July 15, 2014

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In our high-tech world, communication should be quick, easy and convenient – and there’s no exception when it comes to accessing your child’s medical records.

Texas Children’s recently improved online patient portal called MyChart provides secure access to your child’s lab results, medications, allergies, immunizations and other pertinent health information. If you need to request a doctor’s appointment, renew prescriptions or email questions to your child’s health care provider, you can do it with a simple click of the mouse.

“When we implemented MyChart in 2010, one of our goals was to enable parents to become active participants in their child’s health care,” said Julie McGuire, assistant director, Enterprise Systems Clinical, at Texas Children’s. “We want to continue to create a positive experience for our patients and their families, while delivering the highest level of care possible.”

MyChart is a free service offered to patients at Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital and Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. Several recent enhancements were made to improve the site:

  • Online history questionnaires – This form is available on MyChart a week before your child’s appointment. Filling it out early will allow physicians to review your child’s medical history a few days before the scheduled visit.
  • Health summary downloads –Your child’s health information can be downloaded from MyChart onto a portable CD or USB drive.
  • Improved online after-visit summary – You will receive an email notification when the after-visit summary report is available on your child’s MyChart account.

“MyChart’s email capabilities help physicians and staff respond more efficiently to a child’s medical needs by providing direct communication between the parent and their child’s health care provider,” said Dr. Joan Shook, chief safety officer and director of Emergency Medicine services at Texas Children’s. “Our digital data storage system helps us preserve patients’ health information for convenient retrieval thereby reducing the potential risk of damage or misplacement.”

Patient safety, efficiency and positive patient experience are what MyChart is all about. If you haven’t signed up, the enrollment process is simple and takes only a few minutes to complete.

Click here to learn more about MyChart.

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Texas Children’s Hospital hosted a two-day training workshop on June 25-26 for the PumpKIN clinical trial protocol attended by cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists from medical centers throughout the United States.

Texas Children’s Hospital is one of 22 hospitals selected as a clinical site in an NHLBI trial of new technology for children, infants and neonates with severe heart failure who need mechanical circulatory support. This study, PumpKIN (Pumps for Kids, Infants, Neonates), will randomize candidates to one of two types of advanced heart support devices as a bridge to transplant – the infant Jarvik 2000 system or the FDA-approved Berlin Heart Pediatric EXCOR® ventricular assist device (VAD).

Tim Baldwin, PhD, NHLBI project officer for contract research on pediatric ventricular devices, discussed the protocol, study design and trial eligibility for this five-year study. Dr. Robert Jarvik, designer and biomedical engineer of the first artificial heart used as a permanent implant in a human being, spoke on the development of the Jarvik 2000 device and noted the critical need for devices manufactured specially for children. The cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists also participated in lab training.

“A critical need exists for long-term mechanical circulatory support for children with severe heart failure, many of whom die while waiting for a heart transplant. This clinical trial will hopefully give us another option in pediatric circulatory support devices so that we can continue to make progress in treating these sick children,” said Dr. Charles D. Fraser, Texas Children’s surgeon-in-chief.

July 8, 2014

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The West Campus Sports Medicine program sponsored its first symposium June 26 to educate athletic trainers, coaches, physical therapists and school nurses on common sports-related healthcare issues in pediatric and adolescent athletes.

In a filled-to-capacity seminar, the Sports Medicine clinical care team spoke on topics that ranged from common injuries and rehabilitation to concussions and nutrition.

“The seminar was an excellent opportunity for participants to gather information on how to keep their athletes healthy and to let them know that our Sports Medicine program can provide help when needed,” said Dr. Megan May, a Texas Children’s orthopedic surgeon and one of the organizers of the symposium.

Attendees were asked to complete surveys at the end of the seminar. Overall, the enormous feedback was very positive with one participant commenting, “This was a top rated first class seminar from start to finish. I was very impressed with the dedication and expertise of all the speakers. Way to go TCH.”

Texas Children’s Sports Medicine program uses an interdisciplinary team approach to diagnose and treat young athletes while placing an emphasis on wellness and injury prevention. It’s the only sports medicine program in the Houston area that focuses exclusively on the unique needs of child athletes.

If you haven’t checked out the Sports Medicine Clinic at West Campus in Katy, you’ll be impressed. Our facility houses a 3,000-square-foot gym, two radiology exam rooms, three casting rooms and 16 exam rooms, and offers advanced technologies, including robotic dynamomentry for isokinetic testing, motion recording and analysis to enhance rehabilitation.

Click here to learn more about Texas Children’s Sports Medicine Clinic.

June 24, 2014

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It’s been a busy month for Texas Children’s Urgent Care in Katy, but that’s putting it lightly. Opened since May 13, the new after-hours clinic at 9727 Spring Green Blvd., in Cinco Ranch, has treated more than 600 patients in the first month, exceeding expectations.

“The large volume of patients that come to our clinic demonstrates the growing need for expert pediatric urgent care after hours,” said Randall Wright, executive vice president of Texas Children’s Hospital. “We are committed to meeting that need and continuing to provide superior quality service to our patients and their families in the Houston community.”

Texas Children’s Urgent Care is open to all patients, not just patients of Texas Children’s Pediatrics (TCP). Of the children who come to our clinic, 60 percent are TCP patients, five percent are new patients to Texas Children’s, and 40 percent are referrals from non-TCP pediatricians and those who have driven by our facility after seeing our signage.

Our urgent care centers are located right in your neighborhood, making it easier and convenient for your children to receive immediate, after-hours care for minor injuries and illnesses when most pediatrician offices are closed and when symptoms aren’t serious enough to warrant an emergency room visit. When patients and their families come here, they don’t have to wait very long. The patient turnaround time from walk-in to walk-out is less than 45 minutes.

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Texas Children’s Urgent Care is open Mondays to Fridays from 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. Patients receive prompt care for minor health issues such as the flu, strep throat, asthma, fever, minor burns, ear infections, allergic reactions, sprains and more. Patients who need fracture care and splinting, IV fluids, lab services, laceration repair and x-rays may also receive treatment at Texas Children’s Urgent Care.

[Click here to learn the difference between urgent care versus emergency care.]

While most urgent care clinics in Houston are primarily adult-focused, Texas Children’s Urgent Care is staffed by board-certified pediatricians and nurses specifically trained in pediatrics, to ensure every single child who walks through our doors is getting the best specialized care possible.

To complement the services at our Cinco Ranch location, a second Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinic will open in Houston’s Town & Country area (12850 Memorial Drive), in late July.

“We are excited to bring this expert urgent care model to the Houston community,” says Dr. Gary Gerlacher, Texas Children’s Urgent Care lead physician. “In my experience, I’ve seen firsthand how the urgent care setting has truly helped fill a void in treatment for children and their families.”

Texas Children’s Urgent Care accepts major insurance plans, including Medicaid, and has self-pay rates. Rates are significantly less than emergency center charges, and there are no hospital fees.

Click here for a complete list of insurance plans and to learn more about Texas Children’s Urgent Care.

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Texas Children’s Hospital reached a milestone in early June when the 100th surgery using a Da Vinci Si robot was performed.

Not only was this an achievement for the Department of Surgery and the Pavilion for Women but it was also a cause for celebration because its usage sets the standard at Texas Children’s Hospital for pediatric minimally invasive reconstructive surgery, according to Dr. Chester Koh, director, Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program. The da Vinci Si robot enables the surgeon to use fully articulating instruments to operate on delicate structures and limited space in a child’s anatomy. Its magnified 3D high-definition vision system and special wristed instruments bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist yet the surgeon is in complete control.

Where previously surgeons needed to make large incisions with their hands and a scalpel to reach internal organs such as the kidney, they can now use the robot for surgical maneuvers through tiny incisions. Pyeloplasty is the most common pediatric procedure performed with the robot. During this urologic procedure, surgeons correct a blockage or narrowing of the ureter where it leaves the kidney. Children benefit from robotic surgery because they have less post-operative pain with a corresponding decreased need for pain medications, faster recovery times and shorter hospital stays.

With the arrival of Dr. Patricio Gargollo, as director of the Complex Urogenital Reconstruction Program, the Pediatric Urology division now benefits from two pediatric surgeons who between them have performed more than 500 robotic surgery cases. Gargollo’s experience brings advanced robotic surgery skills to the team to treat patients who need complex reconstructive procedures such as bladder augmentation, continent catheterizable channels and bladder neck reconstruction.

Women who are patients at the Pavilion for Women benefit from robotic surgery also. “Robotic surgery benefits women who have certain procedures because the surgeon can make smaller incisions, which means a faster recovery time and better cosmetic appearance after surgery,” said obstetrician Dr. David Zepeda.

Surgeons from Pediatric Urology and Pediatric Surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Pavilion for Women currently make use of the da Vinci Si robot.

The robotic surgery team includes:
Department of Surgery:

  • Dr. Darrell Cass
  • Dr. Patricio Gargollo
  • Dr. Nicolette Janzen
  • Dr. Chester Koh
  • Dr. Mark Mazziotti
  • Dr. Ashwin Pimpalwar
  • Dr. Abhishek Seth

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology:

  • Dr. Concepcion Diaz-Arrastia
  • Dr. Damla Dryden
  • Dr. William Gibbons
  • Dr. Ertug Kovanci
  • Dr. Celestine Tung
  • Dr. David Zepeda
  • Dr. Robert Zurawin

Having surpassed the 100th case at Texas Children’s Hospital, Koh and the team look forward to future milestones for the program.

June 17, 2014

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Imagine being a parent of a child who has a rare and mysterious neurological disorder. You’ve traveled around the globe searching for answers. But, after numerous visits with physicians, the mystery remains unsolved.

What seems like a long, unsuccessful quest for answers suddenly ends with a glimmer of hope thanks to remarkable new discoveries emerging from the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) at Texas Children’s.

Under the leadership of Dr. Huda Zoghbi, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and founding director of the NRI, she and her team have unlocked the genetic and molecular mysteries behind a number of devastating neurological disorders in children with the ultimate goal of developing treatments to improve their quality of life.

The story of Grace Wilsey is a perfect example.

After a lengthy saga of visiting with physicians across the nation searching for answers about their daughter Grace’s condition, the Wilsey family of San Francisco flew to Houston to meet with Dr. Zoghbi, who helped them find the answer to their child’s perplexing condition.

Dr. Zoghbi examined Grace and recommended a new test called whole genome sequencing that was performed at the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center. The collaborative effort between Drs. Zoghbi, Richard Gibbs and Matthew Bainbridge helped identify Grace as the second American child in the world diagnosed with NGLY1 deficiency. The test decoded the DNA sequence of her genome to identify the abnormal gene. The technology helps patients and families understand the cause of neurologic diseases, as well as the risk of recurrence.

Grace is one of the only 17 known children worldwide affected by this rare condition, which is characterized by a mutation in the gene coding for N-glycanase 1, an enzyme that is thought to help recycle defective products from a cellular assembly line. Children who lack this enzyme experience varying degrees of movement disorders, suffer from developmental delays, have liver and gastrointestinal problems and cry without producing tears.

“Kristen and I are so grateful to Drs. Zoghbi, Gibbs and Brainbridge for helping us find a diagnosis for Grace and we are committed to funding research efforts that will lead to a more advanced understanding of this disease and potentially a treatment or cure for Grace and other children who are affected,” said Matt Wilsey, Grace’s father.

Grace’s rare neurological disorder has inspired the Wilsey family to fund researchers at the NRI and the Department of Molecular & Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine to study and develop treatments for children with NGLY1 deficiency.

“There is nothing more noble than doing research to help patients,” said Dr. Zoghbi. “Although we have a way to go in the biomedical sciences to really improve the lives of patients with neurological diseases, we are making significant progress.”

June 10, 2014

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U.S.News and World Report released its 2014-2015 Best Children’s Hospitals list today, and Texas Children’s Hospital maintained the no. 4 spot among the 183 children’s hospitals surveyed by the publication. Also, Texas Children’s once again is listed on the Honor Roll, which recognizes hospitals with top 10 rankings in at least three specialties.

“We are thrilled that U.S.News continually recognizes our hospital as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country,” said Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace. “These results are a testament to our organization’s focus on quality and safety and the dedication of our staff and employees, and it’s just another indication of what we all have known for some time: that we are doing tremendous work here at Texas Children’s.”

U.S.News annually ranks the top 50 pediatric centers in 10 specialty areas. In the 2014-15 rankings, U.S.News surveyed 183 pediatric centers to obtain clinical data in 10 specialties. Eighty-nine hospitals ranked in at least one specialty, and 10 hospitals were named to the Honor Roll below:

Ranking Hospital Points Specialties in top 10
1 Boston Children’s Hospital 20 10
1 Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 20 10
3 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center 15 9
4 Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston 14 9
5 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 8 6
6 Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora 7 5
7 Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio 6 6
8 Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago 6 4
9 Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC 5 5
10 Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore 4 3

The 10 children’s hospitals on the 2014-15 Honor Roll ranked at or near the top in three or more specialties. The order is by total points. If a hospital ranked among the highest 5 percent in a specialty, it received 2 points, and if a hospital ranked in the next 5 percent, it received 1 point. Boston Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia again tied for the top spot. Texas Children’s is separated from the no. 3 position by a single point. This year’s ranking demonstrates some significant gains among several Texas Children’s services. Here are a few highlights:

  • 7 services improved in the rankings
  • 9 services scored in the top 10 (compared to 6 in 2013)
  • 6 services were ranked among the top 5 (compared to 3 in 2013)

“Texas Children’s results on this year’s survey reflect the diligent efforts of the steering committee we formed last year to focus on the U.S.News survey,” Wallace said. “The process of compiling and refining our data is an ongoing challenge, which will continue to improve under the excellent leadership of Angelo Giardino, Tom Luerssen, Mary Jo Andre, Terri Brown and Colleen Jones.”

Texas Children’s made these notable gains amid several changes to this year’s survey. This year, the weight of the reputational score decreased from 25 percent to 16.7 percent, and the best practices and infection prevention rate both increased in weight, from 4.2 percent to 8.3 percent. Also, two additional outcomes were scored in neonatology, and one additional outcome was scored in orthopedics and gastroenterology/GI surgery. Five-sixths of each hospital’s score relied on patient outcomes and the care-related resources each hospital makes available. The remaining one-sixth of the score is derived from a survey of 450 pediatric specialists and subspecialists in each specialty over three years. The physicians were asked where they would send the sickest children in their specialty, setting aside location and expense.

Texas Children’s, working closely with academic partner Baylor College of Medicine, continues to pioneer advancements in pediatric healthcare and earns the U.S.News honor roll distinction by being ranked among America’s best in:

  • #4 Cancer
  • #2 Cardiology & heart surgery
  • #5 Gastroenterology (digestive disorders)
  • #6 Neurology & neurosurgery
  • #2 Neonatology
  • #4 Nephrology (kidney disorders)
  • #4 Pulmonology
  • #7 Urology
  • #8 Diabetes & endocrinology
  • #34 Orthopedics

“Our high rankings demonstrate the commitment we have to achieving quality outcomes, tracking those outcomes and using them to markedly improve the care we deliver,” said Texas Children’s Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr.

This year’s methodology reflects a number of improvements that better differentiate hospitals based on outcomes, best practices and infection prevention. Texas Children’s Physician-in-Chief Dr. Mark W. Kline said the results are a reflection of the work of a gifted, dedicated staff.

“Texas Children’s has more pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists than any other hospital in the world,” Kline said. “But more importantly, we have many of the world’s most talented and dedicated physicians, educators, scientists, nurses and other health professionals, and working together, our team is driving innovation and advancement in pediatric health care. I’m proud of their commitment.”

The 2014-15 edition of Best Children’s Hospitals is available online at www.usnews.com/childrenshospitals.