April 22, 2024
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Earning the distinction of #1 pediatric transplant center in the United States for a seventh year in a row doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a total team effort sustained by passion and persistence. According to CVOR Manager Sophia Bailey, “it takes consistency and tenacity.”

A few of Sophia’s coworkers chimed in with their thoughts on what it takes to operate year-after-year as #1 and what motivates them to stay at the top.

According to Staff Nurse Miranda Orsak, “Through surgical and medical innovations our team has pioneered treatments and therapies that are now standard procedures. The time and effort poured into clinical research and evidence-based practice has greatly contributed to the success of the care we provide. While I believe the scientific breakthroughs contribute to setting us apart, our team is fueled by compassion. Family-centered care is a pillar that we deem very important, and we incorporate it into every step of the transplant process.”

While the medicine and research are a competitive advantage, equally as important to the team is their tireless dedication to patients and delivering excellent care. They all agree while the team is stacked with gifted and talented individuals, they work together seamlessly and care for each other in ways that bring out the best in each of them.

“I appreciate working with people who care about me as a person and understand the relationship between my work and my life,” said CVOR Nurse Tenitra Smith. “They know what I need personally to perform at my best professionally.” She added why she loves working on the transplant team – “I work on a team that fixes broken hearts!”

Many of the staff have been together for years, which is part of their success formula.

Senior Administrative Assistant Kathy Raford pointed out, “Our vice president and director both started as transplant coordinators and most of my colleagues have also served on this team for more than 10 years.”

Kathy has seen it all in her 17 years on the transplant team. One of the things she thinks sets us apart from other hospitals is how we establish trust and build relationships with providers and patients from the outset. When she first started working in transplant, she handled new referrals. Many referring physicians were “shocked” someone actually answered the phone and that physicians responded to phone calls sometimes within the same day by email or phone.

When asked what she loves about working at Texas Children’s on the transplant team, long-tenured Transplant Coordinator Katie Crockett said, “I love calling parents/patients to let them know we have a donor heart for them. That is the best call. Seeing them post-transplant and doing well is amazing. I have worked at Texas Children’s since I was a baby graduate nurse in 2000 and have loved all of the friendships I have made and patient families that I have had the pleasure to be a part of their journey. It is an honor to be a part of their worst and best days. I love my patients and our team, and I learn something new every day.”

Miranda may be more of a newcomer to the team, but she’s already felt the impact her work has had on her patients as well as their impact on her. “I have witnessed heart warriors battle with extended hospital stays and continue to beat the odds. Seeing these patients’ and parents’ strength is truly inspirational and I feel so very honored to partake in their care. It is always a celebration on the unit when we receive word that a heart is available for one of our kiddos. Nothing makes me happier or prouder than seeing a patient win their battle and be able to go home,” Miranda said.

In the last year, Texas Children’s successfully performed 99 organ transplants, the highest volume for all pediatric centers across the United States for the seventh year in a row. According to the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN), in 2023, our transplant teams had leading pediatric volumes in the country with 24 hearts, 5 lungs and 34 livers, and 36 kidney transplants. In addition to these exceptional volumes, our teams are dedicated to quality patient care and our programs lead the nation with exceptional outcomes as well.

Pediatric Transplant Week is April 21-27 and April is Donate Life Month. We thank and honor all the dedicated team members in these departments who create a healthier future for children and women, every day. We are also so grateful to all the selfless organ donors and their families who chose to donate life during their darkest hour.

April 15, 2024

The Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital recently held the Ralph D. Feigin Memorial Grand Rounds featuring honored speaker Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

“What a privilege it was to host this very special Grand Rounds presentation with such an impressive in-person turnout of past and current faculty and trainees,” said Pediatrician-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine Dr. Lara Shekerdemian. “The occasion was made even more special by our speaker and colleague, Dr. Peter Hotez, who gave an enlightening presentation on the science versus the anti-science of global vaccinations and even shared how his path crossed with Dr. Ralph Feigin’s many times while doing this important work.”

Also in attendance was Texas Children’s President Dr. Debra Feigin Sukin, daughter of the event’s namesake Dr. Ralph D. Feigin, who is considered by many as the foremost pediatrician in the world, and who served as Texas Children’s Physician-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine from 1977 until his passing in 2008.

“I was incredibly honored to be able to present Dr. Hotez with the Baylor College of Medicine Endowed Lectureship medal named after my father…who left an enduring legacy of excellence with his passion for clinical care, teaching and research,” added Sukin. “I am profoundly grateful for Dr. Hotez – his courage, his advocacy and the life-changing work he has dedicated himself to have had an immeasurable impact on eradicating infectious diseases and impacting the lives of millions of children and women across the globe.”

“I’m deeply appreciative for this opportunity to share my work with peers and colleagues I respect so much at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s,” said Dr. Hotez. “I first met Dr. Feigin when I was a pediatric house officer at Mass General in Boston, where he was also a resident, and we remained in contact over the years…this made it a special honor for me to deliver this year’s Ralph D. Feigin Memorial Lecture.”

“The fact that our Center for Vaccine Development developed a COVID-19 vaccine technology at the Feigin Center, administered to 100 million people globally, made it even more special.”

The Annual Ralph D. Feigin Memorial Grand Rounds not only honored the legacy of Dr. Feigin but also reaffirmed the commitment of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital to advancing pediatric health care through education, research and innovation.

Held weekly on Fridays, Baylor College of Medicine’s Pediatric Grand Rounds, provided by Texas Children’s Hospital, are designed to utilize current medical literature to inform physicians, residents and fellows on advancements in the field. Click here to learn more.

Dr. Richard Hopper (left) and Dr. William C. Pederson (right)

Dr. William C. Pederson, chief of Plastic Surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital, has been named the Josephine Abercrombie Endowed Professor in Plastic Surgery Research, and Dr. Richard Hopper, medical director of Plastic Surgery in Austin, has been named the Samuel Stal, MD Endowed Chair in Plastic Surgery.

“Both Dr. Pederson and Dr. Hopper are exceptionally worthy recipients of these endowed positions,” said Texas Children’s Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Larry Hollier. “We are grateful to our generous donors and hospital leadership for creating these endowments to recruit and retain the most talented surgeons to care for our patients.”

The Josephine Abercrombie Endowed Professorship in Plastic Surgery Research was established by Ms. Abercrombie’s son, George Robinson, to honor his mother and the Abercrombie legacy of giving to Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine. J.S. Abercrombie, Josephine’s father, was one of the founders of Texas Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Pederson is an internationally renowned hand and microvascular surgeon with faculty appointments in plastic surgery, orthopedics, neurosurgery and pediatrics at Texas Children’s and Baylor. His clinical interests include the management of vascular problems in the upper extremity, nerve injury and repair including brachial plexus, Volkmann’s ischemic contracture, facial paralysis and microsurgical reconstruction of complex extremity defects.

A leader in his field, Pederson served as president of the American Association for Hand Surgery and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery and sat on the executive council of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He also serves as a member-at-large on the executive council of the World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery.

Pederson has authored more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed literature and 40 textbook chapters. He is an editor of the textbook “Green’s Operative Hand Surgery,” and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Hand Surgery and the Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery.

The Samuel Stal, MD Endowed Chair in Plastic Surgery was created through the contributions of Texas Children’s Hospital to honor the legacy of Dr. Samuel Stal, who served as chief of Plastic Surgery at both Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine. For more than 30 years, Dr. Stal focused his Texas Children’s practice on helping children with craniofacial, cleft lip and palate deformities. He also created the Texas Children’s Center for Facial Surgery, which accepted all children with facial deformities regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

Dr. Richard Hopper is the medical director for Plastic Surgery at our North Austin Campus and a professor of Surgery in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. He specializes in craniofacial surgery, specifically the surgical treatment of growth differences of the jaws and skull. This includes conditions such complex craniosynostosis, cleft lip and palate, and Treacher Collins, Crouzon and Apert syndromes. Dr. Hopper is the former president of both the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery and the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery.

His research has resulted in more than 100 publications focused on image-based outcome studies for craniosynostosis and complex craniofacial procedures as well as device design for cleft and craniofacial care. He has trained 38 craniofacial fellows who practice nationally and internationally. Dr. Hopper serves on the SmileTrain Global Medical Advisory Board to advise safety and quality treatment guidelines for patients born with cleft lip and palate around the world.

Dr. Hopper recently came to Texas Children’s after serving as chief of Plastic Surgery at Seattle Children’s Hospital and surgical director of Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center.

Please join us in congratulating Drs. Pederson and Hopper on their endowed positions!

April 8, 2024

 

Hear how Cynda leads her team with an encouraging heart.

Cynda Conrad has been manager of Patient Family Services and Child Life at Texas Children’s Hospital – The Woodlands for eight of the almost 18 years she has been a Texas Children’s employee. She knows providing guidance and ensuring each team member feels heard are essential to maintaining a positive and supportive environment.

“Advice I took to heart early in my career was, ‘Don’t overthink everything. Don’t try to do everything perfectly. Do the best you can to meet that family’s or patient’s needs in that moment.’”

Similarly, Cynda wants members of her team to feel calm and stress-free during moments of difficulty or uncertainty, knowing they have the support of her and their fellow teammates. She encourages self-care, helping her team reinforce important boundaries and ensuring they have the physical and emotional resources they need. Her motto is “Let’s talk about it and figure it out together.”

A career comes full circle

Working at Texas Children’s was a dream rooted in Cynda’s childhood. Between the ages of eight and nine, Cynda came regularly from her home in Conroe to Texas Children’s to receive laser treatments on her port wine stain birthmark.

“I remember as a child seeing the big buildings and feeling nervous for my appointment.”

One of the first people she met upon arrival was a child life specialist who used a doll to demonstrate the procedure for Cynda to help her understand what to expect on her visits and ease her fears. Cynda carried the doll, which she keeps in her office, to every appointment and looked forward to seeing “her special nurse.”

As she grew older, Cynda wanted to work with children and becoming a child life specialist seemed like a perfect fit. Knowing she wanted to work where she had received such excellent care as a child, Cynda completed her clinical internship at Texas Children’s and joined our One Amazing Team. She began her career as a child life specialist in a float position, quickly moved to radiology, and later our Cancer Center, before assuming her current role at The Woodlands Campus.

Connecting with patients

While discussing the unique opportunities she has had to serve our patients, Cynda tells of once meeting a very shy little girl who, like Cynda, had a port wine birthmark. “She had a tough time looking people in the eye and the mom was very nervous but when I walked in to talk to them about their appointment, mom lit up.”

Cynda says they did not talk about having a birthmark that day because the family was there for other reasons, but she knew that being in that space with someone who looked like the little girl made a difference for them in that moment.

As she recalls the story, it is easy to see why Cynda’s ability to help people feel at ease is The Difference for her team and our patients. We are grateful her career brought her full circle to Texas Children’s, where she listens and leads our Child Life and Patient Family Services teams with grace and encouragement.

 

April 1, 2024

Know a team member who exemplifies our mission and core values? Help us recognize and reward your colleague as a Super Star! To nominate, click read more.

March 29, 2024

This week on Mark Wallace’s blog, he invites Dr. Michael Belfort, Texas Children’s Obstetrician/Gynecologist-in-Chief and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine, to help celebrate Doctors’ Day as he shares what being a physician means to him. Read more

March 26, 2024

In honor of the upcoming Texas Children’s Houston Open (TCHO) PGA TOUR event, Antone’s is offering a signature sandwich called the Texas Clubhouse (or TCH). Antone’s is on site March 25-26 in the Fresh Bistro in the Medical Center making these delicious sammies fresh to order.

Decked out in TCHO golf attire, CEO Mark A. Wallace visited the Bistro to tell patrons about the sandwich and our partnership with Antone’s.

“Directly in line with the incredible partners they are, Antone’s created a sandwich to celebrate the Texas Children’s Houston Open, and it’s simply amazing. This isn’t the first time they’ve developed a sandwich to celebrate and promote Texas Children’s and they outdo themselves every time. Not only are they longstanding supporters of Texas Children’s, they are wonderful friends who truly believe in the work we do for children and women around the world.”

The sandwich features Antone’s Smoked Turkey Club with a Texan twist: thin slices of smoked turkey, zesty pepper jack, crispy Applewood bacon, fresh arugula, all topped with their spicy Chow Chow relish – a first for Antone’s – and chipotle mayo, on a pretzel bun.

As a reminder, Antone’s is donating a portion of its sandwich sales from all Texas Children’s eateries to the Astros Golf Foundation benefiting their charity partners, which includes Texas Children’s. We want to thank Antone’s CEO Craig Lieberman and his team for their continued support and partnership – and of course the amazing sandwiches!

The Antone’s po’ boy sandwich wrappers include a QR code sticker that links to the TCHO website to learn more about the tournament and purchase tickets. Texas Children’s team members and their spouses/significant others are eligible for 20% off the purchase of grounds tickets at the tournament through our title sponsorship and our incredible partnership with The Astros Golf Foundation. The discount promo code is TCHTCHO.

Mr. Wallace also stopped for photo ops at the TCHO displays with team members and Texas Children’s facility dog, Crosby! We invite everyone to visit the Fresh Bistro or The Auxiliary Bridge in the Medical Center, as well as areas in West and The Woodlands campuses to take photos at the TCHO displays to celebrate the upcoming golf tournament. Post your photos on social media using hashtags #TCHoustonOpen #TCHO.

Visit the Texas Children’s Houston Open SharePoint site for details.