May 7, 2021

This week on Mark Wallace’s blog, he reflects on the many roles our remarkable nurses play at Texas Children’s, and how we would not be who we are today without our nursing teams. Read more

May 4, 2021

To kick off Nurses Week at Texas Children’s, Chief Nursing Officer Jackie Ward delivers a special “thank you” message to our nurses for their hard work, resilience and accomplishments. Read more

As we continue to advancing towards a reconstructed future filled with hope and anticipation, we also recognize the experiences the past year has had on our collective mental health.

According to Dr. Karin Price, Chief of Psychology for Texas Children’s: “Due to increased illness, mortality, bereavement, economic losses, school closures, social isolation, and prolonged uncertainty, adults are reporting significantly increased symptoms of anxiety and depression since the start of the pandemic. Moreover, we are beginning to see evidence that these signs of distress are not transient or short-lived, and that they have not decreased as the length of the pandemic has worn on.”

Further supporting the mental health and well-being of our strong and resilient team, Texas Children’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Well-Being is recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month, during which we will be promoting a variety of programs and resources to help our team members purposefully commit to their own health and happiness.

Below are some key highlights of available resources. Additional tools and resources to confidentially support your mental health can also be found here.

  • Daily Mental Health and Wellness Survey
    From May 17 – 21, you will be invited to participate in an optional daily survey that will allow us to better assess the well-being of our team members and inform future outreach. This brief survey will be available to employees through the same daily screening application used before entering our facilities, in addition to our Connect site for those working in remote locations. Responses will be kept confidential and only shared with members of our Well-Being team.
  • Mental Health Online Screening: Free online screening of mental health conditions with resources and tools provided to help you understand and improve your mental health. Access this free resource at The Mental Health America website.
  • Mental Health Webinars
    The EAP team, in partnership with Cigna, will be offering Texas Children’s team members a variety of webinars on mental health and personal wellness. To register for the events listed below, please click here.

    • Overview of Behavioral Health resources
      Tuesday, May 11, from 12 to 1 p.m.
    • Burnout
      Wednesday, May 26, from 12 to 1 p.m.
    • Mental Health First Aid
      Monthly one-day online training session in HealthStream, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
      Click here for more details.

For questions or further assistance, please contact our EAP and Well-Being team at 832-824-3327. You can also visit our EAP website where you will find information on additional confidential programs, virtual care options and resources to support your mental health and well-being.

After winning the Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 Drawing, the following team members tell us why they stepped up to be vaccinated and hope to inspire others.

Shammail Barsenas – 9.8 years of service
Staff Nurse – Inpatient, Pavilion for Women
I am grateful to have won the drawing and will put my prize to good use. I appreciate the hospital doing this for the employees. The reason that I chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine is to not only protect my family as well as myself but to also protect my patients that I take care of in Neonatal ICU. The babies deserve every fighting chance that they can get! Thank you for this opportunity.

Frank Stowell – 16.9 years of service
Lead Philanthropy Advisor
Texas Children’s Hospital is a great mission with an incredible team. I had no hesitation at all in signing up for the vaccine. I saw Mr. Mark Wallace, Dr. Julie Boom, Ms. Michelle Riley-Brown, Mr. Jermaine Monroe and Dr. Peter Hotez among the first in line to receive a vaccine. I respect and admire these individuals. I know that Dr. Hotez and his team have been working on this vaccine for years. I have heard Dr. Boom advocate on behalf of vaccines for years. I have great trust in this organization. Receiving the vaccine is the right thing to do for our patients, our community, our family, our colleagues and for ourselves. Too many people have lost their fight against COVID. We should all take steps to make sure we are fully vaccinated. I am so very thankful we were among the very first to have this access. Texas Children’s is a great place to work!

Deborah Witmer – 3 years of service
Sr. Systems Analyst – Epic
I am so thankful and proud that Texas Children’s Hospital offered the COVID-19 vaccine to employees so early in the fight against this pandemic. Not only did getting the vaccine offer me protection but it also offered protection to other members of my family and to our patients and co-workers. Getting the vaccine is one way that I, as an individual, can help in the fight against COVID-19. I continue to encourage everyone I know to take this protective step. Supporting each other is so important. Thank you, Texas Children’s Hospital, for taking care of us.

To date, 80 percent of our workforce has volunteered to be vaccinated against COVID-19. To celebrate this achievement, we have decided to extend the $1,000 Prize Drawing and the Winner’s Choice Drawing through the end of May! We’ve had such a remarkable response from our participants and we want to keep up the strong momentum with these fun and exciting programs. If you haven’t already, schedule your vaccination appointment now, simply click here and sign up for the date and time that work best for your schedule.

April 27, 2021

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Texas, anxious parents and families quickly learned they could count on Texas Children’s for friendly and convenient drive-through testing with a speedy response within 24 hours.

Now – just one year later – more than 100,000 patient encounters have been completed at drive-through testing locations in Austin and at The Center for Women and Children, the Meyer Building and Pavilion for Women at the Medical Center, West Campus and The Woodlands.

Leaders largely credit a committed and flexible labor pool team and contract staff across the system for getting the first-of-its-kind initiative off to a strong start, and helping it thrive despite unforeseen challenges and disruptions.

“We are committed to be available for our patient needs, and will continue to work as a system to make sure the right testing options are available to meet those patient needs,” said Assistant Vice President Sara Montenegro, who has led the initiative since its inception and continues to chart a course for the future.

“At this time, we will continue testing for pre-ordered, and scheduled appointments in our drive-through locations, and will continue to offer testing alongside office appointments at our primary care and urgent care locations.”

The drive-through testing effort has also been highly collaborative and an example of how we amplify unity at Texas Children’s to achieve the best possible results, including:

  • Child Life team members developing information for parents about what to expect so they could prepare their children for testing before pulling into the drive-through.
  • IS helping to set up equipment to reduce patient prep time and improve the workflows at the testing sites, which changed periodically as the process evolved over time and adjustments were made to streamline ordering tests, scheduling patients and setting testing times.
  • The Pathology team for seamlessly receiving couriered specimens 7 days a week over the last year, to ensure high quality results were available for patients timely.
  • The EPIC team setting up scheduling and documentation workflow, helping families have access to easy directions in MyChart, and staying available round-the-clock to handle any new technology challenges.
  • Marketing providing testing center signage and up-to-date information for parents and families to access on Texas Children’s websites
  • Supply Chain ensuring there were always enough supplies and cool gowns for summertime testing in the Texas heat – and Facilities making sure staff members stayed warm during the February cold snap and cool in the warmer months, with a clean, mosquito-free site to work from every day.

“Our staff is what makes the testing centers successful,” said Ginger Dillehay, Manager, Quality Improvement at Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “Keeping a light and fun atmosphere in the middle of a pandemic is challenging. Our team members consoled and entertained patients and parents while maintaining quality and efficiency. So many teams contributed to this success.”

Pam Burns, Quality Improvement Coordinator, Texas Children’s Pediatrics, is also a licensed vocational nurse who is not normally involved in direct patient care. She was grateful for the opportunity to work at the drive-through testing sites and make an impact during the pandemic – at a time when our patients, families and colleagues on the frontlines needed it the most.

“Even in the beginning when it was a little scary because we didn’t know much about this illness, it was nice to contribute,” Burns said. “I don’t think any of us thought we would be doing this a year later or 100,000 patients later, but it has been rewarding.”

After winning the Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 Drawing, the following team members tell us why they stepped up to be vaccinated and hope to inspire others.

Patricia Chupin – 9.8 years of service
Staff Nurse – Outpatient, The Woodlands
I decided to get vaccinated to help protect our immunocompromised patients that are at high risk of getting COVID-19 and to help protect my high-risk family members. Hope that getting vaccinated will help us get one step closer at going “back to normal” in our community.

Rafael Garza – 6.8 years of service
Enrollment Specialist, TCHPC-Southwest Shared Services
The reason I got my vaccines is first to protect our members that we take care here at The Center Southwest, then my family and of course all of us here.

Tarence Rodriguez – 4.8 years of service
Department Assistant, West Campus, Ortho/Sports Medicine
I chose to get the vaccine because I wanted to utilize any option I could to better protect myself, my family and those who I encounter against this deadly virus. Simply put, I just want to do my part in helping save lives.

To date, more than 10,500 of Texas Children’s employees have received at least one vaccine dose. If you haven’t already, schedule your vaccination appointment now, simply click here and sign up for the date and time that work best for your schedule.

In addition to the $1,000 Drawing, Winner’s Choice Team Drawing kicked off on April 1, giving team members who have received at least one vaccine dose the opportunity to win some of the most sought-after electronics on the market. For complete drawing rules and eligibility, click here.

Victoria McLarty shares what she enjoys most about her role as a transplant coordinator for Texas Children’s Heart Center and why it’s important to register to become an organ donor. Read more