August 23, 2016

82416minimobileclinicinsideRev640The Texas Children’s Mobile Clinic Program has expanded with the addition of the CARESQUAD, a bright yellow mini-mobile clinic generously donated to the hospital by The Jerold B. Katz Foundation.

The clinic will help carry out the mission of the Texas Children’s Mobile Clinic Program, which is to provide underserved children in the Houston area with comprehensive health care and preventive education. The smaller size of the new mobile clinic will allow caregivers to reach children and families who live in and around neighborhoods with limited parking and narrow streets.

“The addition of the CARESQUAD to the Mobile Clinic Program is going to make a huge difference in the lives of so many children and their families,” said Dr. Sanghamitra Misra, medical director of the Texas Children’s Mobile Clinic Program. “We are excited about getting the clinic on the road and are grateful to the Katz family for making the clinic possible.”

At a recent dedication of the CARESQUAD mini-mobile clinic, Evan H. Katz said his family is thrilled to unveil the clinic and is confident it will go a long way in helping area children receive basic health care.

“For our family, this gift is special,” Katz said. “It is close to our hearts because we realize that we are assisting families with that most necessary ingredient to a good life – health.”

In addition to the program’s newest addition, The Texas Children’s Mobile Clinic Program is composed of two clinics: the Superkids Mobile Clinic and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. During the school year, the Super Kids Mobile Clinic travels primarily to Houston Independent School District schools, community centers and churches in the Southwest Gulfton area. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile travels primarily to HISD schools and community centers in the Southeast Hobby area. The CARESQUAD will be used all over the region, accessing places the clinics have not been able to reach before.

The clinics provide free vaccinations to those who qualify for the Texas Vaccines for Children program and also provide free well child visits, sick visits and hearing or vision screenings for uninsured children in the Houston area. In addition, both mobile clinics have pharmacies that are stocked with common medications that are provided free of charge to uninsured families. Providers can perform common laboratory tests and educate all patients coming through the clinic about the different insurance options available to them. In the summer, the clinics travel throughout the Houston area and surrounding areas to provide free vaccines to children before the school year starts.

July 19, 2016

72016PaulaMcSwain175Paula McSwain of Texas Children’s Pediatrics Baytown is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star leader. “Working for an organization that values and recognizes employees for their efforts has raised the bar for my professional and personal goals as well,” McSwain said. Read more of McSwain’s interview below and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Your name, title and department.
Paula McSwain, Practice Manager, Texas Children’s Pediatrics Baytown

What month are you Super Star for?
Third Quarter (July – September) 2016 for Texas Children’s Hospital

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
A surprise breakfast meeting was planned by my staff/providers; Kay Tittle, president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics; Pat Coleman, director of regional operations; and Claudia Cerrato Day, assistant director of regional operations.

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 honored to receive this award from the organization. Working for an organization that values and recognizes employees for their efforts has raised the bar for my professional and personal goals as well.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?

  • To be Committed to the values of Texas Children’s
  • To be Motivated to come to work every day looking for ways to help others.
  • To be Determined that every decision you make is centered on the patient and their families for a positive outcome.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
I like to know that families are receiving the best possible care for their children as I would want my own children to receive. Texas Children’s is an organization that leads health care around the world, and I take pride every morning when I put my badge on knowing that I am a part of that team.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Being able to help others, be it a patient, staff member or a provider. Also when I meet someone off of the job while in the community and they ask where I am employed, I proudly tell them Texas Children’s!

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your Leadership definition?
I believe that part of being a leader is having the ability to influence others by your actions. I realize that every day my co-workers are watching my actions and are reacting to those actions as well. I also see the same thing going on with other staff members within the clinic daily, so we all can be leaders.

Anything else you want to share?
Over the years I have told my staff and providers that every patient should be treated as we would like our own families to be treated. Customer Service is something that I feel is very important and I strive daily to exceed the expectation of our patients and their families. I love helping people while at work and in the community as well.

July 7, 2016

This week a year ago – July 6 to be exact – Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark Wallace kicked off his One Amazing Team tour, visiting Texas Children’s team members at all of our locations throughout Greater Houston. The whirlwind, 73-stop tour took more than three-and-a-half months, covered about 750 miles and touched nearly 1,800 Texas Children’s staff and employees.

In case you missed it, here’s an awesome video capturing all the excitement of last year’s One Amazing Team tour!

 

May 3, 2016

42716MyChartinside350Texas Children’s Pediatrics is making it easier than ever for families to take care of what’s most important to them – their children’s health. Whether they need a same-day sick visit or want to schedule a well-check visit months in advance, our families no longer have to wait for office hours to call their primary care practice. Now, all they have to do is log in to MyChart anytime to make their next appointment.

Families also can:

  •  Send non-urgent messages to the care team
  •  Request prescription refills
  •  Complete questionnaires before appointments
  •  Request medical record copies
  •  Access their child’s medical record, including: test results, allergies/medications, after-visit summaries, growth charts, and immunization records

“We want to make it as easy as possible for our families to access the care they need for their child, even when life gets too busy to call the office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.,” said Sara Montenegro, director of regional operations for Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “This new feature on MyChart gives access to scheduling appointments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, providing a great service to our families.”

March 1, 2016

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
December 22, 2015

122315missouricitygroupinsideTexas Children’s Pediatrics recently opened a practice in Missouri City, bringing the total number of locations in its network to 52. Located at 5819 Highway 6, the new practice is run by Dr. Dean Gmoser.

Prior to joining Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Gmoser ran a private pediatric primary care practice in Missouri City. He said he joined Texas Children’s Pediatrics to enhance and expand his practice vision and to immerse himself in a system he has been a part of since completing his residency in the early 1980s with Baylor College of Medicine affiliated hospitals, include Texas Children’s Hospital.

“I have always been associated with Texas Children’s since I did all of my pediatric training there,” Gmoser said. “In practice, I continued to admit patients there and mentor continuity residents from the program.”

A native of Wisconsin, Gmoser earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University. Gmoser specializes in ADHD behavior, infants and healthy eating.

“My goal is to help you acquire the tools and methods to become self-confident as a parent and to use me as a resource to raise a confident, healthy and well-adjusted child,” Gmoser said. “I truly enjoy the ability to interact with patients and their families.”

In addition to Gmoser, nurse practitioner Ann Poulin will be seeing patients at the new practice twice a week.

Texas Children’s Pediatrics is a group of board-certified, expert pediatricians who have extensive training in children’s health care. With convenient locations throughout the greater Houston area, the group provides the finest pediatricians dedicated to meeting the healthcare needs of infants to teenagers.

For more information about Texas Children’s Pediatrics, visit http://www.texaschildrenspediatrics.org/.

October 13, 2015

D101415SunjeevPatel175r. Sunjeev Patel from Texas Children’s Pediatrics Lakewood is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star physician. “Being part of Texas Children’s Pediatrics has allowed me to not only see patients in the office, but it also has given me the opportunity to be involved with understanding and improving quality of care,” said Patel. Read more of Patel’s interview below, and find out how you can nominate a Super Star.

Q&A: Dr. Sunjeev Patel, January – June 2015 Physician

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Dr. Sunjeev Patel, pediatrician, Texas Children’s Pediatrics Lakewood. I am the site leader and lab director for the practice. I also am the chair for the Quality Advisory Committee for Texas Children’s Pediatrics. I have worked for Texas Children’s Pediatrics since 2002. I started in the Float Pool and joined Lakewood in 2004.

What month are you Super Star for?
January – June 2015

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
It was announced at our monthly office staff meeting.

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 am very honored to have received this award. I could not do what I do without the support of my office staff and Texas Children’s Pediatrics. Being part of Texas Children’s Pediatrics has allowed me to not only see patients in the office, but it also has given me the opportunity to be involved with understanding and improving quality of care.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
Being a hard worker who is passionate about what they do.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
Doing the best that I can for my patients. Watching the kids grow up and seeing parents become more confident in their ability to care for their children is a great motivator.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
Working with two great teams – my office and Texas Children’s Pediatrics Quality.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
A leader is someone who can inspire and motivate others.