April 18, 2023

From a doctor who provides direct care to an employee who smiles at a patient in the elevator, we all play a role when it comes to patient experience. Through all the touch points and interactions patients go through in their journey at Texas Children’s, even something small can go a long way. During Patient Experience Week (April 23-29), we want to take a moment to celebrate those who impact our patients’ lives every day.

“Our One Amazing Team members show up every day ready to deliver the best care and experience for our patients,” said Julie Griffith, director, Patient Experience and Support Services. “Next week, we’re taking a moment to say thank you. We’ll celebrate with fun and engaging activities for team members and provide opportunities to show our gratitude to our patients and their families.”

Griffith also noted this year’s Shine theme was chosen as it embodies how bright Texas Children’s future is and showcases how our team members rise to the occasion every day and shine for their patients.

There will be multiple activities for both unit staff and patients, as well as daily spirit day themes open to everyone. Get ready for some bingo and ice cream socials, and interact with the fun carts as they roll through your unit. There will be contests, activities and parades. For more details on the program and calendar of events, please visit the Patient Experience Week SharePoint site.

Caught You Caring

There are countless examples of how team members make an impact not only in our patients’ but colleagues’ lives. Through our Caught You Caring recognition program, anyone (patients, families, colleagues, vendors, volunteers or visitors) can provide a kind word about someone who went the extra mile. Even the smallest act of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Click here to submit a recognition for a colleague. The recipient and their leader will receive an email notification. Since its inception in 2015, there have been more than 30,000 recognitions submitted.

Donald Wilkins takes his role as Ambassador to heart and it showed through in just one of the 55 Caught You Caring recognitions he’s received. The one below is from a patient’s parents.

“Donald went above and beyond staying past his normal work hours to keep us updated on the status of our son Theo. He was so professional and kind. He not only provided updates but also checked in on our status offering us drinks and blankets. We watched how he provided this level of service to all families he was tending to. His delivery of the message was clear and he answered any and all questions he was able to. In our opinion this man has an absolute heart of gold and TCH is lucky to have such a quality employee like him. Donald, thank you for your care during a time that was incredibly difficult to us. Your words brought us peace before the surgery and we are so grateful.”

Check back on Connect next week as we highlight additional colleagues for their great work.

Since Texas Children’s Green Team partnered with Practice Greenhealth a little over a year ago, several initiatives have launched, completed and are in progress as we work toward our sustainability goals. As we celebrate Earth Day this April 22, we take a moment to see how far we’ve come and what’s on the horizon.

“The improvements we want to make for Texas Children’s will certainly take time, but it’s time well spent. We’re anxious to move forward, but being thoughtful in our approach to ensure it’s done right,” said Dr. Maren Fuller, co-chair of the Texas Children’s Green Team. “Thank you to everyone involved as we continue on this journey together to make a lasting impact on the environment.”

Milestones
  • LED West Campus. West Campus completed a multi-year project to retrofit all lighting to LED.
  • LED general. LED lighting now used in new construction and completed 60% LED retrofit in the Medical Center.
  • Electric vehicles. Three electric passenger vans as circulators continue to run in the Medical Center from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. daily.
  • Propane shuttles. Of the 15 shuttles in the Medical Center, 13 are propane, which are friendlier to the environment, more cost efficient and quieter. The last two diesel shuttles are scheduled to be upgraded next year.
  • Staffing. Hired a Certified Energy Manager for the organization.
  • Waste. Partnering with Stericycle on a recycling and waste reduction program.
  • Food composting. Researching and identifying vendor for composting.
  • Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards. Completed awards applications to assess progress and measure our sustainability performance (Medical Center completed their second, West and Woodlands Campuses completed their first).

In addition to these milestones, the anesthesiology department has made incredible strides thanks to the efforts of Dr. Shazia Mohammad, Dr. Ammar Yamani and Tamra Kelly, CRNA from the Sustainability in the Perioperative Area (SUPER) Committee.

Desflurane Removal

Out of all the anesthetic volatile gases we use, desflurane is the most harmful with a global warming potential of 4000 times that of carbon dioxide. The carbon footprint of desflurane is a whole magnitude worse than other volatile anesthetics. Led by Dr. Mohammad, we have officially removed desflurane from all Texas Children’s campuses/locations as of February 2023. It is no longer on the pharmacy formulary. By removing all 99 desflurane vaporizers and chemicals, Texas Children’s Hospital will reduce our carbon footprint by nearly 900,000 kg CO2 equivalent and save over $80,000 a year.

Suction Canister Reduction

At The Woodlands Campus, Dr. Yamani worked with the perioperative team to encourage anesthesiologists and ENT surgeons or dentists to reduce plastic waste. Normally, the anesthesiologist and the ENT surgeon or dentist both have a dedicated suction canister and tubing for a single patient. With minimal changes to standard practices, these practitioners can share a suction canister and tubing to dramatically reduce waste and material cost. When presented to the peri-operative team, immediate buy-in was obtained by the entire perioperative team. This low lift “Save the Suction” initiative addressed business and sustainability imperatives while maintaining superior patient safety; this was manifested in a reduction in overall suction canister waste and cost despite the addition of two new operating rooms over the last two years. Dr. Yamani’s efforts hope to serve as a prime example of how small changes can have a significant impact.

Biohazard Waste Reduction

In the cardiovascular operating rooms (CV OR) and catheterization lab, Tamra Kelly (CRNA) helped reduce unnecessary waste from going into the biohazard bins. Biohazard waste is 7 to 11 times more expensive to dispose compared to general waste. It has a much larger carbon footprint as well as higher energy and water use since it is treated by autoclaving or incineration. By communicating and working with the perioperative staff and administration, Tamra helped coordinate adding general waste containers instead of only biohazard containers in the CV OR and cath lab. She also educated the department on what is considered general waste and what is biohazardous waste. She has effectively reduced Texas Children’s carbon footprint from the CV perioperative area.

For more information on the Green Team or how to get involved, please contact committee co-chairs Dr. Maren Fuller or Gary Brown.

When her husband was unable to work due to medical treatments, Texas Children’s team member, Lisa Scott, was uncertain how her family would manage without his income. She turned to a resource she learned about from her co-workers: the Employee Financial Assistance Fund (EFAF).

Established and managed by the Human Resources – Employee Assistance Program, the EFAF provides financial help to eligible employees experiencing unexpected, unforeseen, or unavoidable emergencies. In a true example of what it means to live compassionately at Texas Children’s, the fund is maintained through generous donations from our employees – colleagues supporting colleagues in their time of greatest need.

While working with the EAP, Lisa learned of a new partnership between EAP and Fidelity to provide one-on-one financial counseling for employees. Participants meet with Fidelity Workplace Financial Consultants for 4-6 sessions and review their finances while working together to create a budget, pay off bills or debt, understand their credit score, and start an emergency fund.

Lisa enjoyed the program and would recommend it to others saying, “I had to create a budget, and it was certainly eye-opening to see what comes in and what needs to go out. Once you put everything down on paper, it becomes more real.” Talking through her finances with her counselor, Danielle, she felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Lisa said, “After working on the exercises she gave me, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Danielle was supportive and did not make me feel like a failure.”

Fidelity is readily available to assist with any of your financial needs. To help you through your financial journey, we encourage you to schedule a free one-on-one financial consultation session with Fidelity.

For more information on applying for the Employee Financial Assistance Fund, please visit the EFAF page on the Sharepoint site. Additionally, if you are in a financial position to donate even one dollar to the Employee Financial Assistance Fund, all donations are greatly appreciated.

April 13, 2023

The more we know, the more we understand, the more we connect. Click to read this month’s DEI update and stay in the know! Read more

April 5, 2023

Anette Sandoval shares a touching patient encounter to remind us of the importance of trust. Read More

At Texas Children’s, consistent hand hygiene is a priority and studies show it reduces the risk of infection. All workforce members must adhere to hand hygiene practices. For clinical areas specifically, the Five Moments of Hand Hygiene as defined by the World Health Organization must be followed. For convenience, hand sanitizer and handwashing stations are readily available throughout our facilities to consistently practice hand hygiene.

Accountability is key

Partnering with team members can help ensure hand hygiene best practices are followed. Please review the Five Moments of Hand Hygiene flyer and FAQs.

For more information on hand hygiene, including how to improve and increase this important practice across your unit, please contact Kandice Bledsaw, Director of Infection Prevention and Control.

Guiding patients through the admissions process is hard work and is sometimes taken for granted, but it is a vital component of patient care. For patients and their families, a member of the patient access team is typically the first person they interact with either when they pre-register for their service or when they walk through our doors. Those interactions can get our patients and their families off on the right foot as they seek care from our clinicians.

Contact Center Supervisor Lupyta Chapa knows how important her team’s role is in the overall journey and relishes the opportunity to provide solutions and a positive experience for patients and their families.

“Every day, our team tirelessly works to secure benefits and authorizations for services rendered, and usually without any issues. When we do encounter a bump in the road or setback, that’s when the real magic happens and our team members kick into gear,” said Chapa. “The team comes together to find solutions with one goal in mind, giving our patients the care they deserve. This team is amazing and I’m so proud to be part of it. This is why I have dedicated over 16 years of my career at Texas Children’s to the Pre-Service department.”

The Pre-Service department manages all outpatient scheduled events for the Medical Center Campus, Pavilion for Women, The Woodlands Campus, West Campus, Health Centers and the Austin-Mopac clinic.

There are many dedicated team members responsible for pre-service, admissions and scheduling. Through Caught You Caring, they are recognized every day for their efforts. Here are a few highlights:

Judith (Judi) Unrau, Patient Access Representative
We were here a week ago and she introduced herself to my son as we were leaving, and made him smile. Today, she got him laughing and giggling when he was in major pain and scared because he needed blood work. After my son was in procedure, my husband and I were both hungry and she found us a place to stash our bags so we didn’t have to carry everything we had with us to go eat. She laughed and joked and made us feel more comfortable as we waited. She calmed some of my fears. When the waiting room was empty, she volunteered to change the TV station for us. I can’t thank her enough for everything she’s done for us today.

Margarita Briseno, Patient Access Representative
The customer service was very good, helpful and professional. Margarita has a big smile, a helping hand, and is very good with the kids. I will vote for her for best customer service support at the hospital. Keep up the good work and thank you.

Caroline Jones, Contact Center Representative
I received a call today from an upset mom who was so upset and worried her son’s dental appointment for surgery would need to be cancelled. I talked with mom telling her I would look into it and noted the referral shell. Caroline was working the appointment and took it upon herself to reach out to me to see what was going on. And then went above and beyond to see how we could make sure the surgery was approved and not cancelled for this Tricare patient. Caroline escalated the request to Tricare and went way above and beyond even escalating to them. I’m super thankful that Caroline was on this referral shell and thought outside the box to help out. I really appreciate her and her amazingness!!! So glad she’s a part of our Pre-Service Team.

Cristina Aguilar, Patient Access Coordinator
When I got on the phone with Cristina I had already been on the phone for almost two hours trying to make an appointment to see a doctor. I was becoming a little frustrated and struggling to remain calm, and Cristina laid out all of my options clearly, answered my questions with kindness and care, and when I related to her some of the issues that impacted me personally she asked me to hold briefly. It was actually a brief hold, and during that time she went around the office and was able to find me an appointment from a cancellation so I could see a physician I was comfortable with and so I could receive care at a time that was convenient for me. On top of that, she was just so dang nice! Cristina is professional, kind, caring, a good listener, smart, and expedient. I could hear Cristina’s smile through the phone as I was explaining what I needed, and she took my concerns seriously. She is exactly the sort of human you want as the face of your practice, and Baylor OB/GYN is lucky to have her. Thank you, Cristina, for turning what had been a bit of a nightmare into a total win, and for your kindness.

Aaron Wilson, Patient Access Representative was recognized three times in one day! Here’s one of the comments.
Mr. Aaron Wilson, the one that took my ID at the nurse check in desk. He was so very kind and went above and beyond. I was so sick with COVID and still am. He came up to us in the waiting room and handed us two bottles of water and a Gatorade and said, “you will need to stay hydrated.” He did not have to do this but it was SO APPRECIATED!!! It’s those special little deeds that mean so much to patients and their families. You are so blessed to have such a compassionate employee that genuinely cares about others wellbeing.

To read more recognitions or submit a Caught You Caring for a co-worker, click here. Our dedicated patient access team members will celebrate Patient Access Week from April 2-8.