May 22, 2018

David Butler, April 2018 Employee

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
David Butler, Unit Operations Coordinator. I have been an employee of the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers and the Bone Marrow Transplant team since November 2000.

What month are you Super Star for?
April 2018

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do? How has the organization helped you achieve your personal and professional goals?
It is an honor to receive this award. I was surprised and honored to find out that one of our team members had taken the time to submit my information for this award. Over the years I have learned so much from this wonderful organization and it has always been my second home.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
Doing what is best for the team so that we can provide the best care for all of our patients on a daily basis.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
I was a patient in the Texas Children’s Cancer Center from September 1996 to December 1998 while receiving treatment for Stage IV Non-Hodgkin T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. I believe that things happen for a reason. Because of my cancer history I wanted to come back to Texas Children’s to work with the doctors and nurses that took care of me. I have a lot of great memories. I am blessed to have been able to work for the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers and the BMT team for the past 17 plus years.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Being able to help the patients and families while they are being treated here. I am always impressed by how we as a team try our best to make the patient experience enjoyable. The little things we do can mean a lot to a patient or patient family during their time of need.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
We are all leaders, and we are all part of one big Texas Children’s team. We must do everything we can to help the patients and families while they are being treated at Texas Children’s. We all lead by example.

The Department of Surgery hosted the ninth annual Edmond T. Gonzales Jr. Surgical Research Day May 18 at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women providing a forum for researchers across the department to showcase their work.

This year 110 abstracts were submitted for review, 11 of which were chosen for oral presentations and 99 were accepted for poster presentations. This year eight students vied for the Best Presentation award and three faculty members were chosen to present their research.

The 2018 keynote speaker was Chandan Sen, who holds various roles at the Ohio State University Wexler Medical Center, including the John H. and Mildred C. Lumley Chair in Medicine, professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Surgery, associate dean of Translational Research, director of the College of Medicine, director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell-Based Therapies and executive director of the Ohio State Comprehensive Wound Center. Sen spoke about the regenerative medicine frontier and the reprogramming of tissue function in vivo.

Awards presented at the event were the Samuel Stal Research Award for outstanding research by a resident or fellow, the Research Mentor Award, and Best Oral Presentation and Best Poster Presentation.

  • The Samuel Stal Research Award was presented to Dr. Rodrigo Zea-Vera in Congenital Heart Surgery. The award is named after Dr. Samuel Stal, former chief of Plastic Surgery at Texas Children’s.
  • Pediatric Surgeon Dr. Sundeep Keswani was honored with the Research Mentor Award. The award is given on an annual basis to honor a Department of Surgery faculty member who serves as a research mentor through career development, professional guidance or cultivation of research interests.
  • Best Oral Presentation award was given to Urology Fellow Dr. Jeffrey White. He presented his work on the mining of CNV databases discovering a role for RBFOX-2 in penile development.
  • Best Poster award was given to researcher Jennifer Brown from otolaryngology for a poster on the implementation of a tracheostomy educational program for outpatient otolaryngology nurses.

Recipients of the 2018 Clayton Awards, former known as Surgical Seed Grant Awards, were announced as the grand finale of Texas Children’s Hospital Surgical Research Day. This grant program, funded by the Department of Surgery, allows surgery researchers to generate the preliminary data necessary for National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications and other extramural funding. 2018 Clayton Awards recipients are as follows:

Dr. Arvind Chandrakantan, Anesthesiology
Obstructive sleep apnea in vitro: A novel approach for cellular and molecular discovery

Dr. Erin Gottlieb, Anesthesiology
Antithrombin Levels in Neonates and Young Infants Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery

Dr. Julie Hakim, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
Understanding the Role of Estrogen in Vaginal Scar Tissue Formation

Dr. Brian Kelley, Neurosurgery
Molecular and Structural Mechanisms of Diffuse Axonal Injury

Scott Manson, Ph.D., Urology
Myofibroblast-Targeted Therapies for Renal Fibrosis in Obstructive Uropathy

Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria, Pediatric Surgery
Promoting Safe Firearm Storage in Households with Children

Dr. Irene Tung, Ophthalmology
The Effect of Oral Omega-3 Supplementation in Children with Meibomian Gland Disease and Chalazia

Xinyi Wang, Ph.D. Pediatric Surgery
The Role of Hyaluronan in Renal Tubulointerstitial Fibrosis

May 15, 2018

Each year as we salute nurses across the country during National Nurses Week from May 6 to May 12, Texas Children’s celebrated our incredible team of more than 3,000 nurses for their many successes, accomplishments and contributions to patient care.

This year’s theme for Nurses Week was Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence. From developing Texas Children’s first-ever Nursing Innovations Solutions Council to partnering with families in the design of patient care rooms in Legacy Tower, our nurses play a key role in developing novel strategies to optimize the care we deliver to our patients and families.

During Nurses Week, the Nursing Retention Council organized several activities that centered on health and wellness to remind our nurses how important it is to take care of themselves so they can provide the best care to their patients. Activities included educational presentations including a presentation on financial wellness, blessing of the hands, massages, a photo booth, cupcakes and punch and special cookie deliveries for all of the units.

On May 9, Texas Children’s Nursing Excellence Awards ceremony honored six recipients for their commitment to improving nursing care and patient outcomes.

The award honorees included:

Staff Nurse of the year: Imelda Salcedo
Preceptor of the year: Melissa Campbell
Rookie of the year: Tanya Facio
Leader of the year: Kerry Sembera
APRN of the year: Emily Charles
Advanced degree: Miranda Rodrigues
Friend of Nursing: Dr. Binita Patel

Jillian Aragon was awarded the 2018 David and Polly Roth Nursing Education Scholarship Fund. This education fund will provide tuition assistance for Texas Children’s employees who have worked in the organization for at least three years and are interested in pursuing a professional nursing degree.

Leanne Petters and Janae Harris received the Molly Mae LeBlanc Nursing Education Scholarship. The scholarship was named in memory of Molly Mae, daughter of Texas Children’s employees Jill and Andy LeBlanc, who passed away at Texas Children’s on May 6, 2017. The purpose of the scholarship is to perpetuate Molly Mae’s memory and recognize nursing staff members for going above and beyond their required job duties to enhance the quality of life for Texas Children’s patients and their families.

The Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses included Rhonda Bolin from the Spina Bifida Clinic and Allison Carter from Transition Medicine who were among the top 15 award recipients. Click here for more on the Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses honorees.

In addition to the two nurses honored in the top 15, 23 Texas Children’s nurses were recognized as being among the top 150 in the Greater Houston area.

Max Abogador (Progressive Care Unit)
Heidi Aghajani (Bone Marrow Transplant Unit)
Sandy Alfaro (14 West Tower)
Lauren Altendorf (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit)
Cynthia Baker (Texas Children’s Health Plan: The Center for Children and Women)
Elizabeth Bernard (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 2)
Jennifer Dalton (Community Clinics)
Lisa Davenport (The Woodlands – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)
Casey Fontenot (Hayslett) (DSRIP – Pulmonary)
Stacey Foshee (Cardiovasvular Intensive Care Unit)
Stephanie Gonzales-Hughes (Labor and Delivery)
Lauren Harsany-Salinas (Cardiovasvular Intensive Care Unit)
Judy Holloway (West Campus – Nursing Operations Leadership)
Lastenia Holton (Cancer Center and Hematology Center – Outpatient)
Jennifer Hopkins (15 West Tower)
Rachel Leva (Newborn Center)
Winsyl Montojo (Operating Rooms)
Sharon Moreau (Progressive Care Unit)
Lisa Pali (The Woodlands – Multispecialty)
Melissa Silvera (Nursing Operations)
Lynda Tyer-Viola (Nursing Executive)
Emily Weber (Nursing Administration)
Rhonda Wolfe (14 West Tower)

Congratulations to our Texas Children’s nurses for their commitment to our patients and families.

On April 20, The Woodlands Recognition and Rewards Committee proudly presented the second-quarter Shining Star award to Esmeralda Miranda and Dr. Ammar Yamani.

The employee-recognition award was launched after the opening of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands in April 2017 and honors those who go above and beyond to provide exceptional care to our patients, families and staff in The Woodlands.

Miranda, department secretary with Facilities Operations, was nominated by her co-workers and described as “promoting all of the core values day after day not only in her work but in all her interactions with patients, visitors, and fellow Texas Children’s Hospital workers.

“Her willingness to assist by adapting to different roles at Texas Children’s proves the type of character she is,” her co-workers said. “We need and value individuals like her who set those core examples without even knowing how much positive influence that are promoting within our Texas Children’s foundation.”

Yamani, an anesthesiologist in The Woodlands, was nominated for his holistic approach to patient care and was described as “someone who surpasses his duties as an anesthesiologist and consistently creates an environment of comfort, support, and safety for outpatients and families. He also is a joy to work and collaborate with on our multidisciplinary team in surgery.”

A huge congratulations and thank you to Miranda and Yamani for being the Shining Star and going above and beyond for our patients, families and co-workers.

The Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) recently gave two Texas Children’s trainees national research awards for their outstanding research on kidney disease at this year’s annual Pediatric Academic Societies’ SPR meeting.

Joseph Alge, a medical resident in the Pediatrician-Scientist Training & Development Program (PSTDP) at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), received the SPR House Officer Research Award, and Rachel Shenoi, a junior at The University of Houston and participant in the 2017 SMART program at BCM, received the SPR Student Research Award. The SPR annually honors students engaged in pediatric research to encourage pediatricians in training to pursue careers in academic pediatrics.

According to Dr. Michael Braun, Texas Children’s Hospital physician, these accomplishments are worth celebrating because it is rare for an institution to receive one award, let alone two awards in the same research area.

“It’s very exciting,” said Braun. “These awards are not only a recognition of the quality of the science being done, but also the individuals working at Texas Children’s Hospital.”

Dr. Scott Wenderfer, Texas Children’s physician and BCM Assistant Professor, has been Rachel Shenoi’s mentor throughout her research process.

“Rachel is exactly the type of person we want to be bringing into Texas Children’s Hospital and into Pediatric Nephrology,” said Wenderfer. “Investments in ambitious and talented undergraduates will provide exposure to the unmet needs and growing opportunities for Pediatric Research. Her success has been a pleasure to witness as a mentor.”

SPR’s mission is to create a network of multidisciplinary researchers that can connect and collaborate all while working to improve child health.

May 1, 2018

This year’s Patient Experience Week celebration lived up to its theme, “A Magical Experience,” as patients and their families participated in fun and engaging activities at Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Center Campus, Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands.

Patient Experience Week was held from April 23 to 27. New this year, the Patient Experience Team launched the Compassion Challenge. Each day during Patient Experience Week, employees and staff across the organization completed a challenge that focused on the concepts of compassion, communication and connectedness. Completed Compassion Challenge forms are due Tuesday, May 1, to patientexperience@texaschildrens.org to be eligible for the prize drawing of Houston Dynamo tickets.

The week began with an inspiring speech from Houston business owner and community leader Jim McIngvale, also known as Mattress Mack. In front of a packed auditorium in the Abercrombie Building, McIngvale shared his insight about the importance of serving others and how he builds his business on these core values.

“Helping people is what I was put on this earth to do. It is what we all were made to do,” said McIngvale. “No one helps children like Texas Children’s Hospital. It is beyond amazing how you do it.”

The week also included a speech from Kelly Fuhlman from the Disney Institute who shared the magic behind the customer experience created at Disney parks and resort locations throughout the world.

Hundreds of people attended patient and family experience events across Texas Children’s three campuses. The events provided many fun children’s movie themed activities along with sweet treats and photo booths.

“These kids go through so much every day, and when we have an opportunity to make them laugh and smile, it’s exciting,” said Nazish Ahmad, West Campus Ambulatory Clinic manager. “Especially as leaders, we don’t normally have that face-to-face interaction all the time, so to be in such a fun environment and make the kiddos smile just makes the day.”

Caught You Caring (CYC) Awards ceremonies were also held at the Medical Center Campus, West Campus and The Woodlands Campus to recognize our 2018 recipients who have gone above and beyond to show compassion to our patients, families and co-workers.

The CYC program’s idea was brought to life after a physician read a heartfelt letter written by the mother of one of our patients. She described the care and compassion her whole family received during her son’s admission. Since then, CYC was conceptualized, piloted in our surgery areas in 2015, and has been launched system-wide with more than 6,000 CYC cards received. CYC boxes are located throughout all campuses so that anyone can recognize a staff member or a colleague.

A panel of judges scored each nomination to select the top employees and this year’s winners received a CYC award, a T-shirt, and the highlight of the ceremony – tickets to an upcoming Houston Texans event.

Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Center Campus:
Hilda Andrade, Lead Tech for Environmental Services
Yaneth Arrue, Unit Support Assistant in Abercrombie
Shatovia Cerf, Patient Care Assistant on 14 West Tower
Krista Miller, Staff Nurse in Labor and Delivery
Sandy Rodriguez, Front Office Specialist in Partners in OB/GYN at the Pavilion for Women
Erick Talamantes, Surgery Patient Liaison in West Tower

Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus:
Rosy Alvarado, Ambulatory Services Representative in the Urology clinic
Melissa Starner, Staff Nurse for West Campus 5th floor inpatient

Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands:
Lisa Carr, Staff Nurse in the Woodlands Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Melanie Johnson, Ambulatory Services Representative in the Neurophysiology department

Overall, the Patient Experience events were a success at reminding employees, patients and families that care at Texas Children’s goes beyond the bedside. It has to do with how we treat our patients and their families from the moment they call to schedule an appointment with us to the point they leave our care.

On April 29, Dr. Lisa M. Hollier became the 69th president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) during the Presidential Inauguration and Convocation ceremony.

Hollier is a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, serves as chief medical officer of obstetrics and gynecology for Texas Children’s Health Plan and is the medical director of obstetrics and gynecology for The Health Plan’s Centers for Children and Women.

Hollier has held many roles in ACOG over her career. She was assistant secretary of ACOG and served on many college committees and Presidential Task Forces and work groups. She chaired the Committee on Professional Liability, the Committee on Credentials and the Work Group on Women’s Health Care Team Leadership. Additionally, she served as the ACOG representative to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine board of directors for five years. Currently, she is chair of the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force.

Past president of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and past chair of District XI of ACOG, Hollier has throughout her career been dedicated to caring for the underserved and improving women’s health by advancing women’s health policy.

She earned her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and her master’s in Public Health from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. She completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, followed by subspecialty fellowship training in maternal-fetal medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

Texas Children’s congratulates Hollier on this well deserved recognition and honor.

Click here to read the text of Hollier’s speech.