March 30, 2021

Texas Children’s own Dr. Lisa Hollier recently traveled to the Texas State Capitol to testify on behalf of a proposed bill that would extend Medicaid coverage for low-income mothers across the state, providing them with more access to lifesaving care.

Hollier delivered her testimony to lawmakers on March 23 during a House Committee on Human Services hearing on House Bill 133, which was authored and filed by State Rep. Toni Rose.

In addition to her role as Chief Medical Officer and Sr. Vice President of Texas Children’s Health Plan, Hollier is also chairwoman of the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee. The committee released a report late last year that noted that most pregnancy-related deaths in Texas are preventable.

To help reduce the incidence of pregnancy-related deaths and maternal morbidity in the state, the committee recommended increasing access to comprehensive health services not only during pregnancy – but also in the year after pregnancy, and throughout the preconception and interpregnancy periods.

Hollier and other advocates of HB 133 agree that lengthening insurance coverage would go a long way toward saving the lives of new mothers who experience pregnancy-related complications within a year of giving birth. Currently, coverage drops off after 60 days.

“By extending Medicaid with a more comprehensive set of services, we would be able to reach more women and address their needs,” Hollier told legislators, as quoted in an article in the San Antonio Express-News.

A board-certified OB-GYN and leading expert in maternal health, Hollier is the immediate past president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). She was elected to the post in 2018 and immediately pledged to focus on reducing preventable maternal mortality during her term.

Hollier was also selected to receive the 2019 Mark A. Wallace Catalyst Leadership Award.

If you’re a Texas Children’s team member who has been asked by an advocacy group, legislative staff member or other organization/entity to provide public support or testimony on legislation, please contact Government Relations before responding or taking any additional action. You can reach the team by phone at 832-828-1021.

October 20, 2020

Providing the highest standard of care for obstetrical patients has always been paramount for the team at The Center for Children and Women. The Southwest location of The Center has recently received the stamp of approval from the state of Texas thanks to a new Level II Maternal Designation issued by Texas Department of State Health Services to CHI St. Luke’s Hospital in Sugar Land.

With more than 90 percent of the obstetrical patients at The Center–Southwest delivering at CHI St. Luke’s, this is a big win for our families and the entire Sugar Land community.

This achievement was spear headed by one of our own, Dr. Michelle Jones. As the Maternal Medical Director at CHI St. Luke’s Hospital in Sugar Land, she led the team through a two-day hospital survey conducted by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologist and state health services.

“This Level II Specialty Care designation validates that we can safely and competently provide high quality care for moderate-to high-risk antepartum, intrapartum, or postpartum conditions,” said Dr. Jones, Maternal Medical Director at CHI St. Luke’s Hospital in Sugar Land. “This state-issued designation means that we understand and have implemented the standards of care identified as necessary to provide quality care for obstetrical patients. Recognizing and addressing early warning signs which will help us decrease obstetrical complications is a key focus of our in-patient teams.”

Dr. Jones goes on to say that the designation sends a strong message to patients that we are doing what is best to improve the quality of care for them.

Why is this so important?

Unfortunately, national data shows a continuing trend that although we are one of the richest countries we lag behind other developed countries in the category of insuring good health care for expecting mothers. Maternal mortality and morbidity has increased by at least 200 percent from 1993 to 2014. Black women have a 3.3 times greater risk of complications compared to non-Hispanic white women.

And to make matters even more challenging, three out five pregnancy-related deaths in the US are preventable. Reducing the number of preventable deaths has been the primary goal of reducing maternal mortality initiatives in Harris County.

“We are working with standards of care that will save more lives,” Jones said. “And this designation will ensure that we are accountable for the care with provide. I am proud of our team and excited for our patients.”

August 31, 2020

Expecting mothers will soon receive even higher quality service when they visit The Center for Children and Women.

In response to patient feedback, the obstetrics services at both the Greenspoint and Southwest locations will treat patients with a new personal care team model. This will prevent families from seeing up to 10 different providers and instead offer them their own team of no more than four providers.

“We are excited about this change, especially because it has been made in direct response to one of our most common patient complaints,” said Dr. Faunda Armstrong, assistant medical director for The Center at Greenspoint. “The smaller team model will allow providers to develop a patient plan together, build a closer relationship with families and increase trust at every appointment.”

To ensure that this change – set for mid-September – achieves the intended results, The Center will continue to use the patient satisfaction firm, Press Ganey. The firm’s annual survey results will show the effects of the change.

Additional recent changes include an increased use of telemedicine appointments to keep patients and families safe amid COVID-19 concerns. For more information about The Center for Children and Women visit https://www.jointhecenter.org/.

December 16, 2019

Just a mention of The Center for Children and Women and you’ll get the type of reaction that many health care organizations envy. The all-inclusive health care model, beautiful clinical spaces and friendly faces make The Center a part of the Texas Children’s family that we can all be proud of.

Employees at the Southwest location recently celebrated five years in operation, a time in which they have consistently increased the number of members served and services offered.

“I’m extremely proud of the work put in by my team and the support that we receive from Texas Children’s as a whole,” said Frances Monroe, director of the Southwest facility. “We are absolutely obsessed with our members and how to take care of their needs. In the next five years, our efforts in this area will only grow.”

All about The Center

The Center for Children and Women is designed to ensure that all patients have access to proper care by providing extended hours to accommodate the families’ busy schedules. The Center’s health care model provides comprehensive care for the well-being of the whole patient. This is done with the help of many medical professionals on site every day such as pediatricians, advance nurse practitioners, OB/GYNs, certified nurse midwives, optometry, imaging, a laboratory and an onsite pharmacy, and behavioral health specialists. The medical home provides a means to address the shortage of primary medical care for families.

Awards earned

The Center has received several awards and recognitions since it opened such as; The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Level III Recognition four years in a row. The Center is NCQA Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and Patient Centered Specialty Practice (PCSP) recognized. The Center for Children and Women was the first OB/GYN practice in Texas to receive PCSP designation. In addition, the Center is COLA Certified for clinical laboratory compliance and received COLA’s Laboratory Excellence Award and acknowledged by Centering Healthcare Institute as an accredited Centering Pregnancy site, to name a few.

More information

For more information about Texas Children’s Health Plan The Center for Children and Women visit www.JoinTheCenter.org.

July 29, 2019

Just when you thought life couldn’t get any better, The Center for Children and Women is on Instagram.

Log on and double tap if this made your day – https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforcw/.

“We are always looking for new ways to engage our members on social media and what better way than Instagram?,” said Rosa Pruneda, social media specialist for Texas Children’s Health Plan. “Everyone is on Instagram and we’re so excited to bring information to where members are.”

Pruneda, who will be managing the site by posting photos and information, will also answer member questions in English and Spanish. “The page won’t just be informational, it will also be interactive,” Pruneda said.

The Center for Children and Women is owned by Texas Children’s Health Plan. The two Center locations are full-service clinics for Health Plan members only, with a few exceptions for members of other government-sponsored programs.

All employees are encouraged to follow the new page at https://www.instagram.com/thecenterforcw/. Double tap, tag and tell everyone you know.

Want more information about The Centers? Visit https://www.jointhecenter.org/

March 19, 2019

Patients along with their family members and even neighbors had the opportunity to enjoy Spring Break at an event hosted by The Center for Children and Women that included tons of family fun open to the community. The Center invited families to take part in over-the-top entertainment all while picking up a few health and wellness tips to get kids through the remainder of the school year.

The Center introduced this event about 5 years ago targeting physical fitness strategies and goals for children. This year they decided to bring this family affair back for Nutrition month.

“We have a lot of tips on nutrition, some on healthy snack options, along with resources that perhaps they would not have known about if they had not attended this event,” Marketing Manager at Texas Children’s Health Plan, Veronica Arzayus said. “We also welcome the opportunity for the community to see the Center and all the wonderful services that it offers while enjoying the festivities. This is definitely something that you would want to take your kids to in a safe and comfortable environment.”

This two-weekday event was held last week at The Center’s Greenspoint location on Wednesday and at the Southwest location on Friday. Despite unexpected rain and thunderstorms on the first day, according to The Health Plan, over 500 attendees flooded The Center as activities were brought inside.

Events such as this are important as one of our system-wide operational goals focuses on childhood obesity. The goal is to help prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol in children, and promote a healthier lifestyle overall.

“It is important to shine a positive spotlight on healthy nutrition, activity, exercise, etc., all while engaging with the community in a meaningful way,” Vice President of Texas Children’s Health Plan, Tangula Taylor said. “I think that’s part of us giving back, helping, assisting, partnering with our community, the families that we serve to share healthy lifestyle options and alternatives that can have an impact on their overall quality of life.”

Along with providing educational material on nutrition, thanks to the corporate sponsors of the event, The Houston Food Bank, the Houston Dynamo, corporate partners, The Children’s Museum of Houston and Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, and community partner Kids Meals, there were also food and activities for the entire family to encourage exercise and healthy eating habits.

Other activities included, mini Zumba lessons, music and fun performances with a live DJ, face painting, an inflatable obstacle course hula hoop/ jump rope competitions, and a healthy snack tasting challenge.

With a total of over 800 participants for both days this year, The Center is excited to see this event continue annually.

“I’d like to see it grow. When you have an event such as this, you want it to be successful in terms of the number of participants, target audience, and then, once it’s successful, you want it to grow,” Taylor said. “We want to connect with more families, tell them about the Health Plan and the Center and ultimately be a partner for them along their health and wellness journey.”