December 7, 2020

The halls of Texas Children’s are now decked for the holiday season! However, while we are committed to making this celebratory season as memorable as possible for our patients, families and staff, it is also imperative that we shine a light on the numerous safety precautions we must take in order to prevent cases of COVID-19. Through a system-wide approach, an array of holiday programs and experiences have been re-imagined to honor our beloved traditions and bring a season of merriment, while also adjusting to adhering to necessary safety precautions.

  • Child Life and Volunteer Services teams will provide a wide array of safe activities and programs, including craft stations, holiday-themed games, goodie bags, photo booths with festive props, letters to Santa stations, as well as personalized virtual experiences with Santa.
  • Community donors are allowed to continue providing commercially prepared individually packaged meals for patient families. Food donations for staff will not be accepted.
  • This holiday season, special groups will not be permitted to provide onsite activities, serve meals or distribute gifts directly to patients and families.
  • As a reminder, potlucks, parties and social gatherings in the workplace should not be held. Please consider other options in celebrating the holidays with your team members. While gatherings are restricted at Texas Children’s, you are encouraged to think through alternative options for celebrating with your team members. Some ideas include facilitating a card exchange or hosting a virtual holiday party via Teams. Learn more about our Holiday Season Guidance.
  • If you are planning on attending or hosting a holiday gathering in the community, please be advised that the CDC offers direction and advises that you assess current COVID-19 levels in the community prior to making a determination on whether or not to host an event. Currently, the CDC recommends hosting celebrations virtually or with members of your immediate household only. To learn more, click here.

Thanks to the generous toy and gift donations from families, staff, organizations and our community, Texas Children’s receives many donations during the holiday season. To support this giving, Volunteer Services will host contactless Candy Cane Lane Donation Drive-Through events at designated locations, on Saturday, December 19. Donors may also schedule a donation drop-off by contacting Volunteer Services. For donation-related questions, please contact Volunteer Services at volunteerservices@texaschildrens.org.

Thank you for leading the way and setting an example for your team members, our patients, their families, your families and our community.

December 3, 2020

As of December 3, 77.2% of our team members are vaccinated against the flu. Receiving your vaccine is quick and easy; simply attend one of our upcoming vaccination events. Read more

December 1, 2020

Jenny Tcharmchi shares how her 11-year-old daughter uses her passion for art to express her personal feelings about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

November 30, 2020

Texas Children’s Team Members,

As Mr. Wallace announced on November 18, Texas Children’s has established a COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force to plan and manage the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine to our team members beginning in mid to late December.

Since the pandemic began, the world has eagerly awaited a groundbreaking vaccine to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Given that our health care community has led the battle against this virus – and that supplies of the vaccine are likely to be limited initially – one of the first priorities will be distributing the vaccine to health care systems on the frontlines of providing compassionate care for patients and their families. This includes Texas Children’s, who has been selected as one of the first institutions to receive a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by the FDA for emergency use. Not only does this represent an opportunity for us to provide another layer of protection for our team members, it is also an opportunity for us to continue leading by example and demonstrating to our communities that the COVID-19 vaccine is a critical and necessary tool toward ending the pandemic.

Once appropriate regulatory approval has been granted, Texas Children’s expects to administer a vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. Please note that there are other COVID-19 vaccines currently under development or being tested, and Texas Children’s will continue to monitor and follow regulatory guidance of those options as they are approved and become available.

How do I opt in to receive a COVID-19 vaccine?

All Texas Children’s employees, Baylor College of Medicine faculty and staff partners will be eligible to receive this vaccine. Due to the size of our workforce, and because we anticipate initially having limited doses of the vaccine, our COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force has designed a fair and equitable approach for administrating the vaccine, based on recommendations from the National Academy of Medicine and aligned with state and federal guidance. Texas Children’s will evaluate multiple objective risk elements including a person’s risk of acquiring infection, risk of transmitting infection, risk of severe illness and death, along with risk to Texas Children’s ability to provide care for our community. To learn more, download Texas Children’s Framework for Equitable COVID-19 Allocation.

As part of this equitable allocation process, workforce members who opt in to receive the vaccine will be placed into different distribution phases. In order to do this, Texas Children’s will need to understand both a workforce member’s interest in receiving the vaccine, as well as some general information about any relevant health conditions. More information is provided below.

Phase 1 administration of the vaccine is currently scheduled to begin as early as December 14 (though subject to change) and additional phases will be scheduled as we receive more doses. Here is how to get started.

Step 1: Learn more about the vaccine.

To help our people learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, we have created a website with links to additional resources. We encourage you to review the site to carefully make the best decision for you and your family.

Step 2: Submit a confidential Opt-In Questionnaire.

In order to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, you must submit an Opt-In Questionnaire. In this form, workforce members will be asked for additional information on any personal health factors that are known to increase the risk for severe illness or death related to acquiring COVID-19. All information will be kept strictly confidential and only accessed by Employee Health.

Click here to access the Opt-In Questionnaire

To be eligible to participate in the Phase 1 launch, you must submit this questionnaire no later than 2 p.m. on Monday, December 7. If you submit a form after this deadline, you will be assigned to a later phase. Workforce members may opt out at any time.

Step 3: Check your work email for a confirmation and vaccine scheduling link.

If you have been selected to participate in Phase 1, you will receive a confirmation email at your Texas Children’s or Baylor email address after December 7 and before Phase 1 administration begins. If you are not selected for Phase 1 vaccine administration, you will also receive an email notification advising of such. To ensure efficient distribution, as well as proper social distancing, an appointment to receive both doses of the vaccine will be required. In your confirmation email, you will find a link to schedule both of your vaccination appointments. Please note that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine requires two doses to be administered 21 days apart, and that you must be available during both appointment windows. If needed, please work with your leader to arrange shift coverage.

Questions

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage you to visit texaschildrensbenefits.org/CovidVaccine. This site is available 24/7 on or off the network via any device to provide the most up-to-date information about the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as details on steps for receiving a vaccination.

If you still have questions after reviewing the website, please contact our HR Employee Support Center at 832-826-4600 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or email employeevaccines@texaschildrens.org.

Please continue to check your email, Connect and our COVID-19 Vaccine website for the latest information.

Thank you for your tireless leadership and your compassionate care of our patients, their families and one another throughout our COVID response.

Dr. Julie Boom and Jermaine Monroe
Co-Chairs, COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force

November 23, 2020

Texas Children’s leaders share how they are celebrating the holiday safely this year. Read more

This week on Mark Wallace’s blog, he shares what he’s thankful for and how he finds gratitude in difficult times. Read more

November 17, 2020

 

Denise Tanner-Brown shares creative ways we can celebrate the holidays safely this year while creating new memories with our families, friends and loved ones. Read more