November 17, 2015

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Otolaryngologists Drs. Binoy Chandy and MaryFrances Musso recently received the Baylor College of Medicine Master Teacher Certificate and presented at the Baylor College of Medicine Academy of Distinguished Educators. The Master Teacher Certificate is awarded by the Master Teachers Fellowship Program at Baylor.

Chandy presented on “Spaced Education in Difficult to Teach Topics: Professionalism,” looking at teaching small amounts over a period of time rather than routine lectures in hard to teach topics such as professionalism.

Musso discussed a pilot study she led using a video to educate parents of patients scheduled for an adenotonsillectomy. Parents were asked to rate the effectiveness of the video before and after surgery. This project’s main goal was to increase educational resources available to patients and families and have them be better prepared for postoperative care.

November 10, 2015

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Michael Cothran from the Office of Development is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star leader. “We are fortunate to have a work culture that encourages and supports employees at every level,” Cothran said. “I’ve always challenged myself and others to explore new ideas, processes and tools.” Read more of Cothran’s interview, and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Q&A: Michael Cothran, July – September 2015 Leader

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Michael Cothran, Development Manager, Texas Children’s Hospital Office of Development. I have been an employee at Texas Children’s Hospital since 2007.

What month are you Super Star for?
July – September 2015

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
I thought I was going to a staff meeting but all of my coworkers had gathered to congratulate me on the award. The Office of Development runs at a pretty fast pace so I really appreciated everyone taking a few minutes out of their day to celebrate.

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 really makes that hard work even more meaningful. We are fortunate to have a work culture that encourages and supports employees at every level. I’ve always challenged myself and others to explore new ideas, processes and tools. These efforts have consistently been supported by the organization, and I believe we have grown stronger as a result.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
There really isn’t one simple recipe. When I look around at the most successful people in our organization, I see a variety of traits and characteristics. Key among them are selflessness, enthusiasm, confidence and integrity.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
In my role in the Office of Development, I have the opportunity to interact with many of the top leaders at Texas Children’s Hospital. I’m always impressed by the scope of the vision that they share. While there are needs that must be answered today, there is always an eye toward tomorrow. Knowing that Texas Children’s has great plans for the future is a strong motivator.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
The mission is very clear. It feels good to do purposeful work that will have a lasting impact.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
We are all in a unique position to proactively influence the path that we are traveling. I think this is key to the ongoing success of Texas Children’s.
I believe that leadership is the ability to understand the need for transformation or preservation and then to actively support the pursuit of either.

Anything else you want to share?
I’d simply like to thank those who nominated and selected me for this award. It is a true honor.

October 27, 2015

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Five outstanding Texas Children’s employees who exemplify leadership while upholding Texas Children’s mission and core values were honored October 23 at a luncheon naming the 2016 Catalyst Leadership Award recipients and the Catalyst Leader of the Year.

Six years ago, members of Texas Children’s Board of Trustees made personal donations to an endowed fund that led to the establishment of the Mark A. Wallace Catalyst Leadership Award in honor of Mark A. Wallace’s 20th anniversary as president and CEO. Nominations for the award are thoughtfully reviewed by the selection committee, which includes representatives from the organization’s senior executive team, Human Resources, Texas Children’s Board of Trustees, and Chief Executive Officer Mark A. Wallace.

“It was an impressive group of individuals nominated this year making the decision process extremely difficult,” Wallace said. “Please join me in congratulating these deserving individuals for their proven ability to lead by example both in their professional and personal lives.”

The 2016 Catalyst Leaders are:

Jamie Choi, Manager, Pharmacy
Preanka Desai, Administrative Supervisor, Radiology
Shannon Holland, Assistant Clinical Director, Nursing
Melissa Murrah, Director, Risk Management

The 2016 Catalyst Leader of the Year is Texas Children’s Pediatrics Humble/Atascocita Pediatrician Dr. Mark Farrior.

Farrior delivers the ultimate patient experience, both with his excellence in clinical practice, as well as his dedication to assist our physicians and staff to better care for all of our patients. “Leading tirelessly” is only the beginning of Farrior’s leadership style. He is one of the driving forces behind the usage of electronic medical records at Texas Children’s Pediatrics. He demonstrates excellent clinical judgment and serves as chairman for the TCP Practice Management Advisory Council, ensuring we provide the highest level of care for our patients and families.

“Dr. Farrior is an amazing person and physician,” said Dr. Stanley Spinner, chief medical officer and vice president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “Whenever we want to make something happen, Farrior is our go-to person. He’s always willing to go the extra mile.”

Farrior said being part of Texas Children’s is what keeps him going every day because the mission and guiding principles of the organization encourage him to focus on the quality of care he gives his patients. As for leadership, he said his best advice is to get involved and be engaged.

“Get on a committee, get to know the doctor’s in your group and help each other move forward,” he said. “We all are in this together.”

Throughout the coming year, Farrior and the other Catalyst recipients will receive a number of honors and participate in a variety of rewarding learning experiences. Additionally, as the Catalyst Leader of the Year, Farrior will further develop his talents by completing advanced training at a renowned organization.

To learn more about this year’s Catalyst leaders click here.

Five outstanding Texas Children’s employees were honored October 23 at a luncheon naming the 2016 Catalyst Leadership Award recipients and the Catalyst Leader of the Year.

 

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Greg Alpers from Critical Care Services is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star employee. “Because practices such as shared governance and servant leaders are ingrained in the nursing profession, the idea that everyone is a leader is a reality and not simply a buzz word,” said Alpers. Read more of Alpers’ interview, and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Q&A: Greg Alpers, August 2015 Employee

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Greg Alpers, Inventory Control Coordinator, Critical Care Services. I have worked at Texas Children’s for 13 years.

What month are you Super Star for?
August 2015

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
It was the ultimate surprise party. My manager scheduled a meeting that I thought would result in a substantial “to-do list” for myself.

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 was a big kick for me to be thanked by a group that I admire and respect. Critical Care Services is a small department that supports the Intensive Care Units. My manager is highly supportive and ensures that I have the necessary access to work effectively. I have an extremely experienced and talented counterpart for a resource. There is a seasoned unit secretary who is always generous with her extensive knowledge. I have a network of helpful people in Facilities Operations, Supply Chain, Laundry Services, Security Services, and Information Services.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
The sort of people that I am in contact with in Cardiology Beds and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit are people that I view as super stars. From the doctors to the nurses and the patient care assistants; the dedication and focus on the patient’s well-being is absolute.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
I really want to support the caregiver. Their need for supplies is so that they can help others.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
The people are the best thing about working at Texas Children’s. You would be hard pressed to find a more selfless and professional group. It’s a very caring environment.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
Anyone in the nursing units, including nurses, patient care assistants, and unit support assistants, can ask me for supplies at any time. It sometimes seems that everyone is a leader except for me. When I encounter a member of leadership they sometimes tell me what I need to do. More often than not, however, it is the leader who ends up with a task to do. Because practices such as shared governance and servant leaders are ingrained in the nursing profession, the idea that everyone is a leader is a reality and not simply a buzz word. To me, a leader is someone who takes ownership.

Anything else you want to share?
My wife was a registered nurse for 36 years. She obtained her state certification when she was nineteen, made nursing a career, and even added duel Masters Degrees to her resume. I was always proud of her accomplishments. My esteem for her increased many times after I began working at Texas Children’s Hospital.

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Dr. Mingshan Xue, a Carolina DeLuca scholar and researcher at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s, has been awarded the Janett Rosenberg Trubatch Career Development Award.

This award is conferred by the Society for Neuroscience, the world’s largest professional organization of neuroscientists and physicians dedicated to understanding the brain and the nervous system. The award recognizes two early-career scientists for their originality and creativity in neuroscience research.

Xue was recognized for his significant contributions to the study of cortical circuits. As a graduate student at Baylor College of Medicine, he demonstrated that a protein that regulates neurotransmitter release performs opposite functions in mammals and fruit fly models, highlighting the importance of species differences while also explaining how this and other proteins are able to control neurotransmitter release.

His current research focuses on the balance of excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the cortex, and how this balance is disrupted in neurological disorders like autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy.

Xue, an assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Baylor, received this prestigious honor during the Society for Neuroscience’s annual conference in October.

October 20, 2015

102115TransitionMedinside640Texas Children’s Transition Medicine Team hosted its third annual dinner event with the evening’s theme – Transition is a Victory. The celebration was held at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in conjunction with the 16th Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference. More than 100 people attended the dinner to learn about the progress Texas Children’s has made developing transition solutions.

Nearly 90 percent of children born with chronic or disabling conditions are surviving into adulthood. People with sickle cell disease are living into their sixties and the number of adults with cystic fibrosis now outnumbers the children. This victory has left providers and hospitals nationwide with the challenge of defining and constructing appropriate and timely transitions of care.

Transition Medicine describes the planned process of educating, coordinating and transferring patient care from the pediatric to the adult health care system in a way that optimizes a patient’s health and ability to function. Texas Children’s is dedicated to helping patients transfer care smoothly without a decline or break in their treatment.

Many young adults between the ages of 18 to 21 transition their care to adult providers when they leave for college or enter the workforce. But for those with complex chronic pediatric diseases, transitioning is a struggle filled with barriers and challenges that include patient maturity, psychosocial and family needs, coordination and reimbursement issues, and identification of adult providers able to care for unique patient populations.

At the conference and the dinner, Texas Children’s patients, family and staff shared their inspirational stories and spoke to the importance of a solid transition program. The conference featured discussions on legal issues and quality improvement strategies involved in health care transition, as well as opportunities to meet and talk with faculty, exchange ideas among participants, and share knowledge and information about how best to plan for a successful transition from pediatric to adult care.

Physician speakers from Texas Children’s delivered presentations including conference founder and chair Dr. Albert Hergenroeder and Drs. Heidi Schwarzwald, Carla Tapia and Connie Wiemann.

Administration leaders John Nickens, Diane Scardino, and Daniel DiPrisco along with Drs. Marcia Katz, Angelo Giardino and Albert Hergenroeder spoke about educational efforts, innovative quality and process improvement strategies and recognized supporters of transition medicine. They were joined by family advisor, Jeb Ligums who awarded the 2015 Benjamin B. Ligums Scholar to Dr. Rebecca Laster from Texas Children’s Pediatrics Gulfton location. The scholar program allows a provider in the community to receive training on the adult special needs population and project management assistance in setting up a referral process between providers.

The dinner also included a presentation from Texas Children’s congenital heart patient Kristin Edwards who shared her touching story of transition from pediatric to an adult care at Texas Children’s. The evening wrapped up with Dr. Ahmet Uluer, director of the Weitzman Family BRIDGES Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, who spoke in support of a collaborative nationwide approach to Transition Medicine.

Click here to watch a video about Texas Children’s Transition Medicine Program. For questions or additional information, contact Kris Barton at Ext. 4-1265 or email her at krbarton@texaschildrens.org

102115SanjeevVasudevan175The Macy Easom Cancer Research Foundation has awarded pediatric surgeon Dr. Sanjeev Vasudevan a $75,000 grant for research into a form of pediatric liver cancer called hepatoblastoma, which is a disease that usually affects children under the age of five.

Vasudevan’s research uses new imaging techniques to investigate intra-operative, real-time visualization of a tumor and blood vessels. These imaging techniques will allow surgeons to look at the actual structure of the liver during surgery without relying on previous scans that may not show the immediate condition of the liver. These methods allow surgeons to take as little of the non-cancerous area as possible by fully visualizing the tumor margin in relation to the blood vessels of the liver.

“With this research, we hope to be able to substantially redefine liver surgery to provide better outcomes for our patients,” said Vasudevan, who is also an assistant professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and an attending pediatric surgeon with the Texas Children’s Cancer Center.

This research is a collaborative project with the Texas Children’s departments of radiology and surgery. Dr. Ketankumar Ghaghada, assistant professor in The Singleton Department of Pediatric Radiology, is co-principal investigator on this research study. The project team is made up of multidisciplinary specialists from surgery and radiology.

Vasudevan is driven to discover more effective treatments for pediatric liver cancer. The high rates of relapse, the metastatic nature of the disease and the considerable issues related to chemotherapy treatment in children are of great concern to him.

“I am honored to have our research proposal recognized by The Macy Easom Cancer Research Foundation,” Vasudevan said.” I hope to further our mutual goals of finding a cure and improving treatments for pediatric liver cancer.”

The Macy Easom Cancer Research Foundation was established in memory of Macy Easom, a four-year-old girl who was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma and died of the disease at the age of five. The foundation’s mission is to provide funding to enable research devoted to finding a cure and treatment for hepatoblastoma and other pediatric cancers while promoting public awareness. For every dollar given to the foundation, 98 percent goes directly into research.