February 25, 2020

This March is National Nutrition Month, which is a great time to revisit those healthy resolutions you made at the beginning of the year and also learn some different ways to easily incorporate healthy options into your day-to-day routine.
To celebrate this occasion, your Employee Health and Well-Being team invites you to participate in the My Nutrition Challenge, a four-week event that will allow you to have some fun, learn some simple recipes for tasty and nutritious meals, and maybe even win a prize.

Challenge details

My Nutrition Challenge takes place beginning Monday, March 2, through Friday, March 27.
Upon registration, participants will receive a tracking form that will help them stay on top of their progress, as well as weekly motivational tips to help keep them on course

Participants who complete the post-challenge survey will receive a cutting board.
At the end of the challenge, participants who submit a success story will also be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a Ninja blender.
Additional information about the challenge is available on our new Well-Being page on Connect.

Interested in the My Nutrition Challenge? Click here to register!

Self-Care classes available

In addition to the challenge, our Well-Being team and dietitians from Texas Children’s are working together to bring you a variety of events across many of our locations during National Nutrition Month. Below is a full listing.

Medical Center
All classes are held on Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Well-Being Studio, West Tower, 20th floor.
March 5: Yoga for Digestion
March 12: Meal Prep
March 19: Spiritual Detox
March 26: Mind-Gut Connection

Group Nutrition
Join our well-being dietitian as she gives additional tips and guidance every Monday during the challenge from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Well-Being Studio, West Tower, 20th floor.

My Plate Event
Thursday, March 26, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Auxiliary Bridge

Health Plan
My Nutrition Challenge Event
Wednesday, March 4, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Conference Room, Basement Level

The Woodlands
How to Meal Prep
Tuesday, March 10, 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., Conference Room A
Register here (skype option also available)

Yogurt Social
Wednesday, March 27, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., Lobby, Donor Wall

West Campus
“Bite by Bite” Table Event
Wednesday, March 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Corridor outside DOTS Kitchen

Yogurt Social
Wednesday, March 25, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Fifth-floor ballroom

Specialty Care Cy-Fair
Nutrition Table
Thursday, March 5, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Lobby

Resources to support your nutrition

All Texas Children’s employees, including our valued team members working outside of the Houston area, are eligible for a variety of well-being programs at no cost. This includes:

  • Health Coaching – provides you with a positive and personalized experience to help you achieve your well-being goals.
  • Nutrition Consulting – work with a dietitian to help fuel your body with the proper nutrients needed to reach your well-being goals.
  • Discounted Services – receive reduced monthly membership rates, waived enrollment fees and discounted services from all of our well-being partners.

For more information on these resources, please contact our Employee Medical Clinic at 832-824-2424 or email our Well-Being team at wellbeing@texaschildrens.org.

Let’s amplify unity among our colleagues and encourage each other to Eat Right, Bite by Bite!

Close to 100 patients and family members attended the most recent session of Adulting with CHD: A parent’s guide to transitioning from pediatric to adult care.

Hosted by Texas Children’s Hospital Cardiology Transition Medicine Team on February 18 at the Pavilion for Women, the more than three-hour event is a way for parents of congenital heart disease patients who are transitioning into adulthood to learn to take a more supportive role, and help their young adults take the primary role to manage their life-long heart condition on their own.

The evening began with dinner between adult congenital heart disease providers, adult CHD survivors and families of CHD participants. Next came comments on the event and the evening from Dr. Keila Lopez, director of the Cardiology Transition Medicine Program, and then participants went straight into breakout sessions led by members and clinical staff involved in the transition program as well as Texas Children’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease program. Topics of the breakout sessions included transition preparation and expectations, and lifelong trajectory and mental health.

The latter part of the evening focused on a question and answer/panel discussion. Panelists included adult congenital heart disease patients, current transition patients, a parent of an adult patient with congenital heart disease, heart failure, cardiac surgery, and maternal fetal medicine specialists, as well as the medical director of the Texas Children’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease program.

For more information about Texas Children’s Hospital Cardiology Transitional Medicine Program, click here.

February 24, 2020

On February 24, the Public Charge Inadmissibility Law – commonly known as Public Charge – went into effect after much debate and a January ruling by the Supreme Court.

So what does the new rule mean for Texas Children’s and for us as employees?

First, it means that many of our patients, health plan members, and their families may start asking more questions or may shy away from our services due to misinformation. Secondly, it means that all employees should understand exactly what public charge means and what to say to the families who may have questions.

What is a public charge?

“Public charge” or the “public charge test” is used by immigration officials to decide whether a person can enter the United States or get a lawful permanent resident status (green card). In this test, officials assess the likelihood of whether a person will lean heavily on the government for support.

What does the new rule mean?

The United States Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule (a new regulation) for legal immigrants in the United States wishing to enter or remain here.

Based on a number of factors – such as income, employment, personal health, education, skills and family situation – a person may or may not be allowed into the country or allowed to apply for lawful permanent status or a visa. The more public assistance a person has received in the past or the more assistance he or she is likely to receive, the less likely their chances of getting a green card.

Are there any exceptions to the rule?

Yes. Individuals listed below will not have to undergo the public charge test:

  • Pregnant women who need public assistance during pregnancy or for 60 days after giving birth
  • Pregnant women on Medicaid

The following forms of assistance do not count against anyone subjected to the public charge test:

  • Medicare Part D low-income subsidy
  • Benefits received by children until the age of 21, including Medicaid and CHIP
  • Emergency medical assistance
  • Food pantry assistance
  • School lunch program participation
  • Foster care or adoption

When does the new rule start?

Monday, February 24.

What do I tell patients who are in the process of trying to obtain a green card?

The public charge rule will only apply to individuals who apply for a green card on or after February 24. Tell them that it is important to speak to a lawyer about their individual case before making any decisions. They can seek low-cost or free counsel through Baker Ripley’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (https://www.bakerripley.org/citizenship-and-immigration-services).

What about our financial counselors that help families who are inpatient? Can the Health Plan help them?

Texas Children’s Health Plan is here to guide them and help answer their health coverage questions. If they have any questions about their CHIP or Medicaid coverage, they also can:

Visit the Texas Health and Human Services Commission website at yourtexasbenefits.org

Call 2-1-1 for information

Contact Texas Children’s Health Plan at 1-888-559-PLAN for further assistance or visit texaschildrenshealthplan.org/plan

Where do I go if I’d like to know more about this topic?

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has published a very helpful fact sheet.

Visit: https://www.uscis.gov/news/fact-sheets/public-charge-fact-sheet

For added convenience, employees can also purchase tickets for several RODEOHOUSTON events, including NRG Park Admission, the World Championship Bar-B-Que Contest and Carnival Packs. Tickets are now available at multiple Texas Children’s campus locations until 4 p.m., Friday, February 28. For more information on pricing and sale locations, please click here.

Questions?

If you have questions about The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, please contact our Benefits team at totalrewards@texaschildrens.org or call Total Rewards at 832-824-2421 (select option 1 and then press 2) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Let’s rodeo, Texas Children’s!

On his blog this week, Mark Wallace honors American Heart Month by talking about the amazing strides Texas Children’s has made in caring for children’s hearts. He also highlights our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program and explains why it’s so important to the continued success of our top-ranked Heart Center. Read more

February 18, 2020

Chief Nursing Officer Mary Jo Andre hosted her seventh virtual town hall. In her blog, she provides a link to the town hall recording and highlights the exciting progress our nurses have made towards achieving the department’s strategic goals. Read more

February 17, 2020

Employees, patients and members of Texas Children’s entities are encouraged to take the 2020 Census. The effort to educate us is being led by The Section of Public Health Pediatrics and Community Benefits at Texas Children’s Hospital.

“Every 10 years, the census counts how many people live in each community to decide how much funding and representation in congress each community should receive,” said Cassie Jones, community initiatives coordinator. “An accurate census count means more programs and services will be available to the children and families we serve to support their full health and well-being.”

This funding supports everything from disaster recovery to higher education to road improvements to Medicaid funding.

“Texas Children’s is uniquely situated to reach hundreds of thousands of families and encourage them to complete the census,” Jones added.

She goes on to say that children under the age of five and low-income populations are often undercounted in the Census and it is estimated that communities miss out on $10,000 in funding for every person that is not counted. If children reside in more than one home, they should be counted where they stay most often, even if their parents don’t live there. If there is any confusion, children should be counted where they will be staying on Census Day – April 1st, 2020. For newborn babies still in the hospital on April 1, 2020, they should be counted at the home where they will live and sleep most of the time.

There are only nine questions and your responses cannot be shared with anyone. Every household in the United States should complete the census regardless of citizenship or immigration status. There are no questions about citizenship. For more information go to 2020 CENSUS.

Four easy ways to respond

Secure Internet: For the first time this year, the Census will be available online.
Respond by phone: Beginning March 1, 2020 the Census phone lines will be available at 1-800-923-8282.
Respond by mail: From March 12, 2020 through March 20, 2020 every home will receive an invitation in the mail to complete the Census. This information will explain how to complete the Census to help ensure our community receives the funding we need to help our patients, families, and community thrive!
In-Person interview: United States Census Bureau enumerators will visit residences that choose not to self-respond.

Important Census Dates
  • March 12 – 20: Households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail.
  • March 30 – April 1: The Census Bureau counts people in shelters, at soup kitchens and mobile food vans, on the streets, and at non-sheltered, outdoor locations such as tent encampments.
  • April 1: Census Day is observed nationwide. By this date, every home will have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When you respond to the census, you’ll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020.
  • May – July: Census takers will begin visiting homes that have not responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted.
  • December: The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President and Congress as required by law.
Need assistance?

Lines are open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. CST seven days per week.

English (1-844-330-2020) and Spanish (1-844-468-2020).

If you service communities with different language needs, please check out the language specific phone lines at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/2020-census/planning-management/memo-series/2020-memo-2019_18.html