February 16, 2016

Texas Children’s wants its employees to know their service and long-term contribution to the mission is appreciated. That’s why once a year at the annual Employee Recognition Celebration the organization rolls out the red carpet and pampers those who have been with Texas Children’s for 15 plus years.

This year, the event was held on February 9 at the Bayou Event Center amid a sea of round tables decorated with candelabras and 3-foot-tall flower arrangements. As the more than 500 honorees arrived, they fanned out across the ballroom, mingling, posing for photos and noshing on a sit-down lunch before the official program began with a performance from the Bayou City Brass Band.

“Happy Fat Tuesday!,” President and CEO Mark A. Wallace told the crowd. “It is amazing to look around the room and see so many familiar faces who have been an integral part of Texas Children’s tremendous growth and success.”

“Did you know that all of you together in this room equates to nearly 9,000 combined years of service at Texas Children’s,” Wallace asked. “I am humbled by this staggering number but it does not even begin to measure the infinite passion you deliver for our mission each and every day.”

In addition to Wallace, honorees heard words of thanks and encouragement from Pathologist-in-Chief James Versalovic, Senior Vice President Linda Aldred and Board of Trustee Member Jodie Jiles before being led down the red carpet and on to a stage where leaders shook their hands and thanked them for their 15, 20, 25, 30 and 40 years of service to Texas Children’s. Recipients of the Best of the West, Mark A. Wallace Catalyst Leadership, Smiles and Super Star awards also were recognized.

“I’m proud to be part of this organization,” said 20-year honoree Richard Nguyen. “It’s all about the people and that’s what I really like.”

Congratulations to all of the honorees!

A copy of the event’s program can be found here and a photo gallery of the celebration can be found below.

21716Jeopardy640Texas Children’s Hospital – specifically the Pediatric Simulation Center – was recently featured on the famous television quiz show Jeopardy! This is the first time in almost a decade the show highlighted something in the Houston area. Read a first-person account from Jeopardy! Producer Brett Schneider to find out how the show made its way back to Houston.

There’s always a story behind how we choose locations to record Jeopardy! video clues and the Texas Children’s Hospital category, which originally aired on January 22, with clues presented by Texas Children’s Pediatric Simulation Center Director Dr. Jennifer Arnold, is no exception.

It was July of 2015 and, as Jeopardy! had a new affiliate in Houston (ABC-13), our Promotions Department felt that a visit was long overdue. The Jeopardy! Clue Crew had last recorded clues in and around Houston (including Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston) back in September of 2002. We would love to have returned sooner, but having shot clues in every state, more than 300 cities and in 48 countries, our dance card had been rather full.

While looking into local events and attractions, our interest was piqued by Texas Children’s Hospital Pediatric Simulation Center. One of the largest in the nation, the center provides hands-on pediatric and obstetric simulation training in a realistic environment with the aim of improving patient safety and care.

In researching the Simulation Center – which offers the latest in cutting-edge research and training and features the use of high-tech mannequins as patients – we were impressed by the online videos of Dr. Jennifer Arnold, Neonatologist and the Center’s Medical Director.

Further investigation revealed that this same Dr. Arnold was the star of TLC’s “The Little Couple.” Given her expertise, the complexity of our clues and Dr. Arnold’s familiarity with being on camera, we invited her to present these “simulation clues” herself – a responsibility that would usually be assigned to Alex Trebek and/or the Clue Crew.

Dr. Arnold was not only agreeable to this, but the production behind “The Little Couple” asked if they might record footage for their own program. This was an unusual request, but the producers of “The Little Couple” assured us that they wouldn’t record, let alone broadcast, any of our actual “game material” prior to our own airdate.

Our clues were penned, approved by Dr. Arnold, and in September of 2015, a Jeopardy! crew descended upon Houston where we met at Texas Children’s Hospital with Dr. Arnold, her simulation team and the producers and crew behind “The Little Couple.”

It was a surreal experience for the Jeopardy! crew; being shot shooting clues, but everything went smoothly and Dr. Arnold proved as capable on camera as she is accomplished at her job.

The folks at “The Little Couple” also seemed pleased with what footage they walked away with and featured it on their February 2 show, giving viewers a double dose of Jeopardy! and Dr. Arnold.

21716WCtwitter640Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus is on Twitter @TexasChildrensWest. Follow them today to connect with the West Campus community and to receive the latest news and updates about greater Houston’s first suburban hospital designed exclusively for children.

For more information about West Campus, go to http://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/texas-childrens-hospital-west-campus.

February 9, 2016

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Texas Children’s nurse Brandon Waterhouse and 4-year-old patient Sophia Torres became the latest internet sensation after a very sweet moment was caught on camera. Click here to watch the video and KHOU’s story about Waterhouse and Sophia.

21016Cooperflu640Super heroes come in many shapes and sizes, and Texas Children’s Health Plan encouraged students to channel their inner super hero by protecting themselves and their families against the flu. Schools from eight school districts in Houston, Beaumont and the surrounding areas were invited to participate in a month-long super hero themed flu vaccination contest. The school in each district with the most students receiving the flu vaccination won a pizza party that included pizza and drinks. A portion of the drinks were provided by Kroger.

“With more than 2 million Texans admitted to the hospital last year because of flu, it is very important we do something to protect children and their families,” stated Dr. Heidi Schwarzwald, Chief Medical Officer, Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Health Plan. “Texas Children’s Health Plan wanted to empower children to be an active part in their health and wellness in a fun way. We are very excited that so many schools and students participated in the contest.”

During the month-long contest (October 15 through November 15), more than 2,000 students from 93 schools in eight school districts were immunized against the flu. The winning schools were:

  • Johnson Elementary – Aldine ISD
  • Fletcher Elementary – Beaumont ISD
  • McFee Elementary – Cy-Fair ISD
  • Dick Dowling – Port Arthur ISD
  • Taylor Ray Elementary – Lamar CISD
  • Hopper Elementary – Goose Creek ISD
  • Jessup Elementary – Pasadena ISD
  • Rhoads Elementary – Katy ISD
  • Cooper Elementary – Spring ISD

Texas Children’s Health Plan began their cold and flu initiative in the fall of 2015 to help educate parents about flu and cold. In addition to the school contest, Texas Children’s Health Plan also launched www.coldandfluhero.org and created Cold and Flu Defender kits to distribute to their members. The kits included tissues, nasal saline, hand sanitizer, bulb syringe and information on how to prevent cold and flu symptoms.

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The Patient Experience team kicked off the system-wide launch of the Caught You Caring program with Frozen-themed events at Main Campus and West Campus. View the photo gallery of the events and be sure to recognize your colleagues who are caught caring.

February 2, 2016

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Celebrate Go Red for Women by wearing red this Friday, February 5 to raise awareness for heart disease. Texas Children’s badge holders who wear red on this day will receive a free heart healthy sweet* during lunchtime at the following Texas Children’s dining locations:

  • Pavilion for Women Fresh Bistro
  • Clinical Care Center Food Court
  • West Campus Luby’s DOTS Kitchen

For heart health education, blood pressure checks, and to meet the new Employee Medical Clinic providers, please stop by the Employee Health and Wellness Go Red for Women booth from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, February 5 at the Pavilion for Women Fresh Bistro. In addition to these offerings, the Employee Medical Clinic offers a Healthy Heart Program free of charge for employees. The Healthy Heart program features three individual sessions with a Registered Dietitian who will work with you to improve your blood pressure or cholesterol through healthy lifestyle modifications including nutrition, meal planning, physical activity, blood pressure monitoring, and stress management. The Employee Medical Clinic supports your personal health needs and offers convenient access to exceptional primary and acute care services on Main Campus. The clinic delivers many additional services including health coaching, physical therapy, nutrition consultations, and diabetes education.

For more information about the Healthy Heart Program or to make an appointment, please call Ext. 4-2150, option 2. Click on the image above to learn more about six popular food items that can add high levels of sodium to your diet. Share how you Go Red this Friday by using the hashtag #TexasChildrensGoRed.

*Free heart healthy sweet with purchase and while supplies last to Texas Children’s badge holders wearing, or accessorized, in red.