On Wednesday, April 22, Peggy and Carl Sewell and Mary and David Wolff hosted guests at Sewell Cadillac to learn more about Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.
Nearly 50 attendees heard from the hosts as well as Chanda Cashen Chacón, president of Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, and Dr. Jeanine Graf, chief medical officer of Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, regarding the hospital’s expansion plans. Included in the expansion projects is an 8-bed special isolation unit, specifically designed for children with highly contagious infectious diseases, such as pandemic influenza, enterovirus D68, Ebola, and many others.
During his remarks, David Wolff announced a generous $100,000 gift to Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. The hospital, Houston’s first community hospital designed exclusively for children, was created to respond to the growing need for expert pediatric health care in West Houston, one of the city’s most rapidly expanding communities. Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus offers expert care in a location that is convenient and accessible for area families.
May 5, 2015
This Friday, May 8 is Houston’s Bike to Work Day and Employee Health and Wellness encourages you to try this healthy, fun and economical way to get to work.
Bike Houston will be leading group rides from various neighborhoods into the Texas Medical Center. The rides will have a ride leader who will show you how to safely commute into work. All rides arrive to The Texas Medical Center by 8 a.m. Start times depend on location. A support station with food, drinks, and prizes will be at the south side of Cambridge Street.
Click here to R.S.V.P. for the group ride or for more information about Bike to Work Day and Bike Houston. Can’t make a group ride? No problem, just grab your helmet and ride in at a time that works best for you!
Bicycle Commuter Tips
You and Your Bike
Ride on roads with speed limits less than or equal to 35 mph.
Use a bike map and google maps with the bicycle layer turned on.
Always check your bike, brakes, tires, and lights ahead of rides.
Always wear a helmet and wear bright, tight fitting clothing if possible.
Ride with a friend or group if you can. Bike to Work days provide an excellent opportunity to find a group to ride in with. See BikeHouston’s event calendar to find details for May 2015.
Traffic and Bicycle Laws
Bikes are vehicles and laws that apply to motorists also apply to people on bikes.
Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings.
Look and signal before you change lanes or turn.
Riding on the sidewalk is illegal in business districts. If you prefer to travel by sidewalk rather than by road, you can always get off your bike and walk beside it.
Get out there and try it! Bike commuting can be fun!
Texas Children’s staff can park their bikes at the following bike rack locations:
Clinical Care Center near valet parking
Pavilion for Women near valet parking (staff restroom/shower available on the first floor, just inside the building from the bike racks)
Feigin Center near circle driveway
West Tower under breezeway
West Campus near the loading docks
All Texas Medical Center parking garages
Check your work location for bike racks
April 28, 2015
Did you know your phone charger plugged into an outlet uses energy even if it’s not in use? In fact, any electronics that are kept plugged in use energy even when they’re not turned on. Did you know that just turning off just your computer monitor could conserve energy? Did you know that Texas Children’s Green Team has helped save the organization $10.3 million in energy costs since 2008 by promoting an environmentally friendly workplace?
Earth Day was a day to celebrate all that the team has done to initiate a change and direct a move toward a decreased environmental footprint. It was also a time to get you, the employees, involved in the efforts to go green. On April 22, employees joined the Earth Day celebrations by learning about energy conservation from vendors at bridge events, taking “green” selfies at the Main and West Camps “selfie stations” and attending the tree plantings on each campus.
View the Texas Children’s Earth Day photo gallery below.
Here are some tips to go green at work: Drink green: You don’t need to join the green juice movement, but remember to bring your reusable cups and mugs to the office so you can refill your water or coffee without refilling the trash cans. Make a memo pad: Reuse unwanted paper by making up memo pads. Just a couple of staples and you’ve got a handy pad for phone messages, notes or lists. Join the team: Join Texas Children’s Green Team by emailing your name and your department so you can get involved when help is needed in your area. Just email: Teamgreen@texaschildrens.org
Texas Children’s Earth Day photo gallery:
Three years ago, Jamie Platt gave birth to what she and her husband thought was a healthy baby boy. Six days later, surgeons at Texas Children’s Hospital were operating on her son’s heart.
Since then, Texas Children’s has become the family’s second home. Logan is doing well but needs extensive therapy and medical care to manage his heart problem and other health conditions.
For the most part, the Platts have had a phenomenal experience here. Their doctors, nurses and medical staff have provided excellent medical care. However, there have been times when Jamie and her husband, Jeremy, wish they had been treated with more compassion.
“When that bedside manner isn’t there, it makes the whole experience different,” Jamie said.
Patient and family experience is more than the medical care we provide. It has to do with how we treat our patients and their families from the moment they call to schedule an appointment with us to the point they leave our care.
During that time, did we help them navigate our halls? Did we look them in the eye when we spoke to them? Did we greet them with a smile?
Chief of Pediatric Hospital Medicine Dr. Roger Nicome said everyone knows we provide the best possible medical care at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“What we want is for people to feel their care was given in a compassionate manner that not only focuses on curing their illness, but also improving their well-being,” Nicome said. To accomplish that goal, Nicome, who is very involved with patient experience initiatives at Texas Children’s, said he treats his patients like they were members of his family.
“If I do that, I know I will go the extra mile,” he said.
For the past six months, employees across the organization have unified forces to focus on improving the patient experience at Texas Children’s. Four core teams – Ambulatory Surgery, Inpatient, Medical Practice and Outpatient – are leading the effort and working on more than a dozen projects that will enhance patient experience. Employees can learn about those projects and how they can help at two upcoming patient experience events:
Patient Experience Bridge Event, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, The Auxiliary Bridge, Main Campus
Patient Experience Event, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, West Campus
On a daily basis, employees can:
Introduce yourself and extend a greeting
Commit to sit during patient/family interactions
Make eye contact when appropriate
Avoid use of personal electronic devices in common areas and find a family to assist
Knock before entering an exam room
Acknowledge visitors at 15 feet by making eye contact, smiling, nodding, etc. and greet them at 10 feet
“It is essential that all of us consistently demonstrate the Texas Children’s value of living compassionately and put the patient at the center of everything we do,” said Elisa Mozley, assistant director of Patient and Family Services. “If we accomplish that,” she said, “everything else that shapes a positive patient experience should follow.”
April 21, 2015
A grey sky and clouds didn’t stop Texas Children’s employees and Houston-area residents from making the 3rd annual Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Marathon Foundation Family Fun Run at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus a huge success.
On April 11, 3,500 people of all abilities, including those needing walkers and wheelchairs, participated in the non-competitive 1K and 3K courses. Following the race, participants enjoyed the Family Fun Zone, presented by H-E-B, which featured more than 40 attractions including food, refreshments, activities and games.
Get a first-hand look at the fun by flipping through a photo gallery of the event below.
Race day photos from Spring Action Photos are available for order by clicking here. You can search by your bib number or last name to find your photos (if any exist). There are also hundreds of unidentified photos to sort through in the Lost & Found section. You can also browse the entire event, if desired.
Take a look at our Facebook photo album from Saturday by clicking here.
Gallery:
Green is the new black and Texas Children’s is taking note. As the nation celebrates Earth Day, Texas Children’s Green Team is doing its part to decrease the environmental footprint of the organization.
Texas Children’s Green Team, a team of environmentally-minded leaders, employees and staff, has embarked on an effort to help Texas Children’s go green.
The Green Team has been pivotal in helping the organization go green by taking on cost and energy saving initiatives:
Installed LED lamps in all of the Pavilion elevators
Reduced campus energy use intensity by 23 percent through the implementation of many Energy Conservation Measures
Replaced 5,500 50-watt spot lamps with 7-watt LED lamps. Each LED energy use is 43 watts lower than the standard lamp.
Reduced chilled water consumption, used for air conditioning, usage by 20 percent, which gives us better temperature control
Reduced steam consumption, used for heating, by 25 percent and lowered the heating water temperatures from 180 degree Fahrenheit to 130 degree Fahrenheit greatly reducing the steam consumption.
Use daylight harvesting to reduce bridge lighting requirements. When there is enough light from outside the bridge lights are turned off
Automatically turn off lighting and HVAC for unoccupied spaces using the building automation system to schedule the on and off times
Installed automatic lighting controls in all environmental services closets
Renegotiated our electricity contract to reduce cost by $670,000 annually
Over all, Texas Children’s Hospital has saved $10.3 million in energy cost since 2008.
Here are some tips for you to join the Texas Children’s green initiative yourself:
Power off – If you have a Texas Children’s computer, be sure to power off at the end of the day to conserve energy. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 75 percent of the computer’s energy use comes from the monitor. Just turning off your monitor any time you won’t be at your computer for an extended period of time can save.
Think before you print – Not everything needs to be printed. Consider organizing your files on your computer and cut back on filing papers when appropriate. Use the back of old print outs for note taking to save paper.
Eat green – Bringing lunch to work in reusable containers is likely the greenest (and healthiest) way to eat at work. Getting delivery and takeout almost inevitably ends with a miniature mountain of packaging waste. But if you do order delivery, join coworkers in placing a large order (more efficient than many separate ones). Also, bring in a reusable plate, utensils, and napkins.
Minimize trash – Consider using reusable cups and mugs throughout the day as you’re filling up on water and coffee instead of plastic bottles or disposable cups.
Ride green – Coming soon, you’ll be seeing green as Texas Children’s debuts its new propane-fueled shuttle buses, which significantly lower emissions.
Texas Children’s values your total well-being. As a result, the Wellness Department offers various onsite wellness services, programs and discounted community offerings. To better inform you about such opportunities, Texas Children’s is launching a Wellness Ambassador Program comprised of employee volunteers who will serve as an extension of the Wellness Department. The responsibilities of a wellness ambassador include:
Completing one hour of service work a month for a year. Service work includes forwarding emails, making announcements in your staff meeting, and serving as a point of contact for questions related to onsite wellness offerings from your department.
Promoting onsite wellness offerings to your coworkers.
Receiving annual training and the opportunity to develop personal and professional skills.
Having access to wellness perks and invitations to community wellness events.
Being the first to know about upcoming events, programs and challenges through monthly newsletters.
Below you will hear from long-time wellness program supporter, Linda Younger from Medical Staff Services. She will tell you about her personal wellness journey, why she makes it her mission to share wellness information with her co-workers and why you should too.
If you have questions about the Wellness Ambassador, please contact Wellness Coordinator Jenna Sneed. If you are ready to enroll in the program, please click here to fill out the 2015 Wellness Ambassador Enrollment questionnaire. You also can nominate someone, by clicking here. Enrollment and nomination period closes Friday, June 5.
Thank you for helping your coworkers thrive and enjoy Linda Younger’s story!
Q: Why are you passionate about wellness? A:I am a breast cancer survivor since June 30, 2006. That was the first thing that made me very aware of my mortality. I am also 66 years old now. The older I get the more funerals I attend. I am a very involved person both in and outside of work. I even play in a rock band “Mydolls!” I had a granddaughter on August 3, 2013. That definitely sealed the deal. I’m in it for the long haul now. It’s hard to stay in shape, but I am determined to do my best to keep living the kind of active life I desire.
Q: Tell us a bit more about your personal wellness journey. A:I came from Louisiana where eating and drinking with family and friends is the culture. It wasn’t uncommon to plan dinner while eating lunch! Being “healthy” was something that wasn’t on my radar screen. Through the programs offered at Texas Children’s and community support, I realized that wellness is my personal journey-from the inside out. By engaging in an active lifestyle and eating food that fuels my body, I’m able to energetically show up for my family and friends.
Q: Why do you think it’s important to help others take care of themselves? A:Everyone needs a little reminder once in a while. At Texas Children’s, we are fortunate to have so many opportunities either onsite or discounts to community offerings. I take advantage of them all and encourage co-workers to do the same. The Weight Watchers group is a wonderful support network, services through the onsite Employee Medical Clinic are incredibly convenient, and the healthy options and new monthly cooking class at The Fresh Bistro are extraordinary!
Q: How do you motivate coworkers to practice healthy behaviors without being the food police? A: I invite them to walk with me around the hospital during a break or after work, participate in the different fundraising events like the Komen Race for the Cure and March of Dimes, and occasionally bring healthy snacks to share with them.
Q: Will you sign up to be a Wellness Ambassador? A:Yes! I hope others do as well. I can see the small change in my little group. Imagine what it would feel like if more people banded together to help support each other.
