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
February 6, 2023
Opportunities are now available in Austin and will continue to become available each month until the North Austin Campus opens in February 2024! Nearly 100 positions, including Advanced Practice Providers, Assistant Directors and Managers, need to be filled as soon as possible. To apply:
Go to Voyager Single Sign-On and click the Current Jobs app to search for internal job openings
Enter “Austin” in search to filter Austin jobs
Know talented people who might be interested in applying?
Our best recruiters are you – our One Amazing Team. Spread the word among your friends, family and colleagues – tell them to check out our open positions at texaschildrenspeople.org/Austin. You have the opportunity to get paid for referring candidates who join our team through our E.A.R.N. (Everyone is A Recruiter Now) Program, which pays up to $5,000 for referring qualified candidates who fill high-demand roles.
New positions continue to roll out so stay updated through Texas Children’s social media on all things Austin expansion.
We’ve come a long way since opening our doors in February 1954. It all started with a single three-story building and 106 beds, the first hospital of its kind in Houston dedicated solely to caring for children.
When Karol Musher joined Texas Children’s in 1971, she was one of three employees in the Speech, Language & Learning department. “I used to park right outside the window of my office,” said Musher. Back then there were no computers – only paper records, handwritten notes and plenty of face-to-face conversations, which Musher remembers fondly as a speech-language pathologist.
“Several of my friends have retired, but I still look forward to coming to work every day and am inspired by the energy of my younger colleagues who often rescue me from my frequent computer issues,” she jokes. “Despite the many changes over time, Texas Children’s has remained committed to providing the best possible patient care and supports me in doing so; I’m very proud to be part of this incredible institution and team.”
Today, we’re the largest and one of the most comprehensive specialty pediatric hospital systems in the United States with over 4.3 million annual patient encounters. As we gear up to celebrate our 70-year milestone next year, we continue to grow our presence in Texas and look forward to opening our new state-of-the-art-hospital in Austin in Q1 2024.
By continuing to do things differently, we deliver the impossible for the benefit of children and women around the world – and we couldn’t do it without the hard work and dedication of our One Amazing Team. The best is yet to come!
Take a moment to celebrate and say “Happy Birthday, Texas Children’s!”
Click here to read about our extraordinary history and timeline. To learn more about Karol Musher and her 52-year tenure at Texas Children’s, click here.
February 1, 2023
Take some time to honor the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history by promoting equity and economic empowerment. Click to learn more about this observance! Read More
January 26, 2023
Music Therapy at Texas Children’s started in 2013 with a single music therapist in the NICU and inpatient rehabilitation unit – marking the beginnings of a nationally-accredited program that celebrates a decade of changing lives through music in 2023.
Fast-forward 10 years and you’ll find a Music Therapy program at its largest and most impressive, serving more patients and families than ever before with compassionate, evidence-based practice. Texas Children’s now has three board-certified music therapists on staff at the Medical Center campus covering inpatient Acute Care, Critical Care, and Neonatal ICU, and one board-certified music therapist serving the Intensive Outpatient Program.
Harnessing the healing power of music
There are countless forms of music therapy that can facilitate therapeutic outcomes and motivate children to heal their bodies, brains, and hearts. For example, interventions like contingent singing can decrease overstimulation and positively affect weight gain and growth in critically-ill infants. This is how our Music Therapy team is leading research in the field, having recently submitted for publication the first-ever study exploring co-treatment of music therapy and occupational therapy in the NICU.
There’s no doubt that a hospital stay can be taxing both physically and mentally. Given the extended length of an average ICU admission, many patients become desensitized to normal sounds and lights due to dysregulated sleep patterns. “With structured multi-sensory stimulation, I’m able to re-introduce appropriate auditory stimulation to my patients in a calming way so that they can develop regulation,” said music therapist Hillary Gómez. “It’s also a great intervention to use with patients who are sedated or on paralytics.”
Celebrating legacy
In 2018, our music therapists joined forces with art therapy and media services to create the Child Life Department’s Creative & Therapeutic Arts Program – setting out to enrich the lives of our children and families through innovative therapies and projects like Be Like Molly Mae, an annual hospital-wide creative arts camp inspired by a former patient.
“Some of my favorite memories are from Be Like Molly Mae camp, which is filled with music, art, and media activities for all our patients to participate in,” said music therapist Maribeth Brinkley. “This past year we had a secret agent theme, culminating in a special musical performance centered around hope and the holiday season.”
The music doesn’t stop there! Our beloved staff Ukulele Choir was born out of the Music Therapy program and practices weekly to prepare for performances and annual “care-o-ling“ around the hospital, lifting the spirits of patients and visitors.
Program milestones
According to music therapist Marial Biard, the Music Therapy team is working toward being adequately staffed with the American Music Therapy Association’s (AMTA) recommended minimum ratio of one music therapist to every 100 patient beds.
When asked where she sees the program in 10 more years, Biard said “we will also be pillars of care in our West Campus and Woodlands hospitals, leading significant research efforts that recognize the efficacy of music therapy co-treatment, pain mitigation, and patient experience.”
Join us in celebrating A Decade of Song all year long with program highlights, patient stories, and blog posts from our music therapists – as well as reflections on milestones from the past 10 years that include:
2013 – Music Therapy program formed for NICU and inpatient rehab patients
2014 – Music Therapy receives NICU research grant from AMTA
2016 – Heartbeat recordings garner significant media coverage
2018 – Creative & Therapeutic Arts Program formed
2018 – $75,000 donation from Robinson Foundation to increase access to music programming
2021 – Elise’s Legacy Library published, becoming award-winning pediatric tool for mindfulness and mental wellness
2021 – First “Be Like Molly Mae” camp
2022 – Behavioral Health music therapist hired
To learn more about the Ukulele Choir or Good Grief Group, our music therapy support group for staff who experience grief in their roles, please email musictherapy@texaschildrens.org.
January 24, 2023
In four weeks, a team of Magnet® appraisers will join Texas Children’s for a virtual site visit (February 21-24, 2023). This marks the next step in the process to obtain Magnet re-designation – the highest and most prestigious recognition provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
What is Magnet?
Magnet is a credential bestowed by the ANCC, which formally recognizes an organization’s attainment of nursing excellence. By becoming Magnet-recognized, organizations empower nurses to reach their true potential.
For 20 years, Texas Children’s has been a Magnet-designated organization. Every four years, the hospital applies for re-designation and welcomes appraisers who seek to clarify, verify, and amplify the exemplars referenced in our written documentation. For the first time in our Magnet history, this year’s site visit will be conducted virtually.
Why is it so important?
Obtaining and maintaining Magnet designation is important because it benefits patients, nurses and our organization. Examples of the benefits include:
Enhanced ability to attract and retain top talent in a highly competitive labor market
Improved patient outcomes, safety and satisfaction
Strengthened collaborative culture
Advanced nursing practice and robust shared governance structure
Heightened business and financial successes
How you can prepare
Nursing staff are encouraged to join our remaining 15-minute Relay to Redesignation Magnet Blitz sessions every Friday at noon leading up to the virtual site visit. Click here to learn more and watch recordings of previous Blitz sessions.
The Magnet appraisers will typically ask questions about how patient care is delivered at Texas Children’s, and how others interface with nursing staff. Brush up on your department or unit’s data for nurse-sensitive indicators, RN satisfaction and patient satisfaction. Be open and honest if you interact with appraisers, and most importantly, share what you’re most proud of.
Texas Children’s staff have an opportunity to submit comments to the Magnet Program Office prior to the site visit, click here for the Magnet Staff Notice. To learn more about the ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program,® click here.
January 23, 2023
Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, marked by many unique traditions. Click to learn more about this 15-day celebration! Read More
