July 1, 2021

Our Texas Children’s people love their hometown Houston Astros!

To show their appreciation for everything we’ve done over the last year to support our community through the COVID-19 pandemic and for leading the way by choosing to be vaccinated against the virus, the Astros sent 1,000 Texas Children’s employees to watch the game against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, June 30.

With the world cautiously beginning to reopen and our lives regaining more normalcy every day, President and CEO Mark A. Wallace encouraged team members to dress up in their best orange and wear their Astros gear on game day – bringing back our tradition of supporting the ‘Stros through their journey to the World Series.

Check out the photos below to see how our team members showed their spirit and support as the Astros fight this year to #TakeItBack #ForTheH!

June 4, 2021

To put our tremendous gratitude for our employees into meaningful action, Texas Children’s is taking two bold steps: increasing the salary of each team member by 2 percent and providing an additional week of highly-deserved paid time off.

President and CEO Mark A. Wallace announced this incredible investment in our people in a special video message sent to all employees across the system. To watch the video, click here.

“I’ve been through a multitude of seasons with all of you. Seasons of growth and prosperity, but also seasons of difficulty and hardships,” Wallace said in his message. “But through it all, we continued to lead with compassion and strength.”

As part of the Tomorrow, Together initiative, the pay increase will become effective June 13 for all part-time, full-time and per-diem employees up to and including directors. The added week of PTO will be available for use beginning June 13.

For more specific information about these actions and how they may apply to your unique situation, review these Frequently Asked Questions, which include the following topics:

  • Impacts on benefits and merit increases
  • Maximum salary ranges
  • Changes in employment status or role
  • PTO maximum accrual rates, carry-over and sell

Wallace has also asked his senior leadership team to continue developing and refining several initiatives to support Texas Children’s team members, including recruiting and retaining the best talent; focusing on the mental and physical health of our employees; and enhancing our robust diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as examples.

“Our health care heroes’ resiliency and determination over the last year was unmatched, and I am so thankful for their dedication to our patients, health plan members and each other,” he said. “This commitment is both a recognition and celebration of our One Amazing Team.”

June 3, 2021

Our President and CEO Mark A. Wallace has announced two big changes on the way for our One Amazing Team. Watch his video now to learn how we’re recognizing you.

May 18, 2021

Life is busy, especially more so during the pandemic. As we continue to navigate our reconstructed future, it is more important than ever to keep healthy and strong for ourselves, and our families and friends.

As part of our commitment to your total well-being, Texas Children’s Employee Health and Well-Being teams have organized a variety of programs and resources around Women’s Health Month to help refresh your focus on your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Watch for more on Connect.

This week, we are focusing on your mental well-being.

Work-life satisfaction: Take advantage of EAP Plus, the enhanced Employee Assistance Program, available to all employees and their eligible dependents. In addition to round-the-clock access to counseling services by phone and referrals to qualified mental health providers in the community, EAP Plus provides legal guidance, financial information and unlimited work-life solutions to help you take care of tasks such as planning a party, securing child or elder care, arranging home repairs and more. Call 833.EAP.PLUS 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to connect with a certified counselor, or visit the EAP Plus website and enter EAPPLUS as the Organization Web ID.

Virtual Mental Health Care: Taking care of your mental health can help you live a happier, healthier, and more productive life. Cigna now offers the following options:

  • Behavioral and mental health virtual care via MDLive, where you can talk privately with a licensed counselor or psychiatrist via video or phone anywhere and anytime. You can also have a prescription sent directly to your local pharmacy, if needed. Please note there will be a co-pay. To learn more about MDLive click here.
  • Talkspace, an online therapy platform where you are able to hold sessions with a licensed behavioral therapist from anywhere, at any time. Please note there will be a co-pay. Once you are matched with a therapist, you can message each other to schedule your session. For additional information on Talkspace, click here.
  • Meru Health offers a 12-week virtual counseling program that includes daily chat support from a licensed therapist, a biofeedback device, anonymous peer and psychiatrist support, mindfulness practices, and habit-changing activities for sleep, nutrition, and more – accessed anytime and anywhere. Click here to learn more.
April 20, 2021

April is Financial Literacy Month, and Texas Children’s is partnering with two of our Benefits providers, Fidelity Investments and EAP Plus, to organize a variety of webinars to help you with your financial well-being. Take advantage of this opportunity to assess your financial needs/outlook and enrich your knowledge towards a brighter financial future. These free sessions are available to all Texas Children’s employees.

Financial Webinars by Fidelity

Manage Unexpected Events and Expenses

  • Know how to assess spending and take control of a budget
  • Consider reasons for taking money from a workplace savings plan
  • Understand ways Fidelity can help

Date: Thursday, April 22
Time: 11 a.m.

Click here to register for webinar

Create a Budget, Ditch your Debt

  • Recognize the importance of managing debt
  • Learn steps for maintaining financial health
  • Plan for future goals

Date: Friday, April 23
Time: 2 p.m.

Click here to register for webinar

Ask Fidelity Session

Join us for an upcoming virtual Ask Fidelity Session where your local Fidelity planner will share important updates related to your workplace savings plan and provide you with resources to stay on track to meet your financial goals.

Date: Thursday, April 29
Time: 11 a.m.

Sign up here.

Financial Webinars by EAP Plus

Paying off Debt while Building Wealth

In difficult economic times, many people are struggling to manage their monthly bills, which can affect their ability to repay debt as well as save and invest for the future. This webinar will focus on developing financial plans and strategies to address the dual goals of paying off debt, while also building personal wealth. You will receive practical techniques to help you manage your personal finances to organize a sensible debt repayment plan without sacrificing other financial goals.

Date: Friday, April 23
Time: Noon

Click here to register for webinar

EAP Plus Financial Services

Looking for professional expertise on your financial concerns? This webinar will provide an overview of EAP Plus Financial Services, including how you can access a free and confidential financial counselor and other services. The EAP Plus financial experts can assist with a wide range of issues, including retirement planning, budgeting, debt, relocation or mortgages. For additional financial or EAP resources, you can also visit EAP Plus Online Portal. Click “register” and enter EAPPLUS as the Organization Web ID.

Date: Wednesday, April 28
Time: 11:30 a.m.

Join the Zoom meeting

Meeting ID: 919 2837 2043
Passcode: 834048
One tap mobile: +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

March 8, 2021

With so much in the news recently about a Congressional push to raise the minimum wage, it has now been more than a year since Texas Children’s served as a leader in this effort by increasing its own minimum hourly pay rate to $15 for all positions, effective January 1, 2020.

When the decision was first announced toward the end of 2019, our President and CEO Mark A. Wallace said it was simply the right thing to do in our efforts to support our employees, as well as their ability to build rewarding careers at Texas Children’s.

“Raising our minimum hourly pay rate is an important step in our ongoing effort to attract and retain talented, driven professionals who share our passion for family-centered patient care,” Wallace said, during his announcement to the organization.

“We are setting a new standard for competitive compensation – a standard that more than doubles both the federal and state minimum wage, and reinforces Texas Children’s position as a compelling place to work among health care institutions in the Texas Medical Center, across the state, and around the country.”

Since the pay raise went into effect, Texas Children’s has further positioned itself as a great place to work, which also helped secure our spot as one of Forbes Magazine’s Best Places to Work. Most importantly, the increase made a difference in the lives and careers of approximately 1,600 team members, demonstrating the value they bring to our organization and patients every single day.

Whether fighting a global pandemic or navigating a significant winter weather event, our One Amazing Team always comes together to take care of each other and our communities.

February 23, 2021

Texas Children’s team members whose income or homes were impacted by the February 2021 winter storm in Texas may be eligible for disaster relief from the Employee Financial Assistance Fund (EFAF).

Established and managed by the Employee Assistance Program, EFAF provides financial help to eligible employees experiencing unexpected, unforeseen or unavoidable emergencies. Grant funds are available for emergency needs only.

To be eligible for an EFAF grant related to the recent winter weather event, employees must meet the requirements outlined in Employee Financial Assistance Fund Policy #1475 as well as the following criteria:

  • Must be able to verify their emergency and demonstrate that it is a basic need.
    • If requesting assistance with loss of income, employees will need to provide documentation such as late household bills to show financial hardship.
  • Must use existing resources (within reason) or plan to use them given the need is so much greater than the resources available.
  • Must contact insurance first before EFAF can assist with repairs.
    • In the application process, employees must be able to show either an insurance denial or an insurance reimbursement/payment verification.
    • If available, employees must apply for assistance from FEMA.
    • Any repairs must be related to basic needs, such as the roof, water or electricity.
    • Some home insurance will cover the cost of relocating to a hotel.
  • When the home is not livable due to damage and the employee does not have other options for shelter, relocation expenditures are covered under emergency EFAF.
  • When food loss is due to electricity outages or damage to a refrigerator has occurred, HEB gift cards can be provided.

To learn more about the EFAF process, including how to submit a confidential EFAF application, click here. You can also learn more about FEMA Disaster Assistance and additional Community Resources here.