March 30, 2021

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.

Robert Carson – 2.7 years of service
Law Enforcement Officer, The Woodlands
We become first responders and health care providers because we care about people. I felt the best way to show I cared, was getting vaccinated to protect my family, my coworkers (HPD and TCH – Woodlands), patients and myself.

Cynthia Alejandro – 21.7 years of service
Case Management Assistant, Care Coordination
I’ve always put my Family first in my life. They are my reason. Because of Texas Children’s, I was truly Blessed to be able to receive this vaccine. I tested positive for Covid-19 on April 1, 2020, and happy to say I tested Negative June 3, 2020. I knew I had to do my part somehow. This is my way of pushing COVID out. I’ve done my best to encourage everyone I know to get the Vaccine. I’ve even made appointments for many of my family member and friends to get their Vaccine.

Blake Harrigan – 1 year of service
Sr. Project Manager, Late Effects Study
I was very excited when I learned I would get the chance to receive the Pfizer vaccine at Texas Children’s – I filled out and submitted my vaccine application form within minutes of receiving it and without hesitation. I was grateful to have the opportunity to limit the threat of personal exposure, but I was most thankful for the possibility that the vaccine would reduce the chance of me being a potential vector and spreader of the virus, especially since I have high-risk, elderly parents. Thank you so much Texas Children’s!

To date, more than 10,000 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.

The Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 drawing ends on March 26, but our celebration of the vaccine breakthrough is far from over!

With the arrival of a third vaccine option and more of our colleagues and loved ones being vaccinated every day, our hopes for a return to normal life beyond the pandemic have reached new heights – and with the launch of Texas Children’s Winner’s Choice Team Drawing on April 1, you still have multiple chances to win prizes for stepping up and leading the way.

Read on to learn more about your shot at winning some of the most sought-after electronics on the market, and click here for complete drawing rules and eligibility.

In this short video Advanced Practice Provider Director Angela Gooden shares why she received the COVID-19 vaccine, and shares a special message for colleagues who haven’t scheduled their vaccine yet.

Texas Children’s own Dr. Lisa Hollier recently traveled to the Texas State Capitol to testify on behalf of a proposed bill that would extend Medicaid coverage for low-income mothers across the state, providing them with more access to lifesaving care.

Hollier delivered her testimony to lawmakers on March 23 during a House Committee on Human Services hearing on House Bill 133, which was authored and filed by State Rep. Toni Rose.

In addition to her role as Chief Medical Officer and Sr. Vice President of Texas Children’s Health Plan, Hollier is also chairwoman of the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee. The committee released a report late last year that noted that most pregnancy-related deaths in Texas are preventable.

To help reduce the incidence of pregnancy-related deaths and maternal morbidity in the state, the committee recommended increasing access to comprehensive health services not only during pregnancy – but also in the year after pregnancy, and throughout the preconception and interpregnancy periods.

Hollier and other advocates of HB 133 agree that lengthening insurance coverage would go a long way toward saving the lives of new mothers who experience pregnancy-related complications within a year of giving birth. Currently, coverage drops off after 60 days.

“By extending Medicaid with a more comprehensive set of services, we would be able to reach more women and address their needs,” Hollier told legislators, as quoted in an article in the San Antonio Express-News.

A board-certified OB-GYN and leading expert in maternal health, Hollier is the immediate past president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). She was elected to the post in 2018 and immediately pledged to focus on reducing preventable maternal mortality during her term.

Hollier was also selected to receive the 2019 Mark A. Wallace Catalyst Leadership Award.

If you’re a Texas Children’s team member who has been asked by an advocacy group, legislative staff member or other organization/entity to provide public support or testimony on legislation, please contact Government Relations before responding or taking any additional action. You can reach the team by phone at 832-828-1021.

Given the enormous vaccine participation from everyone, we are excited to announce the extension of the Get the Vaccine to End COVID-19 $1,000 Drawing to Friday, May 28. Now Texas Children’s team members have multiple chances to win prizes in celebration of the vaccine breakthrough.

In addition to the $1,000 Drawing, Winner’s Choice Team Drawing kicks off 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. With the arrival of a third vaccine option and more of our colleagues and loved ones every day, this new contest is another way to express our appreciation for all those who have stepped up to lead the way.

How it works
  • Each senior executive, and the employees that roll up to that senior executive, represent a team.
  • To participate in the Winner’s Choice drawing, each team must achieve a vaccination rate of at least 75%. To view your team’s current vaccination rate, click here. If you don’t know who your senior leader is, click here to learn different methods of how you can find out.
  • The drawing consists of three prize tiers: 75%, 80%, and 90%. Once a team reaches a 75% vaccination rate, all employees within that team will automatically be eligible to participate in the first tier of the drawing. Once the team reaches 80%, employees within that team will be eligible for both the first and second tier drawings. Once the team reaches 90%, employees within that team will be eligible to participate in drawings for all three tiers.
Prizes up for grabs
  • Tier 1: 75% Participation – Winner’s Choice of Apple Air Pods, Amazon Fire Stick & Echo Dot or Bose Headphones
  • Tier 2: 80% Participation – Winner’s Choice of Apple Watch (5th Generation), Nintendo Switch or Dyson Vacuum
  • Tier 3: 90% Participation – Winner’s Choice of Smart TV, Apple iPad, Microsoft Surface Laptop or Nikon Camera
Your shot at winning

The first Winner’s Choice drawing will take place on April 1, and vaccine appointments are still available. If you have not yet received your vaccine, it is highly recommended that you schedule now as the best way to protect yourself against the virus.

To make your appointment at the Medical Center, West Campus or The Woodlands, click here.

March 26, 2021

A special thank you to all of our team members who have set an example for our patients, their families, our communities and each other. Schedule your vaccine appointment today. Read more

March 23, 2021

Texas Children’s is using artificial intelligence technology to remotely monitor vital health data for expectant mothers in Malawi, giving providers a new tool to help patients avoid the risky situations that can arise during childbirth – and all from literally an ocean away.

In a unique public-private partnership that brought together Texas Children’s, Baylor Foundation Malawi, Ministry of Health Malawi and software solution company PeriGen, PeriWatch Vigilance successfully went live on March 10 at Area 25 Hospital in the capital city of Lilongwe.

An automated early warning system and clinical decision support tool for obstetrics, PeriWatch Vigilance is designed to enhance clinical efficiency, timely intervention and standardization of care. The technology uses artificial intelligence and other analytical techniques to continuously analyze maternal vital signs, fetal heart rate, contractions and labor progression.

Once the data is collected and analyzed, the Periwatch Vigilance platform associates it with predefined bed or room locations within the system. Approved providers can then view and access the data for each patient at Area 25, which is collaboratively run by Baylor Foundation Malawi and the Malawi ministry of health and performs more than 7,000 deliveries each year.

“This initiative represents a paradigm shift in care for Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Dr. Michael Belfort, Texas Children’s OB-GYN-in-Chief. “The use of advanced artificial intelligence programs to address the needs of a low-resource environment is an ideal way to leverage technology to the benefit of all.”

The Periwatch Vigilance project team at Texas Children’s worked closely with partners in Malawi to overcome many of the obstacles they faced when implementing the new technology, including network infrastructure and procuring the necessary workstations. They also had to work within a complex security design to ensure Texas Children’s data and infrastructure remained safe.

“The technical infrastructure present in Malawi provided some unique challenges that required strong partnership with our vendor, Malawi staff and the Texas Children’s Information Services department,” said Ashok Kurian, Director of Data & Analytics, Information Services. “The teams worked together to develop a solution that would allow for secure data transfer, which overcame these challenges.”

Project team members included Melissa Blado, Mark Carey, William Cheong, Jeremy Church, Keith Garcia, Terry Hamidi, Farkhad Kasumov, Justin McMillan, Veena Nagarajan, Tina Oduguwa, Dan Parker, Aaron Rainey and Melissa Witt.

With the lessons they learned to launch PeriWatch Vigilance in Malawi, the IS Department anticipates deploying the same technology to other African countries in the future – particularly Botswana and Uganda, which are also part of Texas Children’s Global Health Network and have already been discussing, planning and constructing their approach.

Created in 1999 by the Baylor International Pediatrics Aids Initiative (BIPAI), the network catalyzes pediatric and family HIV care and treatment, and continues to be the largest provider of pediatric HIV care in the world. Through its partnership with Texas Children’s, the network has also expanded its scope to include tuberculosis, malnutrition, Sickle Cell Disease, oncology, cardiology, emergency medicine, surgery, anesthesiology and maternal health.

The only way to receive any protection against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants is by receiving a vaccine. Doctor Julie Boom explains further in this short video.