Social Work team receives distinguished award

October 29, 2018

On October 18, Texas Children’s Hospital’s Social Work Department received the Compassionate Touch Roy Hatch Award 2018 at the Lifeline Chaplaincy & Compassionate Touch Benefit Dinner.

The Social Work team consists of over 75 social workers that are dedicated to enhancing the social functioning and overall well-being of our patients.

“The social work team has strength in its diversity and ability to provide compassionate care to patients and families through illness and/or hospitalization,” Director of Clinical Support Services, Michelle Lawson said. “Our patients and families come to Texas Children’s Hospital for excellent medical care, and our social workers are a part of the interdisciplinary team that help support families throughout their medical journey.”

The Compassionate Touch program was implemented to assist those without adequate financial support for non-medical needs. Lifeline Chaplaincy is dedicated to providing compassionate support to the seriously ill, their families and caregivers, and to being an educational resource for crisis ministry. Both organizations partnered together to annually acknowledge and reward extraordinary social workers who support Compassionate Touch.

The Roy Hatch Award is named after a NASA retiree who was highly devoted to Lifeline Chaplaincy. The award includes direct patient funding for selected medical institutions.

“The social work department is excited about the recognition from Lifeline Chaplaincy and the Compassionate Touch program,” Lawson said. “The selection as the recipient of the Roy Hatch award this year is a wonderful recognition of the strong partnership that our social work team has with Lifeline in providing assistance to the patients and families at Texas Children’s Hospital.”