As work life began to change for many Texas Children’s employees, the introduction of the Labor Pool system has brought new opportunities. Employees who normally serve in administrative or office roles have been able to interface with patients and families in a new way.
A whole new world
Kathleen Wood, director of Business Services with Texas Children’s Physicians Services Organization, manages the Labor Pool operation at the Medical Center. She said that although providing new insights and perspectives to employees was not an initial primary goal of the program, it has been a joy to see this emerge as an outcome.
“I understand this benefit in a very personal way,” Wood said. “In the past, while working in Revenue Cycle, I also volunteered in patient transportation at West Campus Radiology. That time spent on the front lines reaffirms the purpose of the organization and the importance of what we all do.”
Barbara Shreffler, manager of Research in the Office of Philanthropy, has spent the last two months managing several screening locations across main campus including Feigin, West Tower, Abercrombie and MPERT.
Shreffler said the work is challenging, but equally rewarding. “How else would I get to know emergency room nurses, pharmacists and other clinical professionals?,” said Shreffler, whose full-time job doesn’t require her to go into a patient care area. “I can honestly say that I have made new friends and I really do think that this experience will make me a better member of the philanthropy team.”
She went on to say that she has a reinvigorated enthusiasm to do more for Texas Children’s. “This Labor Pool role has made me more knowledgeable and more passionate about my work.”
Shreffler is not alone in how she feels. Elizabeth More, who works as a physician liaison in the Fetal Center, joined Labor Pool in April and became a team lead for screening at Legacy Tower and the Pavilion for Women.
“In my current role, I establish relationships with referring providers and their staff. My hope is that by building these trusting relationships with potential and/or referring providers, they will refer their patients to us for evaluations and interventions,” More said. “However, it is very rare that I have any interactions with the patients that they refer to us. My Labor Pool assignment has opened my eyes to see things from our families’ perspective.”
Some employees have an opportunity to work in a variety of roles. Diane Ramirez, a medical interpreter, has worked several positions for labor pool with the most recent one being as an elevator ambassador.
“This position, in particular, gave me a better sense of understanding on how the patients and their families feel nowadays when they visit our facilities,” Ramirez said. “Labor pool assignments gave me the opportunity to empathize with our visitors and take pride in our role in the community during these difficult times.
But wait…there’s more!
Some employees are not only gaining new insights but also new career skills. Kelley Hernandez, a senior coordinator in the Office of Philanthropy, began as a team lead for the screening areas in March and became a Labor Pool coordinator just last week.
“Serving in the Labor Pool has been such an incredible opportunity,” Hernandez said. “In my full-time role, I do a lot of data entry and spreadsheet manipulation. As part of Labor Pool I’ve been able to strengthen my decision making skills and critical thinking skills. No two days are alike! When I first started I was only lead over one location, and a few months after taking on this role I was covering four locations. I enjoy that every day is a new challenge and I wake up looking forward to what the day will bring.”
Labor Pool shifts are still available all across our organization. To sign up, click here.