November 2, 2021

Through our Tomorrow, Together initiative, you shared how important it is for us to support the health and wellbeing of every Texas Children’s team member. That’s why for this year’s Benefits Annual Enrollment, we are keeping your rates low, investing in new offerings and giving you multiple options to create a benefits plan that is right for you and your family.

Beginning today, Friday, Oct. 29, and continuing through midnight Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, all Texas Children’s employees will be able to participate in our 2022 Benefits Annual Enrollment. To start planning, visit TexasChildrensBenefits.org to review your benefit options for next year and select your benefit plans. In addition to paying for the majority of your medical benefits, Texas Children’s is also investing in:

  • No rate increases for Vision, Optional Life, and AD&D
  • No rate increases for Short-Term or Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • New identity theft protection coverage option through Allstate
  • No evidence of insurability required for Short-Term Disability insurance and Optional Life (if elected during Benefits Annual Enrollment)
Virtual Benefits Presentation

Join us for a virtual benefits presentation at 11 a.m., today, Friday, Oct. 29, for an overview of this year’s benefits changes and learn how to make the best elections for you. To attend, simply download the meeting link to your calendar or follow this link on the day of the presentation.

Things to Remember
  • Select Dollars. As always, Texas Children’s contributes the majority of the costs associated with our medical plans and also provides all full-time and part-time employees with additional money on a bi-weekly basis (referred to as Select Dollars) to help offset the cost of any benefit premiums, regardless of whether you are enrolled in Texas Children’s medical benefits.
  • FSAs. If you do not make any elections during Benefits Annual Enrollment, you will be enrolled based on last year’s elections, with the exception of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). To participate in either the Healthcare or Dependent Care FSA in 2022, which Texas Children’s automatically contributes $260, you must make an election during Benefits Annual Enrollment.
  • Enrollment. Benefit changes after Annual Enrollment are not permitted under federal regulations, except for qualified life events and certain job status changes. Otherwise, the next opportunity for you to change your benefit elections is the 2023 Benefits Annual Enrollment period.
  • 403(b) Retirement. Texas Children’s matches 50 percent on the first 6 percent of your deferral contributions per pay period, up to a maximum of $8,700 for 2021. If you are not already enrolled in the 403(b) savings plan or not contributing at least 6 percent, you should consider doing so now. To enroll or update your contribution, please visit Fidelity NetBenefits or call 1-800-343-0860 to access your online account. If you are registering online for the first time, please click on “Register as a new user” in the log-in area. To view information on Texas Children’s contributions and vesting, please click here.
  • Roth. Remember that you can contribute pre-tax or Roth after-tax through the 403(b) savings plan. Your contributions to a Roth 403(b) and traditional pre-tax 403(b) cannot exceed the IRS limit.
  • Pension Plan. The Pension Plan is designed to provide a foundation for your retirement and is fully funded by Texas Children’s. You are automatically enrolled in the plan on April 1 or Oct. 1 once you reach 21 years of age and have worked 1,000 hours or more during the 12 consecutive months after your initial date of hire. To access your account, please visit LifeWorks or call 1-800-752-8230. To view information on Texas Children’s contributions and vesting, please click here.
Question? Need help?

Ask Emma, Your Personal Digital Benefits Advisor
Available 24/7 in both English and Spanish from any desktop or mobile device, Ask Emma will offer confidential guidance and advice to help you select the right benefits for you and your family.

Texas Children’s Benefits Service Center
Our Benefits team is available to help from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6.

  • To reach the team by phone, call 832-824-2421 (select option 1 for Benefits and then option 1 again). Spanish language assistance is also available.
  • To reach the team via web chat, follow the link at the top of your Benefits homepage.

You can access all of your benefits in one place, make your 2022 benefit selections or learn more about this year’s Annual Enrollment, including a schedule of events to promote our benefit offerings. Visit the 2022 What’s New page at TexasChildrensBenefits.org

You’ve worked hard all year to further our mission and provide the best care for our patients. Now, it’s time for us to plan your Tomorrow, Together. Review your benefit options today.

October 29, 2021

As part of Texas Children’s commitment to supporting our team members in being Healthy + Strong, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Well-Being are ramping up the focus on mindfulness this month and providing new resources to help you manage stress and anxiety.

Get your self-care badge card

The EAP and Well-Being teams greeted employees arriving to work with new self-care badge cards on October 12. The cards feature, a self-care exercise and encouraging words on one side, and a listing of Texas Children’s Mental Health resources on the other.

Missed the distribution day? You can still get your self-care badge card! Contact the well-being team at wellbeing@texaschildrens.org for assistance. Click here to download the self-care practice cards and other mindfulness resources.

Take a seat in an on-site massage chair

Melt your stress way with a one of the new massage chairs now located across the Medical Center, Health Plan, The Woodlands and West Campus. To find the massage chair closest to you, click here for a complete list of locations.

For those working remotely and in the Urgent Care centers, email wellbeing@texaschildrens.org for a chance to win a massage gift card. More massage opportunities will be coming throughout the year so stay tuned for some more resources in self-care.

October 12, 2021

 

 

We’re living in unprecedented times that require new and different ways of working – and new ways of appreciating Texas Children’s One Amazing Team.

Though it hasn’t always been easy, our team members have shown incredible resilience in driving our mission and taking care of our patients. To ensure you feel supported, appreciated and valued for your continued dedication, Texas Children’s has formed a new cross-functional Workforce Well-being Committee, led by Vice President Ketrese White, to create exciting and engaging activities that celebrate our biggest asset: our people.

In the spirit of amplifying unity, the committee kicked off its efforts Tuesday, Sept. 28, with Welcome to Work pep rally events throughout our campuses and facilities. These pep rallies gave leaders and colleagues a chance to show gratitude, provide giveaways and impart words of encouragement for the day ahead. Volunteers on site in their familiar red vests lent a helping hand, as they do best, and cheered on our hard-working team.

Check out the photo gallery below to see images from rallies held across the system, including the Medical Center campus, The Woodlands and West Campus. To see a video of a rally at The Woodlands as captured by CJ Canlas of Texas Children’s Child Life, click here.

In the coming months, the Workforce Well-being Committee will express gratitude and appreciation with even more employee-centric activities and an enhanced focused on boosting your well-being. This commitment is part of Texas Children’s ongoing Tomorrow, Together initiative with a deeper emphasis on health and well-being.

Initially launched in summer 2021, the Tomorrow, Together investment in our people began with awarding a salary increase of 2 percent for every team member and an additional week of paid time off. It continued with the launch of the 1-2-3 Retention Program, which includes a series of payments through 2022 recognizing the loyalty and resilience of our team.

From the 50 percent cafeteria discounts for all badge-holders and Sweet Treat Fridays, to conducting a market review of every position in the organization, Texas Children’s is listening to your needs and putting our words and gratitude into action.

Stay tuned for what comes next as we build a bright future together at Texas Children’s.

September 17, 2021

As Hurricane Nicholas tracked toward Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast, our Texas Children’s team members dutifully reported to ride-out at the Medical Center, The Woodlands and West Campus – staying into the night to care for our patients and their families through the storm.

Their commitment during a crisis is what makes our workforce One Amazing Team, and why our communities know they can always look to Texas Children’s no matter what.

To show our colleagues on ride-out the gratitude and appreciation they deserved, the Employee Assistance Program passed out tasty goodies and fun giveaways that night from Wellness Carts at all three campus locations.

Scroll through the gallery to see a few stops that were made, and join us in thanking our ride-out team members for making a difference when it mattered the most!

In a history-making day for Texas Children’s, thousands of team members and Baylor College of Medicine staff members based at Texas Children’s locations are receiving on Sept. 17 the first of three special payments that recognize their hard work and continued commitment.

Initially announced by President and CEO Mark A. Wallace in August, the 1-2-3 Retention Program is another step forward in the Tomorrow, Together initiative that Texas Children’s has made in our people. The program impacts every employee below the director and physician level, including our part-time and per diem team members.

1-2-3 is the first program of its kind ever to be implemented at Texas Children’s. Here’s how the payments work:

  • Retention Payment 1 on Sept. 17, 2021: Full-time team members will receive 1 percent of their salary or $500, whichever is greater, while part-time and per diem team members will receive 1 percent of their salary or $250, whichever is greater.
  • Retention Payment 2 on March 18, 2022: Full-time team members who remain employed with Texas Children’s until this date will receive 2 percent of their salary or $750, whichever is greater, while part-time and per diem team members receive 2 percent of their salary or $375, whichever is greater.
  • Retention Payment 3 on Sept. 16, 2022: Full-time team members who remain employed with Texas Children’s receive 3 percent of their salary or $1,000, whichever is greater, while part-time and per-diem team members will receive 3 percent of their salary or $500.
  • Baylor Dates: Payout dates for Baylor may vary based on their payroll schedule.

To download a handy chart about the 1-2-3 Retention Program, click here.

For answers to frequently asked questions about Tomorrow, Together, click here.

August 17, 2021

After implementing bold action in June to show our appreciation for our team members’ contributions, Texas Children’s has just announced a new retention program that will impact every employee below the director and physician level – including part-time and per diem team members, and Baylor College of Medicine staff based at Texas Children’s.

President and CEO Mark A. Wallace announced the 1-2-3 Retention Program this week as another step forward in the Tomorrow, Together investment that Texas Children’s has made in our people. The program is designed to celebrate our team members’ tireless work and recognize your commitment to staying with the organization to advance our mission forward.

How the 1-2-3 Retention Program works
  • Retention Payment 1 on Sept. 17, 2021: Full-time team members will receive 1% of their salary or $500, whichever is greater, while part-time and per diem team members will receive 1% of their salary or $250, whichever is greater.
  • Retention Payment 2 on March 18, 2022: Full-time team members who remain employed with Texas Children’s until this date will receive 2 percent of their salary or $750, whichever is greater, while part-time and per diem team members receive 2 percent of their salary or $375, whichever is greater.
  • Retention Payment 3 on Sept. 16, 2022: Full-time team members who remain employed with Texas Children’s receive 3% percent of their salary or $1,000, whichever is greater, while part-time and per-diem team members will receive 3 percent of their salary or $500.
  • Baylor Dates: Please note that payout dates for Baylor may vary based on their payroll schedule.

“Though our resilience may be tested, you prove time after time that our commitment to healthy women and kids will always be greater than our challenges,” Wallace said. “On behalf of our entire leadership team, please accept our 1-2-3 Retention Program as a way of honoring your loyalty to Texas Children’s, and for the compassionate care you help deliver every day for the women and children we serve.”

To download a handy chart about the 1-2-3 Retention Program, click here.

For answers to frequently asked questions about the Tomorrow, Together initiative, click here.

As teams across the organization continue to celebrate the recent Tomorrow, Together investment in our people, Texas Children’s is launching another special program to express our gratitude for our team members’ hard work and commitment.

In addition to the 50 percent discount on all purchases made at food courts and outlets at the Medical Center, West Campus and The Woodlands campus locations, we have sweet news we want to share.

Every Friday in August, all team members will get free ice cream, or another sweet treat, at all Texas Children’s locations. Make sure to grab a treat before or after your shift, overnight hours included.

  • Health Plan Building – 6330 West Loop South Freeway, Boardroom, Room #1436
  • Medical Center – Fresh Bistro at the Pavilion for Women and Food Court at Mark Wallace Tower
  • Meyer Building – Main Lobby
  • The Woodlands – Treehouse Café
  • West Campus – Dot’s Kitchen
  • Pediatrics, Specialty Cares, The Centers, Urgent Cares and other community locations – Please see your practice leader

Show off your smiles! Send your photos with your sweet treats and details to HR Communications for a chance to see your smile featured on Connect News and our social media channels.