September 9, 2015

Texas Children’s employees and their families recently celebrated the organization’s 20th anniversary with a day of fun at Regal Ranch in Stafford.

In between feasting on hotdogs, cupcakes and snow cones, the more than 600 guests slid down a giant water slide, enjoyed a hay ride, played putt-putt golf, ping pong and volley ball, and visited with friends and coworkers.

“The mood was very festive and fun,” said Texas Children’s Pediatrics President Kay Tittle. “It’s been really nice to celebrate with the families of our staff.”

Texas Children’s Pediatrics turned 20 years old on August 1, launching what is now the largest pediatric network in the nation with more than 200 board-certified pediatricians and more than 50 practices throughout the greater Houston area. Each year, the group cares for more than 400,000 patients and completes more than 1.2 million visits.

Recently, the organization opened its first three urgent care centers and started a pilot program called Texas Children’s Pediatrics Walk-In-Now (W.I.N.) at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Cy-Fair. Both programs offer additional access to quality pediatric care any time of the day or evening. Additional urgent care and W.I.N. locations will be opening soon.

A few months ago, Texas Children’s Pediatrics launched the ParentAdvice Center, a new mobile health management app available for free on iTunes and Google Play that will help families make smart decisions about what level of care is needed for their child and how to provide symptom relief for minor illnesses or injuries at home.

And, for years Texas Children’s Pediatrics Community Cares Program has provided trusted, high-quality pediatric medical services for children who otherwise would seek care from emergency rooms or possibly go without care or treatment due to low family incomes and/or lack of health insurance.

Regardless of the family’s financial situation, the Community Cares Program provides health care to children from birth to age 18 and offers the opportunity to develop a trusting, long-term relationship with a board certified pediatrician. The program also collaborates with community partners to assist families with other needed health care services.

“Our top priority is taking care of patients and their families,” Tittle said. “That is what we do best and what we will continue to do for years to come.”

September 1, 2015

bench-and-beside-Header2Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your submissions and feedback.

August 4

Department of Urology to present 12 papers at international conference

The Department of Urology will be well represented at the 26th Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Urology this October in Prague. Twelve of the department’s abstracts were chosen for posters, most with presentations.

August 4

Zoghbi receives seven-year Javits award to advance ataxia research

Dr. Huda Zoghbi, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and the director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) at Texas Children’s, has been awarded a Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for her “distinguished record of substantial contributions in the field of neurological science.”

9115tcpanniv300August 4

Texas Children’s Pediatrics celebrates 20 years of providing primary care

Twenty years ago today, Texas Children’s launched what is now the largest pediatric network in the nation with more than 200 board-certified pediatricians and 50 practices throughout the greater Houston community. Each year, the group sees 400,000 patients and completes more than a million visits.

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Grant funds first therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease in humans

The Sabin Vaccine Institute and Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development have received a $1.8 million grant to accelerate development of the first therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease in humans. The vaccine is in a development program under the direction of Drs. Peter Hotez and Maria Elena Bottazzi. Chagas disease impacts people throughout Texas, and Texas Children’s is leading the way in vaccine development.

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Texas Children’s opens urgent care center in The Woodlands

Texas Children’s has expanded its urgent care network, adding a location in The Woodlands next door to the community’s children’s museum on West Panther Creek Drive.

 

 

August 18

Texas Children’s Hospital is a sponsor for the 2015 Be The Match Walk-Run

Be The Match Walk-Run is a fundraising event that helps patients find a bone marrow, stem cell, or cord donor and receive a life-saving transplant. Each year the Texas Children’s Bone Marrow Transplant Program has a group of patients, employees and their families who walk or run in support of this life saving research. You and your family are invited to join us as we support and raise awareness for the Be The Match registry.

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Join the NRI, Baylor team for the 2015 Walk Now for Autism Speaks

Ready to lace up to support a worthy cause? The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine invite you to join their team for the 2015 Walk Now for Autism Speaks.

August 4, 2015

Twenty years ago on August 1, Texas Children’s launched what is now the largest pediatric network in the nation with more than 200 board-certified pediatricians and 50 practices throughout the greater Houston area. Each year, the group sees 400,000 patients and completes more than a million visits.

“Texas Children’s Pediatrics has been one of the best things for Texas Children’s Hospital,” CEO and President Mark A. Wallace said. “More importantly, it’s been one of the best things for the community.”

The physician network was formed in 1995 with the purchase of a practice in west Houston owned and operated by four brothers – Drs. Ben, Morris, Harry and Paul Rosenthal. Because of its success, more and more pediatricians joined the group, making it what it is today.

Harry Rosenthal, who still practices at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Ashford with his brother, Ben Rosenthal, and his brother’s daughter, Dr. Rachel Rosenthal Bray, said his family is happy to be part of such a successful organization.

“It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,” Rosenthal said. “Texas Children’s Pediatrics has been wonderful for our practice.”

Dr. Kamini Muzumdar of Texas Children’s Pediatrics North Cypress agreed and said joining the group 15 years ago “made sense in every possible way” and has allowed her and her more than 20 other colleagues at the practice to accomplish things they never would have been able to do had they been on their own.

“Being part of Texas Children’s has given us the opportunity to be a part of an organization that has a reputation for providing exceptional care,” Muzumdar said.

In addition to providing its physicians with administrative, financial and management expertise, Texas Children’s Pediatrics offers a link to the entire Texas Children’s system, which includes more than 2,000 medical staff who provide care in more than 40 pediatric subspecialties.

“Texas Children’s Pediatrics is part of the Texas Children’s family,” said Kay Tittle, president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “The organizations support each other and allow everyone to focus on our top priority, which is taking care of patients and their families.”

The close working relationship also helps us grow to meet the ever-changing needs of those we serve.

“We’ve been doing this for 20 years and have been doing a phenomenal job,” Texas Children’s Pediatrics Vice President Lou Fragoso said. “But, the needs of families are changing, the way they need their care delivered is changing and we need to change with them.”

That’s why just this past year, Texas Children’s opened its first two urgent care centers and started a pilot program called Texas Children’s Pediatrics Walk-In-Now (W.I.N.) at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Cy-Fair. Both programs offer additional access to quality pediatric care any time of the day or night. Additional urgent care and W.I.N. locations will be opening soon.

A few months ago, Texas Children’s Pediatrics launched the ParentAdvice Center, a new mobile health management app available for free on iTunes and Google Play that will help families make smart decisions about what level of care is needed for their child and how to provide symptom relief for minor illnesses or injuries at home.

And, for years Texas Children’s Pediatrics Community Cares Program has provided trusted, high-quality pediatric medical services for children who otherwise would seek care from emergency rooms or possibly go without care or treatment due to low family incomes and/or lack of health insurance.

Regardless of the family’s financial situation, the Community Cares Program provides health care to children from birth to age 18 and offers the opportunity to develop a trusting, long-term relationship with a board certified pediatrician. The program also collaborates with community partners to assist families with other needed health care services.

Texas Children’s Pediatrics Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stanley Spinner said as long as the organization continues to come together as a unified group of physicians whose primary focus is the patient then Texas Children’s Pediatrics will continue to be successful.

“It’s exceeded my expectations,” said Spinner, who was one of the first physicians to join Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “And, I’m sure it will continue.”

June 23, 2015

62415tcpapp640Managing health care decisions and accessing provider relationships just got easier for thousands of patients and families in the greater Houston area thanks to a new mobile application introduced by Texas Children’s Pediatrics.

The ParentAdvice Center, available for free on iTunes and Google Play, will help families make smart decisions about what level of care is needed for their child and how to provide symptom relief for minor illnesses or injuries at home. The new app also includes answers to common behavior and wellness questions, medication dosage tables, links to each Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice web page and maps to our urgent care locations.

“As the world moves in a more digital direction, we feel it is important to meet patient families exactly where they are, providing the information they need in the way they want to receive it,” said Dr. Stanley Spinner, chief medical officer and vice president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “The clinical advice, validated by TCP leadership, is the same evidence-based, high-quality advice we already give patients, only now it will be available in a digital format around the clock.”

Produced by StayWell, a leading provider of health education and engagement solutions, the app will help families better understand their children’s health symptoms. The app will give parents the support and information they need to make timely decisions about the appropriate level of care for their child – whether that means providing care for minor illnesses at home or finding a Texas Children’s facility. The mobile app also will give parents access to their child’s health records via the MyChart patient portal.

Some of the app’s valuable features include:

  • Online symptom checker with access to 129 care guides, first-aid illustrations, parent message boards and over-the-counter medication guides.
  • Access to MyChart patient portal for personal medical information and to manage relationships with Texas Children’s hospitals and clinics.
  • Ability to find a practice or care facility within the Texas Children’s Pediatrics, from individual pediatricians, urgent care centers or emergency rooms.
  • Tips on how to prepare for an appointment and connections to popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

“This is an important step in meeting the needs of our families where it’s convenient for them – on their smart phones,” said Lou Fragoso, vice president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “Now, patient families can have easy and quick access to helpful medical information and links to our pediatric practices, urgent care facilities and emergency rooms.”

Download the app and tell patients, friends and family about it today. Anyone who has children or spends time with children can benefit from Texas Children’s Pediatric ParentAdvice Center. For more information about the app, click here.

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May 5, 2015

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Texas Children’s Pediatrics is on Facebook! Like them today to connect with other families in your community and receive the latest news and updates about their practices.

Texas Children’s Pediatrics is the nation’s largest primary pediatric care network with 49 locations and more than 200 physicians who offer full-service pediatric care including:

  • Prenatal consultations
  • Well-child visits
  • Care of illnesses
  • Care and treatment of minor injuries
  • Vaccinations and immunizations
  • Preventative health care
  • School and sports physicals
  • Hearing and vision screening
  • Health care and nutrition education

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

February 17, 2015

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Texas Children’s Pediatrics is proud to announce Texas Children’s Pediatrics Kingsland as its newest practice.

Located at 21715 Kingsland Blvd., Suite 103, in Katy, Texas Children’s Pediatrics Kingsland is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to noon. The location is among six practices in the Texas Children’s Pediatrics Community Cares Program.

As part of its goal to build a community of healthy children, the Community Cares Program provides trusted, high-quality pediatric medical services for children who otherwise would seek care from emergency rooms or possibly go without care or treatment due to low family incomes and/or lack of health insurance. Regardless of the family’s financial situation, the program provides health care to children from birth to age 18 and offers the opportunity to develop a trusting, long-term relationship with a board certified pediatrician.

“We are thrilled to welcome Texas Children’s Pediatrics Kingsland to our system,” Texas Children’s Pediatrics President Kay Tittle said. “As Houston expands further, we look forward to continuing to care for the children in our community.”

Dr. Punita Sunder serves as the primary physician at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Kingsland. Board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, Sunder received her undergraduate degree from Rice University and earned her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her doctorate in philosophy from The University of Texas Medical Branch and completed her residency at Baylor. Sunder is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Texas Medical Association and Harris County Medical Society.

Texas Children’s Pediatrics Kingsland provides care for children of all ages including well-child and illness examinations; vaccinations and immunizations; preventative health care; school and sports physicals; hearing and vision screening; assistance applying for insurance programs including Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Harris County Gold Card; social work support who can link families with needed medical and social services; and health care and nutrition education for children and families.

New patients are currently being accepted. To make an appointment, or to learn more, call 281-398-7353 or visit texaschildrenspediatrics.org.

December 2, 2014

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Texas Children’s Pediatrics recently welcomed a new practice to the inner loop and merged two others in the Houston area.

The new practice, Texas Children’s Pediatrics Green Park, opened November 18 and is located at 7505 S. Main St., Suite 450. Three new physicians – Dr. Michael Connelly, Dr. Shannon Hayes and Dr. Jackie Wanebo – are seeing patients at the location.

Connelly, a Houston native, earned his medical degree from and completed his residency with the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. Connelly specializes in fitness, healthy eating, and infants and newborns.

Hayes is from Katy and earned her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Hayes completed her residency at Baylor as well, and trained at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Wanebo came to Texas from Charlottesville, Va., earned her medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed her residency with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She specializes in asthma, healthy eating, teenagers and children with special needs.

Dr. Angela Mazur will join the new Green Park practice next summer after shutting the doors to her Texas Children’s Pediatrics Brasewood office at 7515 S. Main St. Mazur earned her medical degree from and completed her residency with Baylor College of Medicine. She specializes in asthma, breastfeeding, healthy eating, safety, sleep, toddlers, teenagers, and infants and newborns.

At the end of the year, Dr. Vinona Vohra will close her Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice at 17115 Red Oak Drive in north Houston and merge it with the Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice at 17030 Nanes Drive. Vohra – who specializes in asthma, allergies, breastfeeding, healthy eating, infants, keeping fit, teenagers, toddlers and tweens – will become the fifth physician at the Nanes Drive location.

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 health care needs of infants to teenagers.

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