October 7, 2019

Every year from October 6 to 12, the American Academy of Physician Assistants (PAs) honors the 50-plus-year history of the PA profession, and the immeasurable contributions to health care made by PAs during that time, with a week-long celebration – National PA Week.

Texas Children’s will again be celebrating amazing PAs across the system with events and festivities throughout the week. These include:

Tuesday, October 8

  • Taco Tuesday at each of our three Texas Children’s Hospital campuses

Wednesday, October 9

  • West Campus main lobby: Poster display, games, crafts, and a chance to meet and thank PAs
  • Texas Medical Center campus, Pavilion for Women 4th-floor conference rooms: “Get It Poppin’” Snack Break

Thursday, October 10

  • Texas Medical Center campus, Auxiliary Bridge: Poster displays, games, crafts and photos

Friday, October 11

  • The Woodlands main lobby: Poster displays, games, crafts, and a chance to meet and thank PAs
Helping lead the way in health care

Over the past half century, health care delivery has changed dramatically, with emphasis no longer solely placed on the expertise of a doctor, but rather on a team of caregivers. And because of the rising demand for health care, combined with the ongoing shortage of physicians in the United States, advanced practice providers (APPs) – PAs and nurse practitioners – have become major, even indispensable, players on that team.

APPs work in most areas of medicine, from primary care, to the emergency room, to surgical subspecialties. While they do not replace a physician, they work collaboratively on the care team and perform many of the duties a doctor might, including performing minor procedures, providing routine diagnoses, delivering health care education, assisting in the operating room and writing prescriptions.

“Because of the high demand for health care, it is widely accepted that much of that work couldn’t be accomplished without the partnership of PAs and nurse practitioners,” said Veronica Victorian, assistant director of Quality and Safety. “The collaborative relationship with the physician, and the increased opportunities and diverse responsibilities, also often mean a more autonomous role for PAs, in both the clinic and surgical settings.”

It’s then perhaps unsurprising that there has been a proliferation of APPs across the Texas Children’s system over the past few years.

“When I arrived at Texas Children’s in 2011, we had fewer than five PAs,” said Ryan Krasnosky, director of APPs at Texas Children’s. “The Department of Surgery alone now has more than 130 PAs.”

In fact, surgical PAs currently outnumber surgeons at Texas Children’s, an intentional part of the department’s strategy for growth. The Department of Surgery, moreover, is an excellent example of how PAs have added immense value that has led to improved patient access and the development of several key initiatives.

“There is no way that the Department Surgery can hire enough surgeons to keep up with the clinical demand of our rapidly growing city,” said Texas Children’s Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Larry Hollier. “No one comes close to our surgical volume – 40,000 surgeries a year across every possible subspecialty. We rely on our PA partners to provide access at all of our locations throughout Greater Houston, so that patients and their families can be seen wherever and whenever they need help.”

PAs, along with nurse practitioners, have also proven to be key administrative leaders for the Department of Surgery, driving several critical initiatives around safety and quality, and have also been at the forefront of efforts to expand access to care in Houston, in Texas and across the southeastern United States.

“Saturday clinics, remote appointments via telemedicine and after-hours clinics have all largely been accomplished thanks to APPs, and we feel like we’re only scratching the surface,” said Kris Marsack, director of Surgical APPs.

Training the next generation of leaders

As the PA profession has evolved, so has the way Texas Children’s trains providers. One example is the Surgery Physician Assistant Fellowship, which was created in 2013 and was the first of its kind in the country.

You can watch this video to learn more about the fellowship.

“Pediatric surgery is not covered in most PA schools,” said Hollier. “We thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to take PA graduates and expose them to the broad diversity of pediatric surgery that exists here.”

During the intensive one-year program, fellows are fully immersed in the culture at Texas Children’s as they rotate through each surgical subspecialty service, including:

  • Congential heart
  • General pediatrics
  • Hand/microsurgery
  • Neuro
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedic
  • Oto
  • Plastic/reconstructive
  • Surgical ICU
  • Surgical hospitalist
  • Trauma
  • Urology

The program also includes dedicated research time and suture, cadaver, and simulation labs. Training is provided in clinics, on the surgical floors and in the operating room, and involve pre-, intra- and post-operative care. Fellows can also participate in and help lead several community service initiatives, including the Family Fun Runs at Texas Children’s Hospital campuses in The Woodlands and Katy, the annual APP backpack drive.

Since its inception, the fellowship has grown to include eight providers, and is a valuable pipeline for talent and a unique training opportunity for providers who want to join the Department of Surgery team at Texas Children’s.

“We aim to retain every fellow and we are thrilled to see the number of applicants rise each year,” said Jackie Broda, PA-C and clinical lead of PA Fellowships.

Learn more about the Surgery Physician Assistant Fellowship.

September 24, 2019

There’s always a LOT going on at Texas Children’s Hospital.
And because life moves fast and schedules are full, it can be hard to keep track.
Plus, with a million different things competing for our attention, when we need or want information, a lot of the time we want it quickly.

That’s why Texas Children’s Corporate Communications team has put together “Got A Minute?” – a new video series that (quickly) highlights some of the important initiatives, programs and individuals that make Texas Children’s tick.

Each new episode will focus on one of three main topics:

  • Texas Children’s annual organizational goals
  • Our culture of leadership
  • Special recognitions for staff and employees.

Episode 1 spotlights a new special feature story from Corporate Communications called Unsung Heroes, which recognizes outstanding employees from across the Texas Children’s’ system whose important roles are not widely known throughout the organization.

You can learn more about these Unsung Heroes on Connect and on our employee Instagram, @oneamazingteam, throughout the week.

September 10, 2019

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Donna Jackson, Senior Administrative Assistant, Texas Children’s Health Plan. I have worked at the Health Plan for two years and previous to that at Facilities Planning and Development at the Medical Center Campus for four years.

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
Sara Gonzalez-Quezada asked me for help with the AV equipment in the conference room. When I walked in everybody from the Executive 14th floor was there, including Mark Mullarkey and all my leaders. They yelled surprise and that’s when I found out I won a Super Star award. I was in disbelief and speechless.

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?
I was very shocked as I have been at the Health Plan for a fairly short time, compared to others who work so tirelessly every day. I am accepting this award for the entire Administration team as there are many people here at the Health Plan who deserve this award as well. My leaders have continuously shown me appreciation, flexibility and support. In turn my goal is to make their jobs easier, within my possibilities. At The Health Plan I get to work with an amazing group of people and the view from the 14th floor is the envy of many. In addition to this, the location makes for a shorter commute to work, which allows me to spend more quality time with my family.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
A super star creates opportunities to go above and beyond and provide a service reflective of the mission. At the Health Plan, we have so many super stars who work tirelessly for our Health Plan members.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
As an Admin everything we do is to make Leaderships’ job easier in some way. They are always very busy and work long hours, so anything that I can do to minimize their workload, by taking the initiative, being a problem solver and always having a positive attitude helps. They always let me know that I am appreciated which is nice.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Working at the Main Campus was my first experience in health care, so knowing that you are working for children and their families is really special. There is always something interesting going on. At the Health Plan we are all working toward the same goal for our Health Plan members. Everyone here is so dedicated to making the members’ satisfaction a success.

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” is something that is stressed at the Health Plan. For me personally, it enables me to be very proactive in my work and allows me to take the initiative on many projects. Because of this I am always learning new ideas and making contacts, which in turn makes me better at what I do.

The Woodlands Rewards and Retention Committee is honored to present this quarter’s Woodlands Shining Star winners. Physical and occupational therapy (PT/OT) technician Robert Cole, and Infectious Disease provider Dr. Ankhi Dutta, were honored for their hard work and dedication.

Cole was nominated by many of his co-workers and peers for embodying all of the values of Texas Children’s. He constantly makes himself available when needed, even if this means coming in early or working through lunch.

“There was a patient that had to be rescheduled multiple times and due to no other opening, the patient had to be scheduled during lunch time one week and early morning before regular appointment times the following week,” Physical Therapist Kendall Peterson, shared. “Robert offered, without hesitation, to come in to assist the therapist put a cast on the patient both weeks. He gave up his lunch and he came in early before his shift started in order to help the therapist and the family.”

Another example of Cole living the core values is his undeniable willingness to help. One day when he was headed to lunch, he noticed a family from the therapy department in the parking garage having car trouble. He spent his lunch time helping the family get their car started, and making sure their needs were met.

Cole’s helpful spirit is also spread to other employees during times when they may need to step away from the stress of work. He is the organizer and motivator for the Woodlands Therapy Department kickball team and constantly encourages new therapists to participate.

Dutta was nominated for living the values of embracing freedom, leading tirelessly, living compassionately, and amplifying unity. She is very well respected and known for going above and beyond for her patients and families.

“Dr. Dutta is the rare specialist who knows and cares for the whole patient,” Dr. Stephen Edwards said. “As a tireless leader, no matter where the patient is inpatient, outpatient, PICU, NICU, even College Station, she is readily available to offer guidance and is a light when doubts in patient care case darkness.”

She has been instrumental with helping the care team diagnose and care for patients even after they are transferred to the Medical Center Campus PICU. This is just one of the many ways that she constantly goes the extra miles for our patients and their families.

Congratulations to each of you and a huge thank you for being the shining stars that you are and going above and beyond for our patients, families, and co-workers!

September 4, 2019

Two years after Hurricane Harvey, Texas Children’s employee Alex Sardual is still dealing with the effects of the historic disaster. Last year we reported that he had not even scratched the surface of fully renovating his home that was destroyed in 2017. Today, Sardual is excited to say that the process is almost completed and his family can move in soon.

June 10, 2019

The Mark A. Wallace New Employee Pep Rally allows new employees to learn more about the organization and meet executives and other leaders within a festive atmosphere complete with foam fingers, pompoms and lively music. Participants included new and recent hires based at the Medical Center. The pep rally was held on June 3 at the Pavilion for Women Conference Center.

“We are flourishing and we’re blessed to have all of you here,” President and CEO Mark Wallace told the new employees, recalling Texas Children’s early days in a single, seven-floor building – well before the opening of Legacy Tower at the Medical Center campus; the suburban hospitals at West and The Woodlands; and the urgent care centers and specialty care clinics that stretch across Harris County and now reach into Austin and Central Texas.

“In 1989, I knew this was our destiny,” Wallace said. “I knew Texas Children’s was going to grow and flourish because that was part of the plan: taking care of more patients and more families. The key to our success has always been the people and the leadership.”

Wallace also introduced himself and shook hands with every new employee at the pep rally, pausing often to pose for photos and snap selfies.

March 4, 2019

The Mark A. Wallace New Employee Pep Rally allows new employees to learn more about the organization and meet executives and other leaders within a festive atmosphere complete with foam fingers, pompoms and lively music. Participants at the most recent pep rally on February 15 included new and recent hires based at The Woodlands.

“The Woodlands is flourishing and we’re lucky to have all of you here,” President and CEO Mark Wallace told the new employees, recalling Texas Children’s early days in a single, seven-floor building – well before the opening of Legacy Tower at the Medical Center campus; the suburban hospitals at West and The Woodlands; and the urgent care centers and specialty care clinics that stretch across Harris County and now reach into Austin and Central Texas.

“In 1989, I knew this was our destiny,” Wallace said. “I knew Texas Children’s was going to grow and flourish because that was part of the plan: taking care of more patients and more families. The key to our success has always been the people and the leadership.”

Wallace reminded the new hires that they, too, are leaders in their personal and professional lives, and encouraged them to develop their own leadership definitions. He also introduced himself and shook hands with every new employee at the pep rally, pausing often to pose for photos and snap selfies.