February 3, 2015

2415Biliaryatresiainside640

Texas Children’s pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Sanjiv Harpavat is working to ensure every newborn is screened for biliary atresia, a rare but deadly liver disease affecting 1 in 10,000 births in the U.S. It’s the number one reason for liver transplants in infants.

Biliary atresia occurs when the bile duct connecting the liver to the small intestine is blocked. The buildup of bile in the liver scars the tissue so rapidly that most infants need a liver transplant to survive.

“Infants with biliary atresia have more scarring after the first few months of life than a chronic alcoholic’s liver,” said Harpavat. “An important way to improve their outcomes is by detecting and treating the disease early before symptoms appear.”

Just like a hearing screen is a standard test for all newborns in the U.S., Harpavat hopes to implement a newborn screening program nationwide for biliary atresia. While this may seem like an uphill battle, it’s not if you’re armed with compelling data and research.

In a retrospective study published in the journal Pediatrics, Harpavat, along with a team including Department of Pathology Chairman Emeritus Milton Finegold, examined lab records of 61 children with biliary atresia referred from their birth hospitals to Texas Children’s for care. Unlike healthy infants, all newborns with biliary atresia had persistently high levels of conjugated bilirubin (CB) in their blood, which indicates a problem with liver function.

“While the total bilirubin levels of newborns are routinely checked after birth, most pediatricians are trained to look for the unconjugated bilirubin that determines the severity of jaundice in newborns,” Harpavat said. “The other type of bilirubin – direct or conjugated bilirubin – is recorded but often ignored.”

In collaboration with neonatologists at Texas Children’s Newborn Center, Ben Taub Hospital, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in The Woodlands and St. Luke’s Vintage Hospital, Harpavat is leading a large, multicenter prospective screening study to validate a blood screening tool that measures CB levels in newborns shortly after birth and retests newborns with high CB levels at their 2-week pediatrician checkup to confirm biliary atresia. “The rescreen eliminates false positives since many healthy newborns have slightly high CB levels at birth while their liver is going through a critical transition period,” Harpavat said.

Of the 11,500 newborns screened in this ongoing study, 121 had high CB levels. After repeat testing, 12 babies had high CB levels and two were diagnosed with biliary atresia. This disease can only be treated with a liver transplant or the Kasai procedure, which removes the abnormal bile duct and connects the liver to the small intestine to create a new duct.

“Preliminary data suggests infants who undergo Kasai before 30 days of life have a better outcome and may have less chance of needing a liver transplant,” said Texas Children’s pediatric surgeon Dr. Mary Brandt, who performs roughly 10 to 12 Kasai operations a year at Texas Children’s. “Waiting until there is significant scarring in the liver increases the chance of needing a liver transplant.”

Texas Children’s Neonatologist Dr. Joseph Garcia-Prats, who helped implement a screening program for biliary atresia at Texas Children’s and Ben Taub General Hospital based on Harpavat’s research, says biliary atresia screening should be a standard of care for all newborns. “Unlike a stool color card test, the newborn CB screening test diagnoses the disease before infants get sick and it is inexpensive.”

To mobilize statewide support, Harpavat has collaborated with longtime newborn screening advocate and Texas Children’s Neonatologist Dr. Charleta Guillory to encourage Texas and other states to add biliary atresia to their newborn screening panel.

Harpavat has presented his findings to the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Pediatric Society’s Fetus and Newborn Committee, the March of Dimes, and the State Newborn Screening Advisory Committee that Guillory co-chairs. Harpavat also is promoting his research at pediatric conferences around the country.

“The more compelling statistics we present in the state of Texas, the more credibility we’ll have in pushing forth this newborn biliary atresia screening test on a national level,” said Guillory.

Harpavat’s goal is to screen 70,000 newborns in his study before presenting his findings to national health screening panels, like the National Screening Advisory Committee.

2415cpr640

It’s a typical scene out of a movie. An individual falls to the ground suffering medical complications and a healthcare professional runs to the rescue to perform Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and other basic lifesaving techniques. There seems to be a public expectation for medical professionals to know these skills, yet without practice and the right knowledge of the latest guidelines, it’s difficult to expect anyone to have the best knowledge for performing the safest techniques.

That’s where the American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) course comes into play at Texas Children’s. A hospital-wide initiative aims to provide this training and certification for all direct caregivers.

“The course teaches the skills to recognize, assess patients and respond accordingly,” said Gemma Elegores, Clinical Training and Development Education Specialist and AHA Program Director. The BLS course is designed to teach the critical basic life safety skills that each and every healthcare provider should have.

“Having more people competent in Basic Life Support allows for a quicker response time and initiation of life-saving care,” said Dr. David Young, Pediatric Anesthesiologist and AHA Medical Director. “All of the trained healthcare providers can also serve the community by acting as first responders to life-threatening events until arrival of designated personnel.”

While the expectation might be for everyone to know these basic skills, Young said the skills are not often being practiced, making it challenging to recall and perform all the correct steps during an emergency.

“Scientific studies have shown significant decay in performance among health care providers regarding life support knowledge and procedural skills including the concepts within Basic Life Support,” Young said. “An effective approach to mitigate this decay is to develop regularly scheduled re-training periods such as the approach taken at Texas Children’s Hospital.”

After completing the courses, participants receive certification from the American Heart Association (AHA) for 2 years. AHA guidelines change every 5 years, but the course is always updated with the most current recommendations.

2415SurgicalResearchDay640

People interested in participating in the sixth annual Edmond T. Gonzales, Jr. Surgical Research Day must submit an abstract by Monday, February 9. Anyone involved in surgery-related research is encouraged to participate.

Authors of top peer-reviewed abstracts will have the opportunity to present their research at the event, which will be from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, May 8, in Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women fourth-floor conference center.

Authors who are not selected for an oral presentation will be invited to present their work as a poster, with a prize awarded to the top scoring one. The third annual Samuel Stal Research Award also will be presented at Surgical Research Day to recognize outstanding research by a resident or fellow in the Department of Surgery.

Hosted by the Department of Surgery and the Department of Research Administration, and started by Edmond T. Gonzales, Jr., a Texas Children’s urologist and the organization’s first surgeon-in-chief, Surgical Research Day includes invited lecturers, presentations and posters that showcase the academic efforts of the surgical faculty, post- graduate trainees, nursing personnel and operating room staff.

Have questions or need additional information? Please contact Stacey Staples at Ext 4-3366 or email Research Administration at resadmin@texaschildrens.org. To submit an abstract click here.

February 2, 2015

bench and beside Header

Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your submissions and feedback.

 

January 2712815kidneydialysis640

Renal Center reaches milestone in delivery of high-volume patient care

In January, Texas Children’s Renal Center delivered more than 100 acute therapies in less than 10 days – a remarkable milestone that demonstrates the value of teamwork and our hospital’s commitment to putting patients’ needs first.

“This is an incredible accomplishment,” said Texas Children’s Chief of Renal Services Dr. Michael Braun. “As the demand for our services continues to grow, so has our collaborative spirit to ensure critically ill patients receive efficient, high quality care every time they walk through our doors.” Read more

 

January 21

Leung advances research and care for cystic fibrosis patients

Dr. Daniel Leung, medical director of the Viral Hepatitis Clinic at Texas Children’s, has devoted much of his research to improving the outcomes of children with cystic fibrosis and cystic fibrosis-associated liver diseases. To accelerate CF research and patient care at Texas Children’s, Leung received a $100,000 Developing Innovative Gastroenterology Specialty Training (DIGEST) grant last spring from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This three-year grant is awarded to physicians across the country who demonstrate promise in changing the field of gastrointestinal care and research for CF patients. Read more

 

January 20

Call-to-action: Encourage your patients to sign up for MyChart

MyChart, the online patient portal that allows patients or their parents to access health information from Epic, recently underwent significant changes. The increased use of MyChart by Texas Children’s patient families will help providers stay connected to their patients, improve patient care and save time. Here’s how:

  • MyChart is an effective tool for patient engagement, leading to better outcomes. The more patient families are involved in their care, the better their outcomes.
  • MyChart allows easy login – whether on a computer or a smart phone – so patient families can see their health information and review comments from their physicians.
  • MyChart enhances how physicians communicate directly with their patients by allowing conversations to occur online and at times that are convenient for the physician and the patient. This direct communication helps patient families feel connected to their care providers.
  • MyChart improves the patient experience by allowing easier access to their health information, such as after-visit summaries, immunization histories and more.
  • MyChart promotes efficiency by decreasing the need for printing, mailing and faxing patient information.
  • Read more or Watch the video

 

January 2012115MataTwins640

Positioning team designs, builds swing to help conjoined twins sit up

Taking care of conjoined twins, Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata, is hard, even for the highly-trained medical staff charged with looking after the two 9-month-old girls. Diaper changes, baths, feedings, even moving the girls from one place to the other takes a lot of effort, thought and hands. So, when the team of surgeons assigned to the twins asked the girls’ primary nurses and physical therapist to figure out a way to help the twins sit up, Frank McCormick, Jennifer Pitlik and Jennifer McGinnis were stumped. Read more or Watch the video

 

January 20

2014 a record-breaking year for pediatric residency applicants

About 350 applicants visit the hospital campus between November and January. These students are hopeful they will be part of the elite group of 43 accepted to the highly competitive pediatric residency program. This academic year, the Department of Pediatrics had more than 990 residency applicants – the highest number of applicants in the program’s history. It’s about 100 more than last year, and it’s double the number of residents who applied just five years ago. “Recruiting residents is one of the most important things we do,” said Physician-in-Chief Dr. Mark W. Kline. “We’re ensuring the health of Houston’s children 10, 15, 20 years down the road.” Read more or Watch the video

 

January 1311415Drsingletoninmemoriam640

In memoriam: Lifelong teacher Dr. Edward B. Singleton passes away leaving rich legacy

A vase of flowers rests outside the office of Dr. Edward B. Singleton with the note, “we’ll miss you.” It’s a feeling shared by all who knew Singleton, Chief Emeritus of the Edward B. Singleton Department of Pediatric Radiology at Texas Children’s Hospital. Singleton passed away on January 10 at the age of 94. Read more or watch the video

 

January 13

Tissue engineering expert to speak at Cooley Lectureship

Renowned tissue engineering expert and Harvard Medical School John Homans Professor of Surgery Dr. Joseph Vacanti will be the featured speaker at this year’s Denton A. Cooley Lectureship in Surgical Innovation Tuesday, February 10. Beginning at 7:30 a.m. in the fourth-floor Conference Center at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, Vacanti will discuss “Tissue Engineering and the Care of Children,” a burgeoning area of research that has untapped potential for people who need new organs. Read more

 

January 13

Shneider named new chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Texas Children’s recently announced the arrival of Dr. Benjamin Shneider, our new chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Shneider was also appointed professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. Shneider obtained his undergraduate education at Stanford University and earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago. He completed pediatric residency training at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, as well as a subspecialty fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Yale University. Read more

 

January 13

Dietary intervention study underway to improve outcomes in IBS patients

Texas Children’s researchers have embarked on a five-year crossover dietary intervention study that could determine why certain children with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) develop symptoms when eating wheat. In collaboration with researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Texas Children’s Gastroenterologist Dr. Bruno Chumpitazi and his team are conducting a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to examine the effects of fructans – a natural sugar found in wheat – in 80 children with IBS. Read more

 

January 6

Texas Children’s welcomes new cardiovascular surgeon

Texas Children’s Heart Center recently welcomed Cardiovascular Surgeon Dr. Lauren Kane. Kane is also an assistant professor of surgery and pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. “We are thrilled to have Dr. Kane join our growing team as she brings with her a great array of clinical and research experience,” said Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser Jr. “Not only will her addition to the team allow for more convenient access for children in need of cardiac surgery, but we’re confident her research will continue to advance the national prominence of our cardiovascular team.” Kane’s clinical and research interests include the full spectrum of congenital heart surgery, with a particular interest in neonatal palliation and outcomes-based research. Read more

 

January 6

Pilot program makes scheduling surgery from remote locations easier

Historically, it has been difficult to schedule surgery from Texas Children’s Hospital locations outside Main Campus. A pilot project launched a few months ago in Otolaryngology has overcome this challenge and made scheduling surgery from remote locations easier. Surgeons now can add an order in Epic at the time of a patient visit. Previously, when otolaryngologists traveled to see patients, they faxed or transported paper forms to Main Campus or called to schedule surgery. “Those methods of scheduling surgery from offsite locations were less efficient and rife with opportunities for missed communications,” said Dr. Carla Giannoni, the Texas Children’s otolaryngologist who spearheaded the project. Read more

 

Submissions for Bench and Bedside

Bench and Bedside is produced monthly by Texas Children’s Corporate Communications team to spotlight recent news about Texas Children’s physicians and scientists. The team welcomes submissions related to speaking engagements, staff awards/recognition, research, clinical work and academic activities. Send your questions or submissions to connectnews@texaschildrens.org.

January 20, 2015

12115lifeimage640

Imagine a trauma patient gets sent to a community hospital where their scans show the need for higher acuity care than is available at the hospital. The patient is transferred to Texas Children’s for the right care, but, as for most trauma patients, time is of the essence, and a matter of minutes could make all the difference in the outcomes.

The MRIs, CAT scans, or x-rays which are usually sent via CD and could easily be lost or misplaced, can now be uploaded directly from the referring hospital into a cloud software now available at Texas Children’s called LifeIMAGE. In the digital age, LifeIMAGE streamlines the process of receiving and evaluating images from other physicians and hospitals. These images can be quickly, easily and safely uploaded to the system straight from the imaging device.

“It has allowed us to provide more timely interpretations of outside studies,” said Dr. George S. Bisset, radiologist-in-chief. “Before the patient even gets here, the clinical care team is prepared.”

“The software allows our providers to review any imaging studies performed at the transferring hospital prior to the patient’s arrival,” said Trent Johnson, director of Ambulatory Services. “This means that we can better anticipate the care needs of the patient before they ever arrive. This saves us valuable time, which is of the essence for seriously injured patients.”

On top of time savings, the new system reduces radiation exposure for the patient who before could be subject to new scans upon arriving here. The double dose of radiation was costly and kept physicians from acting as quickly as possible. The benefits have been seen across the system.

“In the outpatient clinic setting, it has reduced the amount of time that our clinic staff and providers must wait to download and view an outside image or study,” said Johnson. “This increases patient and provider satisfaction by improving the throughput and efficiency.”

The use of this image-sharing network could also help prevent unnecessary transfers. For example, a patient visiting their community hospital in Midland can get their scans directly transferred to Texas Children’s for physicians here to determine if a transfer is necessary.

The system also allows for patients from around the globe to receive second opinions without ever having to leave their home country.

January 14, 2015

Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your submissions and feedback.

12/19/2014

Texas Children’s Medical Staff: Required Training for Fluroscopic Procedures

On May 1, 2013 the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) made specific changes to its regulations of Texas Administrative Code §289.227 “Use of Radiation Machines in the Healing Arts.” This rule requires all physicians and midlevel providers to obtain additional radiation training prior to performing fluoroscopic procedures. This is not a Texas Children’s Hospital policy but a modification of state law goes into effect May 1, 2015. Read more

12/18/2014

Mata conjoined twins take first step toward separation with tissue expansion

Conjoined 8-month-old twin girls, Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata, underwent a five-hour surgery December 16 at Texas Children’s Hospital Main Campus to place custom-made tissue expanders into their chest and abdomen area. The tissue expanders will help stretch the babies’ skin in preparation for their separation surgery, which is expected to take place early next year. Dr. Alberto Hernandez with Interventional Radiology performed the examination. Chief of Plastic Surgery Dr. Larry Hollier and Dr. Ed Buchanan with the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery conducted the tissue expander placement surgery. Dr. Helana Karlberg led the anesthesia team and Audra Rushing led the surgical nursing team. Read more

12/18/2014

Tessier receives NASPGHAN Fellow Research Award for C. Difficile study

Dr. M. Elizabeth Tessier, a pediatric gastroenterology fellow at Texas Children’s, received the 2014 Fellow Research Award from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). Her award-winning study titled, “Bile acid signatures in children confer protection from clostridium difficile infection,” found that changes in the bile acid composition in the stool may predispose patients to Clostridium difficile (C.diff), a bacterial infection that causes intestinal inflammation and diarrhea. Read more

12/17/2014

Neurosurgery represents Texas Children’s at AANS Annual Meeting

The Texas Children’s Hospital Division of Neurosurgery was well represented at the recent American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting in Amelia Island, Fla. The division had eight posters accepted for presentation. Of those eight, three were selected as “Top Posters.” In addition, Neurosurgery had four abstracts accepted for oral presentation. Read more

12/16/2014

Voice of Nursing blog: Physician-nurse partnership (By Dr. Tony Mott)

Trust, respect and a sense of humor. What do these things have in common? In my opinion, they’re the key ingredients for developing a successful nurse-physician partnership. As medical director, my partnership with Assistant Clinical Director Tarra Kerr is vital to the success of 15 West Tower. In fact, from our shared partnership, we have established a shared vision – a vision of what 15WT can be and the path to that end. Read more

12/16/2014

Department of Surgery unveils surgery preparation video

No parent ever wants to hear their child will need to have surgery – whether it’s a routine procedure that only takes minutes or it’s something more serious. That’s why the Department of Surgery goes out of its way to make the surgical experience at Texas Children’s a good one for patients as well as their families. The department’s most recent effort to ensure a positive surgical experience is had by all is a video for parents that talks about what to expect when their child has surgery at Texas Children’s. The video, available in English and Spanish, covers eating and drinking instructions, what to bring to the hospital and what parents will experience while their child is in surgery. “Our goal in the Department of Surgery is to have our patients and their families prepared as well as possible for the surgical experience,” Chief of Plastic Surgery Dr. Larry Hollier said. “Setting appropriate expectations is crucial to patient satisfaction.” Read more or Watch video

12/16/2014

The patient census and what it means for Texas Children’s

On any given day, hundreds of patients come through the hospital doors at Main Campus and West Campus. Whether they walk through our doors on their own, or are transferred from another hospital, these patients require the care of Texas Children’s Hospital specialists. In November, 101 patients had to be turned away from Texas Children’s Hospital. The patients were denied a transfer from another institution because we were above census. “We have to always remember that when people come to us, they are bringing their children who are ill for care,” said Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser, Jr. “We have to put ourselves in their position, and respond.” Read more or Watch video

12/16/20146

Texas Children’s hosts second cardiac artery anomalies conference

Texas Children’s Hospital hosted its second national conference December 4 and 5, addressing a series of fatal conditions known as coronary artery anomalies. Coronary artery anomalies are a group of rare congenital heart defects that have been associated with coronary ischemia, myocardial infarction, and sudden death. It is the second most common cause of sudden death in young healthy athletes. Read more

12/16/20146

Texas Children’s Heart Transplant Program celebrates 30th anniversary

Texas Children’s Hospital recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of its heart transplant program. Since its inception in 1984, Texas Children’s Heart Center has performed more than 300 heart transplants, making the program one of the most active and largest in the nation. “The true results of our team’s exceptional work over the past 30 years can be seen in the hundreds of success stories of our patient families,” said Texas Children’s Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy and Cardiac Transplantation Medical Director Dr. Jeff Dreyer. “As one of the largest programs in the nation, our experience in treating patients with heart failure is leading the way in positive outcomes.” Read more

12/09/2014

Kayyal to co-lead development of Neuro-NICU program

Dr. Simon Kayyal, an assistant professor of pediatrics and neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, recently joined Texas Children’s neurology team. He will develop and co-lead the Neuro-Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Neuro-NICU) with Texas Children’s Neonatologist Dr. Jeffrey R. Kaiser, a professor of pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine. Read more

12/08/2014

Hand and Microvascular Surgery Clinic offers multidisciplinary team

Patients treated at the Texas Children’s Hospital Hand and Microvascular Surgery Clinic now benefit from not only two physicians whose focus is on hand and upper extremity care but also from a full-time certified hand therapist. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons Dr. Mitchel Seruya and Dr. Thomas Hunt III formed a multidisciplinary team with certified hand therapist Tara Haas. Seruya, Hunt and Haas work with registered nurses, occupational hand therapists and medical assistants to perform clinical evaluations, formulate diagnoses and provide treatment plans for patients. Read more

12/03/2014

Texas Children’s Pediatrics opens new practice, merges two others

Texas Children’s Pediatrics recently welcomed a new practice to the inner loop and merged two others in the Houston area. The new practice, Texas Children’s Pediatrics Green Park, opened November 18 and is located at 7505 S. Main St., Suite 450. Three new physicians – Dr. Michael Connelly, Dr. Shannon Hayes and Dr. Jackie Wanebo – are seeing patients at the location. Connelly, a Houston native, earned his medical degree from and completed his residency with the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. Connelly specializes in fitness, healthy eating, and infants and newborns. Hayes is from Katy and earned her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Hayes completed her residency at Baylor as well, and trained at Texas Children’s Hospital. Wanebo came to Texas from Charlottesville, Va., earned her medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed her residency with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She specializes in asthma, healthy eating, teenagers and children with special needs. Read more

 

Submissions for Bench and Bedside

Bench and Bedside will be produced monthly to spotlight recent news about Texas Children’s physicians and scientists. The Connect team welcomes submissions related to speaking engagements, staff awards/recognition, research, clinical work and academic activities. Send your questions or submissions to connectnews@texaschildrens.org.

January 13, 2015

11415halloffame640

Three inspirational women who are members of the Texas Children’s family have been inducted into the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce (GHWCC) Hall of Fame.

Dr. Lucy Puryear and Texas Children’s Board of Trustees members Jan Duncan and Cindy Taylor were among the 13 outstanding women recognized at last month’s Hall of Fame Gala. The ceremony honored female leaders who have made significant contributions to the advancement of women through leadership, education, advocacy and mentoring in the Greater Houston community.

Texas Children’s was the only organization that had more than one inductee into the Hall of Fame, which speaks volumes about our organization’s incredible leadership.

“We are thrilled that several of our own female leaders were awarded this prestigious honor,” said Cris Daskevich, senior vice president at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. “These dynamic women are making a profound impact in their respective fields and helping Texas Children’s advance care for children and women in our region and around the world.”

The awards ceremony featured a heartfelt video tribute applauding each of our female leaders for their efforts in promoting Texas Children’s passion for the mission.

Jan Duncan
Jan Duncan serves on the Board of Trustees and has been a long-time supporter of Texas Children’s. She and her late husband, Dan, helped establish the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) at Texas Children’s, which has led to remarkable advances in the diagnosis and treatment of rare, childhood neurologic diseases. Their commitment of $50 million to the NRI is the largest single gift in Texas Children’s history.

As an advocate for children’s health, Duncan serves as an honorary chair of Texas Children’s Heal Sick Children campaign. She also supports Texas Children’s Cancer Center, the Baylor International Pediatrics AIDS Initiative and has ensured the success of our Vision 2010 initiatives.

Dr. Lucy Puryear
Dr. Lucy Puryear has been a passionate advocate for women’s mental health and her ongoing efforts have not gone unnoticed in her profession. Recently, she received the GHWCC’s coveted Kathryn S. Stream Award for Excellence in Women’s Health.

Puryear is the medical director of The Women’s Place: Center for Reproductive Psychiatry at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women and co-director of The Menopause Clinic, an initiative to improve the health of women as they age. One of her current projects is to initiate maternal depression screening for women throughout their pregnancy and postpartum period to help enhance their quality of life through early diagnosis and treatment.

Puryear is a nationally recognized expert on women’s mental health and has delivered numerous presentations to health professionals and lay persons through invited lectures, print and television appearances. She is the author of the book, “Understanding Your Moods When You’re Expecting: Emotions, Mental Health, and Happiness, Before, During and After Pregnancy.”

Cindy Taylor
Outside of her professional achievements in the oil and gas industry, Cindy Taylor has served on Texas Children’s Board of Trustees since 2012. In these short years, she has helped our organization create a roadmap for the future.

As chair of the Board’s Operations, Planning and Development Committee, she oversaw the very important CareFirst planning process to evaluate the hospital’s critical needs and help us set the right course for Texas Children’s for decades to come. At the heart of this process is our organization-wide focus on quality, safety, patient experience and proactive growth.

Congratulations to Texas Children’s remarkable female leaders on a job well done!