March 1, 2016

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Here at Texas Children’s, we are a community that cares for each other, so as we get ready to celebrate National Nutrition Month in March, it is important to remember that healthy eating is always in season.

March is National Nutrition Month, and this year’s theme is Savor the Flavor of Eating Right. Let’s take time to enjoy your meal traditions, savor great flavors and cultivate the social experiences that food can add to our lives. To celebrate this important month, the Food and Nutrition department in partnership with Employee Health and Wellness is sponsoring several events throughout the month of March that will provide you with tips on how to develop a mindful eating pattern while enjoying nutritious and flavorful food.

Keep in mind that how, when, why and where we eat are just as important as what we eat. Develop a mindful eating pattern that includes nutritious and flavorful foods – that’s the best way to savor the flavor of eating right.

Bon Appetit!

Upcoming events:

Main Campus

My Plate Bridge Event
Date: Wednesday, March 2
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: The Auxiliary Bridge

Dietitians and diet technicians with Clinical Nutrition Services are hosting a bridge event that will focus on creating a healthy plate that includes adding flavors and other ingredients that will improve the quality and nutrition of the food we eat. There will be games for children and lots of information for everyone.

Cooking Demos
Dates: Tuesdays, March 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 11 a.m. (while supplies last)
Location: Pavilion for Women Fresh Bistro

We have challenged our chefs to make exciting meals flavored with various herbs and spices instead of salt. The meals – which are listed below – will be available for purchase while supplies last.

March 8: Chef Achim will be serving savory herb crusted tilapia with tomato/lime vegetable fettuccine.
March 15: Chef Lyle will be serving quinoa crusted fish tacos with whole wheat tortilla, Spanish brown rice and cilantro black beans.
March 22: Chef Kenya and Chef Joseph will be serving lemongrass chicken wraps with Asian slaw topped with sriracha sauce.
March 29: Chef Holley will be serving grilled chicken breast, roasted chayote, chipotle black bean cake, avocado and corn salsa.

Well-Being Brown Bag with Registered Dietitian Amy Kennedy
Date: Wednesday, March 23
Time: noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Feign Center, 18B

Amy Kennedy will provide educational tips on how to develop healthy, mindful eating patterns. She also will talk about how to infuse flavor while reducing sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats while cooking.

West Campus

Cooking Demo
Date: Tuesday, March 15
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Luby’s DOTS Kitchen

Chef Joe will cook a dish from Luby’s Livin’ Smart recipes, which have 600 calories or less, less than 30 percent of calories from fat, and more than 3 grams of fiber. The meal will be available for purchase while supplies last.

Cooking Demo with Samples
Date: Tuesday, March 22
Time: 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Luby’s DOTS Kitchen

Chef Joe will cook a dish from Luby’s Livin’ Smart recipes, which have 600 calories or less, less than 30 percent of calories from fat, and more than 3 grams of fiber. Samples of the meal will be provided while supplies last.

Texas Children’s Blog Post
Check out Texas Children’s blog during the month of March for periodic posts from our dietitians about healthy eating and proper nutrition.

Resources to support your nutrition
The Employee Health and Wellness team supports our staff in achieving optimal well-being by providing a variety of nutrition resources.

  • My Fit Foods, 15 percent off purchases in store, register for discount card here.
  • Snap Kitchen, 10 percent off purchases in store
  • Weight Watchers, 50 percent subsidy on membership
  • The Employee Medical Clinic provides free nutrition counseling and health coaching. Call Ext. 4-2150, opt. 2 for more information.

For more information about proper nutrition and National Nutrition Month events at Texas Children’s, please visit the Wellness website on Connect or email wellbeing@texaschildrens.org. And, to learn more about healthy eating opportunities at Texas Children’s cafes and eateries, click here.

3216pearlanduc640Texas Children’s Hospital is proud to announce the opening of its fifth Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinic. Conveniently located at 2701 Pearland Parkway, the clinic offers high-quality, efficient and affordable pediatric care at a convenient Pearland location.

“We are very excited to open our fifth location and bring expert pediatric urgent care to the Pearland community,” said Kay Tittle, president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “Our Urgent Cares clinics provide an immense resource for the communities we serve and I am looking forward to seeing the impact this location will have on the children and families of Pearland.”

Texas Children’s Urgent Care Pearland is open Monday through Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. The clinic is staffed by board certified pediatricians who have privileges at Texas Children’s Hospital. Pediatricians diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments, illnesses and conditions, including: asthma, strep throat, fever, minor burns, influenza, ear infections, allergic reactions and more. Procedures provided include: antibiotic injections, breathing treatments, fracture care and splinting, IV (intravenous) fluids, lab services, laceration repair and X-rays onsite.

Oftentimes, families turn to an emergency center after hours, on weekends or perhaps even during the day, when a significant event occurs with their child. Though the emergency center is the right place for some incidents or ailments, the majority of the time minor illnesses can and should be treated at a pediatric urgent care facility.

Texas Children’s Urgent Care accepts major insurance plans and has self-pay rates, which are less than emergency center charges, and there are no hospital fees. A complete list of insurance plans is available on the website. Texas Children’s Urgent Care specializes in after-hours care, but does not replace the need for children to have a general pediatrician. Routine physical exams and vaccinations are services that should be obtained from a general pediatrician, and these services are not available at Texas Children’s Urgent Care.

Texas Children’s Urgent Care has four additional convenient locations:

  • Cinco Ranch located at 9727 Spring Green Blvd., Suite 900 Katy, TX 77494
  • Memorial located at 12850 Memorial Drive, Suite 210 Houston, TX 77024
  • The Woodlands located at 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive, Suite C300 The Woodlands, TX 77381
  • Main Campus located at 6621 Fannin, Suite 2240 Houston, TX 77030
February 23, 2016

22416lifesaving640When Dr. Natasha Afonso clipped in to a bike for a spin class on a recent Thursday evening, she didn’t know the skills she uses each day to treat patients in the CVICU would mean the difference between life and death for a fellow rider. Toward the end of the 45-minute, high-intensity class, Afonso heard commotion behind her as riders were being ushered out of the room. When she turned around she saw 50-year-old Scott Corron lying motionless on the ground.

She jumped off her bike and found Corron cold, clammy and pulseless. Because she didn’t see him fall, she thought he may be dehydrated, but because he wasn’t breathing Afonso immediately started CPR.

“It’s surprising to see someone go into cardiac arrest outside of the hospital setting,” said Afonso. “I didn’t have time to get my own heart rate down much less think about what caused Scott to stop breathing, so I started compressions.”

When the paramedics arrived 15 minutes after Afonso started CPR, she assisted with quickly placing the electrode pads on him. The paramedics shocked Corron before resuming compressions and he was fairly alert as the ambulance whisked him off to the hospital.

Corron, who has ironically worked in cardiology device sales for more than 20 years, credited Afonso’s quick thinking and action which has led to a full recovery.

“Words aren’t enough to thank Dr. Afonso for saving my life,” said Corron. “I hope to be back on the bike soon and am so thankful she decided to take a spin class that night.”

To see the reunion between Afonso and Corron, watch this recent NBC 2 KPRC story.

February 16, 2016

21716KidsTriathlon640Want to help build a generation of healthy, active responsible children? Sign them up for the 2016 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon. Presented by Texas Children’s Hospital, the event will be April 23 and 24 at NRG Stadium.

Drawing more than 3,000 participants ages 6 to 15, the event is expected to be the largest USATriathlon sanctioned kids triathlon in the world.

Click here to register and here for more information.

February 2, 2016

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Celebrate Go Red for Women by wearing red this Friday, February 5 to raise awareness for heart disease. Texas Children’s badge holders who wear red on this day will receive a free heart healthy sweet* during lunchtime at the following Texas Children’s dining locations:

  • Pavilion for Women Fresh Bistro
  • Clinical Care Center Food Court
  • West Campus Luby’s DOTS Kitchen

For heart health education, blood pressure checks, and to meet the new Employee Medical Clinic providers, please stop by the Employee Health and Wellness Go Red for Women booth from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, February 5 at the Pavilion for Women Fresh Bistro. In addition to these offerings, the Employee Medical Clinic offers a Healthy Heart Program free of charge for employees. The Healthy Heart program features three individual sessions with a Registered Dietitian who will work with you to improve your blood pressure or cholesterol through healthy lifestyle modifications including nutrition, meal planning, physical activity, blood pressure monitoring, and stress management. The Employee Medical Clinic supports your personal health needs and offers convenient access to exceptional primary and acute care services on Main Campus. The clinic delivers many additional services including health coaching, physical therapy, nutrition consultations, and diabetes education.

For more information about the Healthy Heart Program or to make an appointment, please call Ext. 4-2150, option 2. Click on the image above to learn more about six popular food items that can add high levels of sodium to your diet. Share how you Go Red this Friday by using the hashtag #TexasChildrensGoRed.

*Free heart healthy sweet with purchase and while supplies last to Texas Children’s badge holders wearing, or accessorized, in red.

2316klineopedinside175The end of this month marks the deadline to sign up for a Marketplace health insurance plan. Unfortunately, for many families, simply having health insurance coverage doesn’t guarantee access to the best possible health care.

The sad truth is that there are many patients who were left scrambling to find a new medical home when a number of insurance companies decided not to provide in-network coverage for many hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including Texas Children’s Hospital. Children and families, many suffering from serious or complex medical conditions, are being denied access to the largest, and one of the best, pediatric hospitals in the entire nation. Distraught mothers and fathers have called the hospital with emotional pleas for help, concerned that their children can no longer receive care from the doctors and nurses they have known for years or even their entire lives.

The reality is that not all hospitals are created equal. At Texas Children’s, we build facilities and recruit world-renowned pediatric subspecialists to deliver world-class health care and treatment to the children and families who need us most. As the saying goes, “it’s what we do.” We advance pediatric research and drive innovation in pediatric health care, all in hopes of discovering new therapies and cures for children with serious or life-threatening medical problems, and we scrupulously monitor and report the outcomes of the care and treatment we deliver. In conjunction with our partner, Baylor College of Medicine, we invest in the future health of the children of Houston, Texas and the nation by training more of the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists than anyone else nationally. Finally, we do all of this in a family-centered and child-friendly way, improving not only the health of the child, but also the well-being of families across our community.

These are significant investments, but we are the hospital of last resort for many children. We turn no family away and take care of the most critically ill patients and treat more complex cases than any other hospital in the state, many times absorbing the cost so every family who needs that higher level of care receives it.

We see the unfortunate results when children don’t have access to the best facilities and health professionals. Getting the right care at the right place and in a timely fashion can save insurance companies millions of dollars in the end. In other words, ensuring access to the best facilities and health professionals, like those at Texas Children’s, not only is the right thing to do, but also makes good business sense. Denying even one child access to potentially life-saving care is one too many.

Good health demands that every child should receive care regularly from a pediatrician or family physician. The many children across our community suffering from serious or complex medical conditions require more. Recent decisions by several health insurance companies make clear that while they might agree in principle with these statements, they are blind to the ramifications of their decisions for many of our community’s most vulnerable children and families. Our children need and deserve access to state-of-the-art facilities and medical equipment designed specifically for children. They need and deserve access to pediatric specialists who are among the best in the world. Little lives depend on it.

Dr. Mark W. Kline serves as physician-in-chief of Texas Children’s Hospital and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.

January 26, 2016

12716FAMILYFUNRUNinside640Are you and your family ready to have some fun that will also help make you healthy? If so, sign up for the fourth annual Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Marathon Foundation Family Fun Run, an event designed to educate and encourage Houston-area children and their families to adopt active, healthy lifestyles.

Families with children of all abilities are invited to participate in the run at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 9 at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.

The Family Fun Run will include both a 1K and 3K course. Participants – including those who need walkers and wheelchairs – are welcome. There will not be prizes given to top finishers as all participants will receive an award for taking part in an event designed to educate and encourage Houston-area families to adopt active, healthy lifestyles. Following the run, families can enjoy the H-E-B sponsored Family Fun Zone. The zone will be packed with snacks, special guests and more than 25 attractions.

Click here to register. Registration will close on Monday, March 28.

Additional information, including training guides, a video from last year’s event and volunteer opportunities can be found here.

Good luck and happy running!