Each week you have the opportunity to enrich your Black History knowledge and participate in an online activity for a chance to win a special prize. Read more
November 16, 2021
Strengthening its commitment to the Austin community, Texas Children’s Pediatrics is thrilled to announce the opening of a new Community Health Center in Windsor Park. The new site joins 12 other Texas Children’s locations in Central Texas providing trusted, high-quality medical services to children and adolescents.
Texas Children’s Pediatrics Windsor Park will be named the Jodie Lee Jiles Community Health Center, to honor Jodie Lee Jiles’ extraordinary lifelong advocacy for underserved populations. Jiles, a member of The University of Texas System Board of Regents and director of business development at Transwestern, has served on the Texas Children’s Board of Trustees since 2002, and has been a Texas Children’s Emeritus Trustee since 2019. His passion for giving back and strong ties to Austin – as a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin – are a few of the many reasons Texas Children’s chose to dedicate the site in his honor.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored by this recognition from Texas Children’s,” said Jiles. “I am deeply moved by the organization’s mission and pleased that the new facility will provide quality health care to a traditionally underserved community.”
Regardless of a family’s financial situation the Jodie Lee Jiles Community Health Center will provide primary health care services to children from birth to age 18. The new location also offers the opportunity to develop a long-term relationship with board-certified pediatricians, Dr. Ana Avalos and Dr. Shauna Butler.
“We’re excited about the ability to serve even more families in the Austin community,” said Dan Gollins, president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Texas Children’s Urgent Care. “We hope the clinic will be a great representation of Mr. Jiles’ passion for reaching every child in the community, ensuring they have the resources needed for a healthy future.”
“My dream has always been that every child in America and especially in Texas has access to preventative care, primary care and hospitalization when necessary,” said Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital. “I’m happy to say that this dream is coming true through the Jodie Lee Jiles Community Health Center and because of people like Jodie who never stop advocating for what is right. We are thrilled to name the Windsor Park facility in his honor.”
Texas Children’s Hospital is also constructing a $485 million top-tier, freestanding children and women’s hospital in North Austin, set to open in February 2024. Please stay tuned for available positions as our new hospital gets under development. To learn more visit our Austin Expansion site on Connect: https://texaschildrens.sharepoint.com/sites/Austin
June 24, 2014
Representatives from Texas Children’s Hospital are joining children’s hospitals from across the nation in Washington, D.C.this week for the annual Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) Family Advocacy Day. CHA recently launched Speak Now for Kids, a grassroots initiative to advocate for medically complex children.
Dr. Jennifer Arnold, neonatologist and medical director of Texas Children’s Simulation Center, along with her husband, Bill Klein, and their two children, Will and Zoey, is representing Texas Children’s Hospital at the event. Arnold provides the insightful perspective of a physician, former patient and a mother of two children with medical complexities.
“Everyone, including our policymakers, needs to know the best place for children with complex medical conditions is a children’s hospital, where experienced specialty care is available for their needs,” Arnold said. “It ultimately gives children the best chance at a healthy and happy life.”
Family Advocacy Day convenes hospital representatives and their patient families to speak to their members of Congress about supporting legislation to create pediatric centers of excellence at children’s hospitals to care for the most vulnerable patients: medically complex children on Medicaid. The legislation – titled “Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act” (or ACE Kids Act) – will ensure that children are able to receive the care they need from a center equipped to provide comprehensive care, even if the hospital is in another state.
Arnold, her family and families from other children’s hospitals are meeting with members of Congress to advocate for Medicaid reform for children with medical complexities, the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and funding to train pediatric residents.
“It is my love as a parent, my duty as a physician and my experience as a patient which compels me to raise awareness for this important issue,” Arnold said.
The families speaking in Washington, D.C., this week represent the voices of the thousands of children being treated at centers of excellence like Texas Children’s Hospital every day. As a Texas Children’s employee, you can help spread the message about why children’s hospitals are the best place for kids with complex medical.
5 ways you can Speak Now for Kids:
#Speaknowforkids. Use this hashtag and saturate social media with your stories about why children’s hospitals matter.
Call, write, and reach out. Lawmakers are elected by you to stand up for you. Make your voice heard. Contact their offices and let them know why you care about Medicaid reform for medically complex children. Click here to find out who represents you.
