February 27, 2018

The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) announced that Dr. Tiffany Nguyen, is among the 204 physicians and 43 PhD/Masters-level health clinicians who have become the first medical professionals globally, to be certified as Diplomates of the ABLM/American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine.

The ABLM was formed in November, 2015, in Nashville, Tennessee, by a group of visionary physicians who saw the need to: educate physicians and allied health professionals about Lifestyle Medicine; set a common standard/language for Lifestyle Medicine protocols globally; differentiate between evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine professionals and non-evidence based Lifestyle Medicine practitioners; set a global Lifestyle Medicine benchmark; and attract health insurance funding for evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine by requiring that any fund receivers be formally certified.

“Gone are the days of diagnosing the ill, prescribing the pill and sending the bill, which has worked so well in combating communicable disease, but is hopelessly inadequate in the fight against chronic disease,” said ABLM Executive Director Stephan Herzog. “Nourishment, movement, resilience and social connectedness will become the focal point of physicians in addressing the underlying causes of chronic disease, with increasing numbers of medical schools starting to train their students in the principles of lifestyle medicine.”

Each clinician took an exam October 26 in Tucson, AZ, following the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s 2017 conference.

“For the patient, having health care providers not only look at the symptoms, but also at the underlying cause of disease,” said ACLM President George Guthrie. “It will help them take charge of their health and prevent, arrest and reverse chronic disease, thus returning years to their life and life to their years.”

Dr. Nguyen practices at the Texas Children’s Pediatrics Kingwood location, where she continues to uphold the core values of ALBM as well as Texas Children’s.

The U.S. Department of State announced that Dr. Peter Hotez has been appointed as a representative to the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation Board of Governors. Hotez is a world renowned expert in neglected tropical diseases, the most common diseases affecting the poor. He is also the Texas Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair in Tropical Pediatrics.

The foundation promotes scientific cooperation between the United States and Israel by supporting collaborative research projects in a wide area of basic and applied scientific fields for peaceful and non-profit purposes.

“I’m excited to be re-engaged in science diplomacy in the Middle East,” Hotez said. “From my time as U.S. Science Envoy and now with the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation, I have found that our nation has extraordinary capacity to reach out and promote science and technology across the globe.”

The Foundation also supports workshops and travel grants for young scientists. Since it was established, they have awarded over $600 million to more than 4,500 research projects that have resulted in significant advances in many scientific fields.

Hotez previously served as U.S. Science Envoy for the U.S. Department of State, focusing his work on Saudi Arabia and Morocco. This is just one of the many honors that Hotez has received, and he plans to continue innovating and inspiring through his work within Texas Children’s and internationally.

Cardiologists with Texas Children’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program recently received The American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) new Adult Congenital Heart Disease certification. The ABIM certification is designed to recognize the qualifications of physicians who are specialists in the care of a wide range of adult patients with congenital heart disease.

Program Director Dr. Wayne Franklin, Associate Program Director Dr. Peter Ermis and Cardiac Rhythm Specialist Dr. Wilson Lam earned the certification after passing the exam, available only to qualified ABIM and/or American Board of Pediatrics diplomates who have completed required training in cardiovascular disease or pediatric cardiology.

“We are excited about all three of our ACHD cardiologists becoming certified,” said Sarah McMaster, director of ambulatory services and clinical business operations for the Heart Center’s Cardiology Department. “It is in alignment with our perspective that Texas Children’s is the best place for patients with congenital heart disease, even adults, to receive care.”

Texas Children’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program earned Comprehensive Care Center accreditation from the Adult Congenital Heart Association this past fall. Texas Children’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program is the first in Texas to receive this esteemed designation. Our program also now has the most ACHD board-certified cardiologists than any institution in Texas.

Click here to read more about our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program and the providers who received the ABIM certification.

February 20, 2018

Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark Wallace recently enjoyed an intimate surprise celebration in the building that bears his name. Last week, a few leaders, staff members and Texas Children’s ukulele choir joined him for the unveiling of a new plaque, which officially dedicates the building in his honor.

“Thank you so very much for this,” Wallace said to the choir and the small crowd. “I’m deeply honored by this special moment with all of you.”

As Wallace approached the bridge, he was surprised by a small crowd and the ukulele choir, which sang an original song that music therapists Marial Biard and Alex Brickley composed about Wallace’s legacy of leadership.

Acts of leadership create tidal waves of growth.
Pledging your life to accelerate healthcare.
You’re an exemplar of this oath.

Those are just a few lyrics from the ukulele choir’s song, The Texas Children’s Way. Brickley, who co-leads the choir with Biard, said The Texas Children’s Way is the lyrical epitome of Wallace’s vision for the hospital.

“We wanted to make sure we used Texas Children’s core values in the lyrics,” Brickley said. “We knew we wanted to incorporate those because that’s what Mark Wallace said leadership is about and that’s what Texas Children’s stands for.”

The choir includes employees of all professions and allows them a break during the day to step away from work, relax, and learn music. The choir performs for our patients and is often requested for employee events.

The newly unveiled plaque hangs at the end of The Auxiliary Bridge near the third-floor entrance to Wallace Tower. Previously, Texas Children’s 16-floor clinical building had been the Clinical Care Tower. In March, Texas Children’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to rename the building Mark A. Wallace Tower in honor of our long-time President and CEO.

Wallace took the reins of Texas Children’s Hospital in 1989, and under his leadership, Texas Children’s has become the largest and most comprehensive pediatric and women’s health care organization in the nation. Although obviously surprised by the small celebration, Wallace immediately offered a few words of aspiration and a promise.

“Even though we’ve done a lot in these last several years together, the best is yet to come,” Wallace said.

Special thanks to the ukulele choir members who performed at Mr. Wallace’s plaque unveiling:
Saharay Alamos-Almeida
Marial Biard
Alix Brickley
Ashby Gleditsch
Amanda Harris
Caley Johns
David Kolacny
Nick Ryan Magdoza
Danh K Nguyen
Halle Nick
Hannah Nilsen
Ashley Wood

The Clinical Research Center/Research Resources Office presented the Clinical Research Award for First Quarter 2018 to Dr. Daniel Leung, associate professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition where he serves as Director of Clinical Research.

This award was established by the Clinical Research Center in collaboration with the Research Resources Office to recognize and honor individual contributions to protecting the best interest of the research subjects and compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

Leung’s research activities in the CRC focus on caring for children with a variety of liver disorders. He is an active investigator in the NIH-supported CFLD and ChiLDReN Networks which study cholestatic and cystic fibrosis-related liver disease and led the recently completed Cystic Fibrosis Foundation sponsored multi-center Baby Observational Nutritional Study (BONUS). Leung also oversees the Viral Hepatitis Program at Texas Children’s Hospital which offers cutting edge antiviral therapies through several clinical trials to children throughout the state who have Hepatitis B and C. Virtually all these patients are seen for study treatment and long-term follow up with the support of CRC staff. With the new pipeline of oral direct acting antivirals (DAAs) against hepatitis C, children with chronic HCV can now be cured in as short as 12 weeks with minimal to no side effects. Leung credits the outstanding nursing staff in the CRC and research coordinators through the RRO as “true co-laborers in helping cure and eradicate viral hepatitis in children and breaking the vicious cycle of these viruses.”

Elizabeth Ellen “Betsy” Parish, journalist and author of Texas Children’s history book, Legacy: 50 Years of Loving Care, Texas Children’s Hospital, 1954-2004, died at her home on Tuesday, February 13. At 71, she left behind a legacy of her own with her passion for documenting and preserving the history of health care in Houston.

Parish is a native Houstonian, earning a college degree in Journalism from the University of Houston. She used her journalistic skills to become a newspaper columnist and public relations executive, eventually being acknowledged as “Houston’s hot media personality.”

Upon writing Legacy for our hospital, she was given the opportunity to produce historic literature for other medical institutions. She co-authored Houston Hearts: A History of Cardiovascular Surgery and Medicine and The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, published in 2014, as well as, Reflections – Houston Methodist Hospital, published in 2016.

Most recently, she edited Tributes, a compilation of previously published articles regarding Dr. Michael DeBakey, which was published in 2017.

Texas Children’s is appreciative of her contribution to the documentation of our hospital’s story, and we will continue to remember her as her name lives on the cover and throughout our history book.

A memorial service in celebration of the life of Elizabeth Ellen Parish is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Friday, the 23rd of March, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston.

In lieu of flowers and customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to The Betsy Parish Fund, c/o The Parish School, 11001 Hammerly Blvd., Houston, TX 77043.

February 13, 2018

For nearly 17 years, Maryann Macey has volunteered with the Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Pediatric Neurology at Texas Children’s Hospital – an opportunity that she describes as very rewarding.

“It is amazing to see all of the progress our organization has made in advancing research to help our physicians at the Blue Bird Circle Clinic diagnose and treat patients with neurological diseases,” Macey said. “It is an honor to be a Blue Bird volunteer and work with such an outstanding group of women.”

On February 6, Macey and 100 Blue Bird members including many of Texas Children’s employees, staff and leaders, attended a special luncheon at the Pavilion for Women to celebrate the Blue Bird Circle’s 95th birthday. The event included a $1.9 million check presentation from the Blue Bird Circle to Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine. A large portion of this gift will support neuroscience research and training.

Since 1998, the Blue Bird Circle has supported the Clinic for Pediatric Neurology at Texas Children’s with millions of dollars in grants, as well as thousands of volunteer hours. Blue Bird volunteers devote countless hours at the Clinic and The Blue Bird Circle Resale Shop which has helped to raise awareness in the community about pediatric neurological disorders and highlight the incredible work being done at Texas Children’s to improve the quality of life for neurology patients.

“The words, “Blue Bird Circle,” are synonymous with its members’ generosity, volunteerism, commitment and dedication,” said Texas Children’s CEO Mark A. Wallace. “Members of the Blue Bird Circle have been the catalyst for so much of what has happened in pediatric neurology in the past 20 years. The care we provide, the research we conduct because of the Blue Birds benefit the patients we serve here and children with neurological conditions all over the world.”

During the luncheon, Dr. Gary Clark, Chief of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, spoke about the tremendous growth of the neuroscience program at Texas Children’s and shared examples of the research progress that has been made through our partnership with the Blue Bird Circle. To treat patients with an enzyme deficiency in the form of Batten disease, Texas Children’s is one of the few sites that provides therapy to these patients by surgically injecting the synthesized enzyme directly into the brain thereby halting this degenerative form of Batten disease. Texas Children’s also is using novel approaches to treat patients with spinal muscular atrophy, a disease of the nervous system where the spinal cord degenerates due to defects in the SMN1 gene. The treatment involves injecting a DNA molecule into the spinal fluid that turns latent gene into an effective one that makes the deficient protein.

“We are contemplating similar treatments for Angelman and Rhett syndromes,” Clark said. “We are so grateful to Texas Children’s Blue Bird Circle Research Center in collaboration with the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s for helping us make these research breakthroughs possible, and I am excited about what the future holds for pediatric neurology.”

Guest speakers at the event also included Dr. Charles Gay, medical director of Neurology at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, and Dr. Robert Zeller, medical director of the Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Pediatric Neurology. Texas Children’s Chief of Palliative Care Dr. Tammy Kang delivered the keynote address on the interdisciplinary palliative care program and how it supports patients and their families.

Prior to the luncheon, the Blue Bird members met with neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel Curry and Chief of Critical Care Dr. Lara Shekerdemian to tour different sections of the Legacy Tower which will open on May 22.

For more information about Blue Bird Circle, click here.