can’t be there during treatments. A nurse who leaves behind his own family on holidays and weekends to be with families in the hospital. A nurse who calms the fears of a mom-to-be as she prepares to give birth to her first child. Nurses leave a lasting impression on every patient and they’re at the core of the experience patients have while in our care.
Each year, as the nation celebrates nurses across the country, Texas Children’s takes a moment to join in and praise the hard work being done across our own community by the Texas Children’s family nurses.

This year’s Nurses Week celebrations included town halls held by Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Lori Armstrong, poster presentations, cookie deliveries, blessing of the hands, a webinar, an education fair, a Fiesta Bar Friday and massages.

Nurses highlighted this week for their dedication to nursing include Nursing Excellence Award winners and Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses honorees. The nine Nursing Excellence Award Recipients included:
Staff Nurse of the year: Natalie McBain
Preceptor of the year: Lauren Mayer
Rookie of the year: Megan Riordan
Certified nurse of the year: Shannon Frost
Leader of the year: Tarra Kerr
Teams of the Year: Texas Children’s Health Plan – Nurse Family Partnership Program and Texas Children’s System Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer Skin Champions
APRN of the year: Jessica Geer
Friend of Nursing: Hasti Taghi

Click here to view the photo gallery of the luncheon

Perhaps the most special moment of the Nursing Excellence award luncheon came as a surprise for Armstrong. The nursing leadership team presented the chief nursing office with a plaque recognizing a new award named in Armstrong’s honor. The Lori Armstrong Patient Experience Award will be given to one worthy nurse annually beginning next year as an acknowledgment of Armstrong’s own dedication to patient experience.

The Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses included Vicki Wiest from the Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics and Donna Daigle Tinsley from Texas Children’s Cancer Center who were both among the top 10 award recipients.

Click here for more on the Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses honorees

In addition to the two nurses honored in the top 10, 20 other Texas Children’s nurses were recognized as being among the top 150 in the Greater Houston area.

Heidi Aghajani
Denise Allen
Toronda Baker
Emily Garrie
Chelci Gray
Melody Hellsten
Joy Hesselgrave
Amy Jeppesen
Patsy Jones
Michael Jordan
Melanie Knapp
Erica McMillian
Joellan Mullen
Jada Randall
Melissa Silvera
Tammy Stanford
Katharine Tittle
Amy Turner
Elizabeth Wuestner
Nicole Zola

51315weightwatchers640

Texas Children’s is excited to announce a new partnership with Weight Watchers allowing all Texas Children’s employees to receive 50 percent off all Weight Watchers services.

Weight Watchers programming helps individuals lose weight in a healthy holistic way. This is accomplished by developing healthy routines, creating social support, learning to eat smarter and finding physical activities you enjoy.

51315weightwatcherschart900Texas Children’s is proud to partner with Weight Watchers because both organizations believe that every person has the power to succeed and want to help motivate you every step of the way.

Weight Watchers participants will have access to information, knowledge, tools and support to help them make decisions about nutrition and exercise that are right for them. The program encourages participants to enjoy their relationship with food and their bodies while accomplishing their health and image goals.

According to Weight Watchers, “Weight management is a partnership between our knowledge and your effort, and trust us; your efforts will pay off!”

Partnership Perks

  • 50 percent off monthly at work and community meetings pass
  • 50 percent off monthly online pass
  • Ability to attend unlimited community meetings
  • Hold At Work group meetings at any campus location with 15 or more employee participants
  • Optional weekly confidential weigh-ins to help you stay accountable
  • eTools to track points and activity, browse recipes, and receive social support
  • 24/7 online chat support

Texas Children’s is committed to supporting your health and well-being by creating opportunities for you to thrive in the workplace, at home and in the community. We appreciate your hard work and hope you take advantage of this incredible offering.

For more information about the Weight Watchers program or to enroll, visit the Wellness website on Connect.