September 4, 2018

Each year in September, Texas Children’s Cancer Center goes gold to honor the courageous journeys of our patients and families who have been touched by pediatric cancer and to create awareness about the challenges these children and their loved ones face. It is also a special time to honor the Cancer Center’s staff and everyone involved in the care and support of those who come to Texas Children’s seeking our aid.

Today, you will hear from patients, family members, doctors and other medical staff as they explain why they Go Gold in September and what makes raising awareness about pediatric cancer so important. Additional comments from staff and Cancer Center supporters will be highlighted on Instagram @oneamazingteam.

Throughout the month, there are several events scheduled across the organization geared toward raising awareness about childhood cancer. Some of those event are listed below. Please check the Connect calendar and the Cancer Center’s Facebook page for additional details. Also, visit the Texas Children’s Blog for Cancer Center related posts throughout the month.

“We are proud to say that our Cancer Center helps children fight and defeat cancer every day,” said Dr. Susan Blaney, director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers. “We hope you will stand with us in Going Gold for childhood cancer, so that together, we can create a healthier future for children in our care.”

Upcoming cancer awareness activities:

  • September 4 at 2 p.m. – Main Campus Going Gold Parade and Ribbon Tying Event starting on fourth floor of the Pavilion for Women and ending on The Auxiliary Bridge.
  • September 4 at 6 p.m. – Vannie Cook Children’s Clinic in McAllen Going Gold Parade and Ribbon Tying Event
  • September 5 at 10:30 a.m. – West Campus Going Gold Parade and Ribbon Tying Event in front of hospital’s main entrance
  • September 6 at 10:30 a.m. – The Woodlands Going Gold Parade and Ribbon Tying Event in the main lobby of the hospital
  • September 8 at 2 p.m. – The opening of and reception for the Periwinkle Foundation’s Making A Mark exhibit on The Auxiliary Bridge. The exhibit, which highlights the art and creative writing by children touched by cancer and blood disorders at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, will be in the bridge throughout the month.
  • September 13, 20 and 27 at 1 p.m. – KPRC Channel 2 will air segments highlighting the Cancer Center.
  • September 13-14: International Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Conference in Cullen Auditorium at Baylor College of Medicine.
  • September 14 at 10:30 a.m. – Be the Match Patient Walk on the eight floor of the Cancer Center in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit
  • September 16-19 – Houston City Hall will be lit gold
  • September 21 – The President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi to visit Cancer Center
  • September 25 at 9 a.m. – The annual Hyundai Hope on Wheels Tour will stop at Texas Children’s in support of research and programs that bring us closer to better treatment and possible cures to cancer. The tour is a united effort of Hyundai dealers who travel the country to present Hyundai Scholar grants to children’s hospitals.

To learn more about Texas Children’s Cancer Center, click here.

August 27, 2018

On August 18, Texas Children’s Hospital the Woodlands employees attended the annual Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Chairman’s Ball, and snagged a few awards as well. This year’s theme was “Star Wars: May the Force be with You and Beyond.” The team won the “Best Done For You” award and orthopedics physician assistant, Danielle Comeaux, won “Best Costume” with her Padme look.

“There’s definitely a sense of pride that we’ve only been in this community as a full hospital for such a brief period, but have already made our presence felt with a number of awards and recognition,” said the Director of Business Operations, Eric Allum.

The annual event is a black-tie affair honoring the Chairman of the Board, Frank Holmes of Sam Houston State University, while celebrating the accomplishments of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. Along with costume and table decorating contests, the event was a night of food, fun, and mingling with many other organization from the community.

“It was a lot of fun. The Star Wars theme really allowed us to show our fun side as a children’s hospital,” Allum said. “It shows how much we support The Woodlands Chamber and our ongoing commitment to this community.”

It is important for Texas Children’s to attend these events to show the support that we have to the community inside and outside of the hospital.

“The Chamber puts on a first class event and we feel it’s important that the health care community is well represented,” Allum added. “We look forward to celebrating with our community partners again and seeing what fun theme is presented next year.”

August 21, 2018

While many students across the Houston area are heading back to school this week, Texas Children’s Trauma and Grief Center (TAG) is helping students at Santa Fe High School emotionally and mentally prepare for the new school year following the tragic events that unfolded on campus three months ago.

Texas Children’s TAG Center has been partnering with other organizations in the Santa Fe community, including the Gulf Coast Center, to support the Santa Fe Strong Resiliency Center. Created in the aftermath of the Santa Fe school shooting, the Resiliency Center provides mental health services to those impacted by this tragedy.

“The impact this tragedy left behind is significant and it will take time for everyone to heal and adjust,” said Dr. Julie Kaplow, director of Texas Children’s TAG Center. “As Santa Fe students return to classes this week, we have TAG Center clinicians on hand at the high school – and across the Santa Fe school district – to provide emotional support to students, teachers and families who need it.”

Last week, Kaplow met with Santa Fe parents at a back-to-school meeting to discuss what to expect as their children return to school, the red flags they need to be aware of, how they can help their children transition back to school following this tragedy, and how to help their kids feel safe and secure.

“It’s been a very busy few weeks for our team,” said Kaplow. “Our TAG Center clinicians are continuing to provide trauma- and grief-informed assessment and intervention, both within the Resiliency Center as well as Santa Fe High School, and we’re providing on-going training and consultation to therapists serving the Santa Fe community.”

While the healing time from a school tragedy like this is different for each person impacted, Kaplow and her team will continue to partner with the Santa Fe community to provide services to these children.

In addition to these collaborative efforts, Kaplow says the Texas Children’s TAG Center plans to conduct a large-scale needs assessment across the Santa Fe school district that will help identify those students who are struggling the most and ensure they have access to the intervention they need close to home.

Click here for more information about Texas Children’s TAG Center.

August 20, 2018

A record-breaking 6,100 Texas Children’s employees and Baylor staff, volunteers and interns recently accepted the 21-Day H2O Challenge from the Employee Health & Well-Being team this year, committing themselves to drink at least 64 ounces of water every day from July 10-31 and discovering the powerful benefits of staying hydrated along the way.

Nearly 90 percent of participants said they increased their water intake because of the challenge, which set the goal of eight cups per day to follow the amount recommended for adults by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition to sleeping for longer lengths of time and seeing reduced levels of stress, employees reported in a post-challenge survey that they experienced a wide range of positive effects:

  • 46 percent saw improved digestion
  • 43 percent saw improved energy levels
  • 32 percent improved their overall eating habits
  • 31 percent increased their physical activity

Personal stories of Water Challenge success could be found across the organization, from unexpected weight loss to significantly clearer skin, feeling more awake and refreshed, and adopting healthier habits overall. A bride-to-be struggling to lose weight before her wedding dropped a few pounds in just her first week of participating. A parent inspired their 8-year-old son to join the challenge and shoot for drinking 24 ounces of water per day, and was reminded how important it is for adults to model good health and wellness choices for children who are watching and learning.

“It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm in our employees who participated in the 21-day H2O Challenge,” said health coach Jackie Pacheco, who coordinated the challenge – including distribution of thousands of water bottles to employees at every Texas Children’s location, and an interactive water party on The Auxiliary Bridge in the challenge’s final days with infused waters to sample and free water giveaways courtesy of a pallet donated by Emergency Services.

“We had so many amazing results from employees who decided to make one simple change, increasing their daily water intake to improve their health,” Pacheco said. “The success stories from the challenge proved that incorporating small, yet significant, healthy habits into your daily routine will have tremendous results.”

Employees also appreciated the opportunity to amplify unity by joining the challenge together as teams, departments and units. One participant said their teammates became accountability partners, reminding each other to drink up and getting water for each other at the start and midpoint of every workday. Courtney Woods, a staff nurse in the in-patient emergency room who stopped by the water party, said she felt more motivated to tackle the challenge because her co-workers were there to encourage each other and check up on each other’s progress.

“This challenge is a fantastic example of how our employees can rally around a common well-being goal and motivate one another throughout the journey,” said Employee Health and Well-Being Assistant Director Julie Griffith. “We are proud of all of the participants that took the challenge!”

“We are also grateful to our Wellness Ambassadors for helping us amplify unity across the organization and achieve the largest well-being challenge participation in our history,” Griffith said. “We believe that supporting Texas Children’s mission of leading in patient care, education, and research begins with maximizing the health and well-being of our workforce. We are committed to providing more programs that empower and inspire our employees to achieve simple goals in order for them to thrive in all areas of their lives.”

August 13, 2018

We just learned that employees’ children are not eligible to participate in the PLAY 60 Kid of the Month. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Texas Children’s Hospital and the Houston Texans are two teams with one goal – keeping kids healthy!

PLAY 60 is the National Football League’s campaign to encourage kids to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. We want YOU to join the movement by signing up your child to be a PLAY 60 Kid of the Month.

Those who enter are eligible to win a Texans VIP experience including a special behind the scenes visit to NRG Stadium and other exciting giveaways.

Kids ages 6-12 can participate. All they have to do is fill out the online survey showing us how they PLAY 60.

Learn more here.

On August 8, Texas Children’s Nursing Professional Development and the Shared Governance Interdisciplinary Education Council hosted Professional Day at Texas Children’s Medical Center Campus, Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands.

More than 500 participants attended the conference across the hospital’s three campuses – 360 at Medical Center Campus, 78 at West Campus and 128 at The Woodlands. The conference is designed to promote the enhancement of quality care and patient outcomes through evidence-based practice in the areas of pediatrics and obstetrics. The full day event included a pre-conference session, 80 podium and poster presentations, exhibitors, food and lots of fun and prizes.

“For the first time this year, the annual conference was open to the public,” said Amanda Garey, Nursing Professional Development specialist who was integral to the organization of this event. “Traditionally, Professional Day had been primarily a nursing event, but this year we expanded the event to include clinical staff from multiple disciplines who play a critical role in quality patient care and outcomes.”

Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre presented the keynote address which was shared to the community sites via telehealth platform. All of the conference speakers were acknowledged as subject matter experts in their fields and delivered the content based on latest trends and evidence. In total, 38 exhibitors and professional organizations supported this conference, which provides a platform for colleagues to collaborate, network, share knowledge and make professional connections.

“I really enjoyed the different speakers and learning more about the hospital and the different roles that people have here and the different ways I can learn from them,” said Regem Biyo, a labor and delivery nurse at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.

The event awarded contact hours for CNE/CME/Social Work/Respiratory Therapy. Amanda Garey and Jill Stonesifer were the event leaders at the Medical Center Campus. The event at West Campus and the Woodlands Campus was organized by Lauren Ivanhoe and Deborah Lee respectively.

View a photo gallery below of Professional Day at Texas Children’s.

If you missed this year’s Professional Day, make sure you mark your calendars for the next conference slated for September 19, 2019.

August 7, 2018

It is that time of the year again; the end of summer means the beginning of a new school year. Texas Children’s Hospital’s Social Work Department organized a back-to-school fair to provide information to patients and their families to help them prepare for the new school year.

“Events like this provides community organization opportunities,” Social Work Manager Jackson Huynh said. “It allows them to reach and serve Texas Children’s patients and families affected by childhood illness that other community organizations will not be able to reach and serve due to a child’s hospitalization and/or rigorous outpatient treatment plan.”

On July 31, the Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Center Auxiliary Bridge quickly filled with tons of patients and their families waiting to take advantage of the opportunity to receive free school items.

Texas Children’s relationships and partnerships with many groups and agencies made way for a great response when it came to soliciting organizations to participate.

Below are the groups that occupied tables with information along with a few goodies for children and their parents to take with them.

  • One Step Closer Foundation – a non-profit, charitable organization whose main goal is to ease, as much as possible, the lives of those who suffer from cerebral palsy.
  • Houston Food Bank – a private non-profit organization and a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network.
  • Neuhaus Education Center – a non-profit educational foundation dedicated to promoting reading success.
  • Families Empowered – a non-profit organization founded to support the escalating number of families searching for a great school for their child.
  • Disability Rights – recognizes the varied needs of people with disabilities in Texas.
  • HEP Bookstore – a homeschool resource; a bookstore specializing in instructional materials & books for home schooling in a range of subjects.

The One Step Closer Foundation provided the DJ and decorations for the bridge. In addition the foundation, along with the Houston Food Bank, backpacks and school supplies were also given away to patients and their siblings. The fair also provided opportunities for Texas Children’s departments such as Nutritionist, School Coordinators, Animal Assisted Therapy Program, Child Life, the hospital Dieticians, and schoolteachers, to showcase their skill set so that parents and students are more confident and prepared for the upcoming school year.

There was even a photo area created for parents to take school photos of their children. This was a very popular portion of the event for families, as it creates normalization for those who are not able to leave the hospital to attend school and pictures.

The social work department’s goal has been to create an immense presence and emphasize their role in maintaining exceptional patient experience year round.

“We work with families and provide them resources for the various agencies present, so we thought it would be great to bring the agencies here to the hospital,” Social Work Clinical Specialist DeAdra Cage said. “Providing resources to help parents work with the various schools is a big part of our job as Social Workers.”

Many parents who have children in the hospital may not have the time or financial ability to purchase all the necessities needed for school. This event was able to help make the start of the school year a little easier and among all things, let parents know that Texas Children’s is there to support them and their needs.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to assist our families who already have so much going on,” Cage said. “We are very proud of the outcome. As we anticipated, we had an awesome turnout! We were focused on helping the patients and siblings who happened to be on site the day of the event.”

With a goal of helping 300 children, the actual end result was 500. The back-to-school fair was an overall success and the Social Work Department hopes to make this an annual event for many years to come.