Whether you’ve celebrated a patient’s milestone, shared a virtual high-five with a colleague or written a heartfelt thank-you note to someone special, we hope Texas Children’s recognition of Patient Experience Month has encouraged you to express gratitude in every way you can.
And though April is coming to a close, you can always show your appreciation for those who make a difference. Use this fun visual all year long for creative and easy ways to share your gratitude, and to keep a running list of the things you’ve done.
Need a little more inspiration? Look no further than the 10 employees we’ve spotlighted below, who have all been selected winners of the Caught You Caring of the Year Award.
Caught You Caring of the Year Award
A staple of Patient Experience Week at Texas Children’s since 2017, the Caught You Caring of the Year Awards have recognized dozens of honorees for their outstanding commitment to compassionate care of our patients and their families – and the support and encouragement their presence has given to their own teams.
For 2021, there were 36 Caught You Caring of the Year Award nominations submitted for consideration on behalf of employees across the organization whose compassion, service and teamwork set them apart.
The winners listed below were chosen by the Patient & Family Experience Committee, an interdisciplinary group that represents a broad spectrum of department and roles within the system.
Please join us in congratulating these outstanding team members for embodying Texas Children’s values in all they do, every day – and stay tuned for additional details about each recipient on Connect!
Rose Ascencio-Escobar
Guest Services, Medical Center
When a taxi driver came into the West Tower lobby to help a patient whose mother was blind and needed an escort, Rose spoke to security and the screening team to find coverage for her desk and personally guided the patient and her mother to their destination in Mark Wallace Tower. She also helped the patient’s mother call a taxi to take them back home, and followed up with the driver to confirm they had made it safely.
Louisa Barausky
Social Worker, Clear Lake Specialty Care
While she is officially scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Friday shifts, Louisa often comes into work on days when a particular family or team member has a need that a social worker can address. Even if it changes the days when she takes her own children to daycare, she always makes herself available.
Dr. Claire E. Bocchini
Provider – Transplant Infectious Diseases, Medical Center
Claire has spent countless hours helping one young patient get custom therapy for an infection of his ventricular assist device. With his last infection resistant to almost all antibiotics, she collaborated with Baylor to develop a personalized treatment; applied to the Food and Drug Administration for approval of a new drug; and worked with the Institutional Review Board and Institutional Biosafety Committee to ensure the patient could receive the cutting-edge treatment.
Alicia Cisneros
Medical Assistant, The Center for Children and Women
Early in the pandemic when clinicians were donning PPE to see their patients, Alicia didn’t hesitate to put on a gown and gloves herself to assist a provider in delivering care to a patient who needed her help. Thanks to her dedication, the patient had their blood work done.
Dr. Julie Hakim
OB/GYN, Pavilion for Women
Though she is a supervisor in the lab, Julie makes sure her fellow team members feel like they are equals. She values their opinions and ideas so much that she has established a quarterly Happiness Quotient Meeting, where she takes them off campus to check in on how they’re doing both personally and professionally.
Dana Hrobar
Diabetes Education Specialist, West Campus
When a young pre-teen patient presented to the clinic with diabetes-related burnout, Dana devoted considerable time with the patient and her family to better understand their perspective. Practically in tears when she arrived, the patient left with practical ways to overcome the daily stress of managing her disease – and her mother was grateful for Dana’s caring support.
Monica Kazee
Lead ASR, West Campus
After watching a parent leave the lab unsatisfied with the check-in process and wait time, Monica literally ran to stop them from leaving the parking lot without accepting her apology and assistance. She ultimately got the patient and their parent to return, and upon learning their labs were time-sensitive, worked with the phlebotomist to have them seen as soon as possible.
Aracely Lara
Guest Services, The Woodlands
Aracely is the person that families can count on for support when they come into the Emergency Center and have an unplanned admission. She connects with them promptly, listens intently to their needs and determines how Guest Services can provide immediate help that makes a dramatic difference in a scary situation.
Eric Lopez
Perioperative Care Technician, West Campus
A hard-worker and team player, Eric has taken it upon himself to celebrate his fellow team members. For CRNA Week, he displayed all the CRNAs on a board and led fellow team members in writing thoughtful notes for them. For Nurses Week, he took pictures of all the certified nurses for the display board and made them goodie bags.
Maggie Tran
CPCU RN, Medical Center
With COVID restrictions making it even harder for patients to enjoy their birthdays and holidays while hospitalized, Maggie wanted to make a difference. She went out of her way to prepare a card signed by her fellow team members to make one patient feel special, and remind them they aren’t alone.