May 11, 2015

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Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your subsmissions and feedback.

51215icd10300April 28

Countdown to ICD-10: Deadline to meet educational requirements is September 1

On October 1, Texas Children’s and hospitals across the nation will switch from ICD-9 to the ICD-10 coding system to report patients’ diagnoses and procedures. The ICD-10 codes will allow greater specificity and accuracy in describing a patient’s diagnosis and classifying inpatient procedures. Texas Children’s education teams have developed helpful tools to ensure all employees are prepared for this mandatory conversion.

“We believe that communicating the change clearly and consistently will help ensure a smooth transition,” said Texas Children’s Chief Safety Officer Dr. Joan Shook. Read more

 

April 28

Super Star Physician: Dr. Stephanie Marton

Dr. Stephanie Marton from the Center for Children and Women – Greenspoint is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star physician. “Every day I see patients coming in to the Center, and I directly see the impact that Texas Children’s Hospital is making in this community.” Read more

 

April 28

Giardino to serve on ABMQ Board of Directors

Texas Children’s Chief Quality Officer and Senior Vice President Dr. Angelo Giardino was recently unanimously confirmed to serve on the American Board of Medical Quality (ABMQ) Board of Directors. The organization is closely associated with the American College of Medical Quality of which Giardino is a distinguished fellow. Read more

 

April 28

Patel receives distinguished fellowship award

Dr. Akash Patel will be presented with the 2015-2016 Christopher R. Getch Fellowship Award from the Congress of Neuroligical Surgeons Fellowships Committee during its annual meeting in September. This prestigious award provides $100,000 for advanced training and is given to a neurosurgeon or fellow engaged in clinical research that promises to significantly impact the field of neurosurgery. Read more

 

April 28

Dr. George Bisset receives prestigious award

Radiologist-in-Chief Dr. George Bisset will be honored for his contribution to pediatric radiology at the 45th annual Sociedade Paulista de Radiologia (SPR) meeting held in Brazil. The conference is the biggest diagnostic imaging meeting in Latin America and the fourth largest in the world. Bisset will be the first non-Brazilian to receive honorary membership in this organization. Read more

 

51215Cainlab300April 21

New Cain Labs website promotes groundbreaking epilepsy research

Texas Children’s has launched a new website dedicated to innovative epilepsy research conducted at the Cain Foundation Laboratories in the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute and other test centers around the world. The website also includes a repository of helpful information about epilepsy treatment programs for patients and their families, including a link to Texas Children’s Level IV Epilepsy Center. Read more

 

51215cooley300April 21

Surgeon-in-chief speaks at Texas Surgical Society meeting

Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser, Jr. spoke at a Texas Surgical Society meeting on April 11 in Galveston. Fraser, who is the son-in-law of Dr. Denton A. Cooley, talked about the hospital’s 60-year history of pediatric heart surgery and the roles played by Cooley and himself. More

 

 

April 20

Texas Children’s Hospital helps determine standard of care for children with cleft lip and palate

Representatives from Texas Children’s Hospital: Dr. Laura Monson, pediatric plastic surgeon; Christy Hernandez, director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Outcomes and Impact Service; and Dr. John Wirthlin, craniofacial orthodontist, joined an international group of medical professionals, patients and parents to determine a standard set of outcome measures for children born with cleft lip and palate. These guidelines will help all institutions develp a standard treatment of care of this population of patients and will be available for implementation starting in February. Read more

 

51215wesleylee300April 14

Lee recognized for his contribution to fetal imaging advancements

Dr. Wesley Lee, co-director of Texas Children’s Fetal Center and section chief for women’s and fetal imaging at Baylor College of Medicine, recently received the William J. Fry Memorial Lecture Award from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM). Read more

 

51215PAPRs300April 14

New PAPRs help provide full complement of PPE

Texas Children’s recently acquired 30 powered air purifying respirators (or PAPRs) to protect emergency responders from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. This addition to our PPE inventory helps ensure the safety of our health care professionals when they are treating patients with highly contagious infectious diseases. Read more

 

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Texas Children’s, AAP partnership helps physicians advocate for their patients

Texas Children’s and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) signed a first-of-its-kind partnership agreement whereby every eligible faculty member of the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics is a member in the AAP and the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS). Since this partnership began a year and a half ago, the following Texas Children’s faculty have been actively involved with the AAP and TPS to champion the health, safety and well-being of children: Dr. Robert Voigt, Dr. Robert Ricketts, Dr. Mark Gilger, Dr. Fernando Stein, Dr. Carol Tapia, Dr. Mark Ward, Dr. Krithka Lingappan and Dr. Bruno Chumpitazi. Read more

 

April 14

Texas Children’s Hospital receives Healthcare Informatics Magazine’s 2015 Innovator Award

Texas Children’s Hospital has earned second place in Healthcare Informatics Magazine’s fourteenth annual Innovator Awards. The award was given to Texas Children’s for its quality improvement work to identify, deploy and measure new best practices and improve outcomes for children with appendicitis.

“We felt there was an urgent need in the health care industry to accelerate the identification and deployment of shared guidelines of care,” said Dr. Charles Macias, Texas Children’s Chief Clinical Systems Integration Officer and Evidence Based Outcomes Center director. Read more

 

April 14

New pediatric urologist joins Department of Surgery

Dr. Duong Dai Tu has joined Texas Children’s as a new pediatric urologist. Tu, who started April 1, has been appointed assistant professor of urology and attending surgeon in urology at Baylor College of Medicine.

“Dr. Tu is bringing an exciting vision to the surgery team that will help us continue to develop a preeminent program, enabling us to better serve our patients and their families,” chief of Urology, Dr. David Roth said. Read more

 

April 7

Texas Children’s welcomes new surgeon and researcher, Dr. Sundeep Keswani

Dr. Sundeep Keswani joined Texas Children’s as a pediatric and fetal surgeon and an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine. He also is the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded laboratory. Read more

 

51215transplantnos300April 7

Transplant team perform 95 organ transplants in 2014

Transplant teams with Texas Children’s Hospital performed 95 solid organ transplants in 2014, continuing to serve as one of the largest, most active and successful pediatric transplant programs in the nation. The heart and the lung transplant programs were the largest in the country last year with 32 heart transplants and 16 lung transplants.

“Texas Children’s Transplant Services continues to earn its reputation as one of the best pediatric transplant programs in the country,” said Dr. John Goss, medical director of Transplant Services. Read more

 

April 7

CRC presents resarch award to Dr. Srivaths

The Clinical Research Center presented the Clinical Research Award for First Quarter 2015 to Dr. Poyyapakkam Srivaths, Department of Pediatrics – Renal, Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Srivaths’s research activities in the CRC focus on investigating cardiovascular morbidity associated with end stage renal disease (ESRD) in children. Read more

April 28, 2015

42915stephaniemarton640Dr. Stephanie Marton from The Center in Greenspoint is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star leader. “Knowing that I am contributing a small slice to improving the futures of the children I work with is my biggest motivator. The smile on a kid’s face, their high fives, their questions and curiosity about the world, all keep me ticking.”

Read more of Dr. Marton’s interview:

Q&A: Dr. Stephanie Marton, October – December 2014

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Dr. Stephanie Marton, Medical Site Leader for the Center for Children and Women, Greenspoint. Although I have been with Baylor College of Medicine since 2008, I have worked at the Center for Children and Women for about a year.

What month are you Super Star for?
October-December 2014

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
We had an all staff meeting. At the very end an announcement was made that I had won an award. I was speechless (both from shock and from a recent viral illness that had helped me to lose my voice).

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do?
I feel very honored to be selected for this award. I see my entire team doing the best work every day to provide quality patient care, and I hope that everyone realizes that they, too, are part of this award.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
Giving 110 percent commitment every day to both patients and their colleagues.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
Every day I see patients coming in to the Center for Children and Women at Greenspoint, and I directly see the impact that Texas Children’s Hospital is making in this community. Knowing that I am contributing a small slice to improving the futures of these children is my biggest motivator. The smile on a kid’s face, their high fives, their questions and curiosity about the world, all of this keeps me ticking.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
My coworkers. Health care is a team effort, and my colleagues with whom I work make a hard day’s work that much easier.

42915drgiardino175

Texas Children’s Chief Quality Officer and Senior Vice President Dr. Angelo P. Giardino was recently unanimously confirmed to serve on the American Board of Medical Quality (ABMQ) Board of Directors.

The ABMQ evaluates and certifies professionals and programs in the science and management of improving clinical processes and outcomes in systems that service and deliver health care. The organization is closely associated with the American College of Medical Quality of which Giardino is a distinguished fellow.

April 21, 2015

Watch the newest “I Am Texas Children’s” video featuring employee Justin Ferley in Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus – Pediatric Radiology.

“It’s rewarding to care for radiology patients at West Campus,” Ferley said. “They always leave happier than they come in. Not many hospitals are like that.”

Check out Ferley’s video, and find out how you and your coworkers can be featured in the “I Am Texas Children’s” section on Connect.

April 7, 2015

4815crcaward175The Clinical Research Center will present the Clinical Research Award for First Quarter 2015 to Dr. Poyyapakkam Srivaths, Department of Pediatrics-Renal, Baylor College of Medicine.

The award was established by the Clinical Research Center in collaboration with the Research Resources Office to recognize and honor individual contributions to protecting the best interest of the research subjects and compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

Dr. Srivaths’ research activities in the CRC focus on investigating cardiovascular morbidity associated with end stage renal disease (ESRD) in children.

Congratulations to Dr. Srivaths.

March 31, 2015

4115MargaretYoung175

Margaret Young from the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star leader. “I believe a Texas Children’s Super Star goes above and beyond daily – not just when there’s a need or a call to assist,” Young said. “A Super Star leader is impactful, has influence and can make a difference.”

Read more of Young’s interview:

Q&A: Margaret Young, October – December 2014 Leader

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Margaret Young, MHA, RN, Bone Marrow Transplant. I have worked at Texas Children’s for 15 years and in Bone Marrow Transplant for three years.

What month are you Super Star for?
Super Star Leader for October-December 2014

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
I was going about my day as usual engrained in completing my various responsibilities, and I was notified by my assistant clinical director we had an impromptu budget meeting with our director. I was thrilled….!!! I gathered all my notes and reports and proceeded to the conference room. As I walked in the conference all the staff members, my fellow peers, ACD, and AVP were already in the room clapping and smiling. Indeed I must say I was surprised and thrilled and then asked “What’s this for?” I then looked at the banner which stated Super Star Leader. The decorations and food were great!

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do?
The Super Star recognition means to me that someone has really recognized how hard I truly work each day. I treat every day like a new day and know that tomorrow is not promised. So, I have to make the best of today.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
I believe a Texas Children’s Super Star goes above and beyond daily – not just when there’s a need or a call to assist. A Super Star leader is impactful, has influence and can make a difference.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
My motivation for going above and beyond daily is seeing the potential and growth of our staff. I challenge the staff every chance I get to do more and become more. We’re great at what we do but there’s still so much more for us to conquer and accomplish and see the benefits of our hard work.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
The best thing about working at Texas Children’s is the people.

Anything else you want to share?
I’m extremely humbled and grateful for this recognition. This recognition motivates me to do more!

4115Drzoghbi640

Dr. Huda Zoghbi received the 2015 Mortimer D. Sackler, M.D. Prize for Distinguished Achievement in Developmental Psychobiology, awarded by Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Zoghbi is the director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s, a professor of molecular and human genetics, pediatrics, neuroscience and neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

As a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Zoghbi has pioneered research on Rett syndrome and other rare brain disorders, and has advanced research of more common conditions including autism and adult neurodegenerative diseases.

In one of her most well-known achievements, Zoghbi provided a definitive genetic diagnosis for Rett syndrome and opened the door to a biological understanding and a search for treatment. Rett syndrome is a genetic neurological disease that usually affects young girls. Girls born with the disease develop normally for one or two years, but then begin to show progressive loss of motor skills, speech and other cognitive abilities.

Zoghbi has also found other genes, including Math1, an essential gene governing the development of cells critical for hearing, balance, and breathing, and the genes for spinocerebellar ataxia 1 and 6. Her work has led to a better understanding of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

“We’re thrilled that Dr. Zoghbi is this year’s recipient,” said Dr. B.J. Casey, director of the Sackler Institute and the Sackler Professor of Developmental Psychobiology at Weill Cornell Medical College. “She’s dedicated herself to this field for decades and has made remarkable achievements. But we’re also recognizing her leadership in the field of neuroscience and her track record of mentoring young scientists as they embark on their own careers.”

The prize is named for the Dr. Mortimer D. Sackler, one of the most creative scientists in the field of developmental psychobiology. The Mortimer D. Sackler Foundation, Inc. endowed the prize in a gift in 2009.

“To have a prize bearing the name of someone who’s made such remarkable achievements in this field is a great honor,” Zoghbi said. “There are so many deserving scientists and physician-scientists out there who have done fantastic work. I feel truly honored to have been selected.”

Zoghbi plans to donate the $100,000 prize money to a mentorship fund that she established to help young female scientists get their work – specifically research on “bold, new ideas” – off the ground.