January 26, 2016

12716telehealth640For epilepsy patients who receive primary care at The Center for Women and Children in Greenspoint, heading to their neurology appointment just got a lot easier. Instead of making the 20-mile trek to the Texas Medical Center, patients can “see” their neurologist without leaving their primary care clinic.

Texas Children’s Division of Neurology and The Center in Greenspoint recently launched Telehealth, an interactive telecommunications system that uses real-time video technology to create a communication link among the primary care physician (PCP), specialist and family during a patient visit. Implementing this new technology has enhanced access to patient care and facilitated the coordination of care for Greenspoint patients enrolled in Texas Children’s Health Plan.

“Even though our patients live in urban areas, access to care can still be challenging,” said Dr. Heidi Schwarzwald, a Texas Children’s pediatrician at The Center in Greenspoint. “The struggle getting to and navigating through the medical center could lead to missed appointments, poor medication adherence and increased emergency room visits, all of which telehealth aims to resolve.”

So, how does a telehealth visit work?

After a patient checks into the clinic, the patient is directed to a room just like any other visit except the neurologist is seen on a video screen. At the end of the visit, the PCP enters the room and performs the physical exam while the neurologist observes remotely from a telehealth room at main campus. Together, the PCP, family member and neurologist develop the care plan for the patient which is then printed out for the family. Medication adjustments and prescriptions are completed and sent to the in-house pharmacy at The Center. If lab work is needed, blood tests are drawn at the clinic and the results are both visible to the PCP and the neurologist via the shared electronic medical record. The neurologist bills for the office visit the same as any other office visit but a modifier is applied to distinguish the visit as telehealth. The PCP bills a facility fee but not an office visit.

Besides enhancing patient care access, Dr. Gary Clark, Texas Children’s chief of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, says Telehealth serves a much larger purpose than just visiting with a patient over the video system.

“Through Telehealth, we’re impacting patient care and improving outcomes by offering an educational and supportive environment for our patients,” Clark said. “By including an educational component in the telehealth visit, the neurologist and PCP are helping to co-educate patients on the importance of taking their seizure medication, thereby reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and emergency room visits.”

Since Texas Children’s Health Plan covers more than 390,000 lives spread throughout Harris and Jefferson counties, many of the patients do not live near the medical center, which is why The Center in Greenspoint was selected as the first launch site for the telehealth initiative.

Future plans are underway to expand the telehealth service to patient families at The Center for Children and Women Southwest, who are also members of Texas Children’s Health Plan.

January 5, 2016

1616TheCenter2Anniv640Texas Children’s Health Plan is thrilled to celebrate the one-year anniversary of The Center for Children and Women in Southwest Houston. Since opening its second location in November 2014, The Center has provided excellent comprehensive primary care for pediatric and obstetrics members of Texas Children’s Health Plan.

The Center provides state-of-the-art health care that integrates a wide variety of services in one location. Through a partnership with Baylor College of Medicine and UT School of Dentistry, services include pediatric and obstetrics/gynecology care, imaging, behavioral health services, dental, optometry, speech therapy and an onsite laboratory and pharmacy. By having all these services under one roof and offering extended hours, members can have all their healthcare needs met on the same day.

“Our extended hours and patient-centered approach means that more families have access to the highest quality care and improved health outcomes,” said Dr. Lisa Hollier, medical director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Center for Children and Women. “Our team is so proud of the incredible impact we’ve had on our members in Southwest Houston.”

The Center has made quite an impact on the Southwest area by providing care to more than 5,890 patients in the last 12 months. This number includes more than 4,988 pediatric patients and 902 obstetric patients. Since opening, there have also been 356 births. The actual number of appointments in the past year may best demonstrate The Center’s true footprint in the community. That number totals more than 33,297 appointments in just 12 months.

“After one short year, it is exciting to see the number of families our amazing team has helped,” said Dr. Heidi Schwarzwald, medical director of Pediatrics at The Center for Children and Women. “I am so proud of the care that we offer and the way our team is always innovating to respond to the needs of the community.”

The Center also hosts a series of programs, including breastfeeding, car seat safety, healthy cooking, and exercise and nutrition classes that help educate the community and promote wellness.

“As I reflect on The Centers and the communities we serve, I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing team who is making a difference and redefining healthcare for those often considered less fortunate,” said Tangula Taylor, director of Operations at The Center for Children and Women.

May 11, 2015

bench and beside Header

Bench 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 subsmissions and feedback.

51215icd10300April 28

Countdown to ICD-10: Deadline to meet educational requirements is September 1

On October 1, Texas Children’s and hospitals across the nation will switch from ICD-9 to the ICD-10 coding system to report patients’ diagnoses and procedures. The ICD-10 codes will allow greater specificity and accuracy in describing a patient’s diagnosis and classifying inpatient procedures. Texas Children’s education teams have developed helpful tools to ensure all employees are prepared for this mandatory conversion.

“We believe that communicating the change clearly and consistently will help ensure a smooth transition,” said Texas Children’s Chief Safety Officer Dr. Joan Shook. Read more

 

April 28

Super Star Physician: Dr. Stephanie Marton

Dr. Stephanie Marton from the Center for Children and Women – Greenspoint is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star physician. “Every day I see patients coming in to the Center, and I directly see the impact that Texas Children’s Hospital is making in this community.” Read more

 

April 28

Giardino to serve on ABMQ Board of Directors

Texas Children’s Chief Quality Officer and Senior Vice President Dr. Angelo Giardino was recently unanimously confirmed to serve on the American Board of Medical Quality (ABMQ) Board of Directors. The organization is closely associated with the American College of Medical Quality of which Giardino is a distinguished fellow. Read more

 

April 28

Patel receives distinguished fellowship award

Dr. Akash Patel will be presented with the 2015-2016 Christopher R. Getch Fellowship Award from the Congress of Neuroligical Surgeons Fellowships Committee during its annual meeting in September. This prestigious award provides $100,000 for advanced training and is given to a neurosurgeon or fellow engaged in clinical research that promises to significantly impact the field of neurosurgery. Read more

 

April 28

Dr. George Bisset receives prestigious award

Radiologist-in-Chief Dr. George Bisset will be honored for his contribution to pediatric radiology at the 45th annual Sociedade Paulista de Radiologia (SPR) meeting held in Brazil. The conference is the biggest diagnostic imaging meeting in Latin America and the fourth largest in the world. Bisset will be the first non-Brazilian to receive honorary membership in this organization. Read more

 

51215Cainlab300April 21

New Cain Labs website promotes groundbreaking epilepsy research

Texas Children’s has launched a new website dedicated to innovative epilepsy research conducted at the Cain Foundation Laboratories in the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute and other test centers around the world. The website also includes a repository of helpful information about epilepsy treatment programs for patients and their families, including a link to Texas Children’s Level IV Epilepsy Center. Read more

 

51215cooley300April 21

Surgeon-in-chief speaks at Texas Surgical Society meeting

Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Charles D. Fraser, Jr. spoke at a Texas Surgical Society meeting on April 11 in Galveston. Fraser, who is the son-in-law of Dr. Denton A. Cooley, talked about the hospital’s 60-year history of pediatric heart surgery and the roles played by Cooley and himself. More

 

 

April 20

Texas Children’s Hospital helps determine standard of care for children with cleft lip and palate

Representatives from Texas Children’s Hospital: Dr. Laura Monson, pediatric plastic surgeon; Christy Hernandez, director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Outcomes and Impact Service; and Dr. John Wirthlin, craniofacial orthodontist, joined an international group of medical professionals, patients and parents to determine a standard set of outcome measures for children born with cleft lip and palate. These guidelines will help all institutions develp a standard treatment of care of this population of patients and will be available for implementation starting in February. Read more

 

51215wesleylee300April 14

Lee recognized for his contribution to fetal imaging advancements

Dr. Wesley Lee, co-director of Texas Children’s Fetal Center and section chief for women’s and fetal imaging at Baylor College of Medicine, recently received the William J. Fry Memorial Lecture Award from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM). Read more

 

51215PAPRs300April 14

New PAPRs help provide full complement of PPE

Texas Children’s recently acquired 30 powered air purifying respirators (or PAPRs) to protect emergency responders from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. This addition to our PPE inventory helps ensure the safety of our health care professionals when they are treating patients with highly contagious infectious diseases. Read more

 

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Texas Children’s, AAP partnership helps physicians advocate for their patients

Texas Children’s and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) signed a first-of-its-kind partnership agreement whereby every eligible faculty member of the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics is a member in the AAP and the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS). Since this partnership began a year and a half ago, the following Texas Children’s faculty have been actively involved with the AAP and TPS to champion the health, safety and well-being of children: Dr. Robert Voigt, Dr. Robert Ricketts, Dr. Mark Gilger, Dr. Fernando Stein, Dr. Carol Tapia, Dr. Mark Ward, Dr. Krithka Lingappan and Dr. Bruno Chumpitazi. Read more

 

April 14

Texas Children’s Hospital receives Healthcare Informatics Magazine’s 2015 Innovator Award

Texas Children’s Hospital has earned second place in Healthcare Informatics Magazine’s fourteenth annual Innovator Awards. The award was given to Texas Children’s for its quality improvement work to identify, deploy and measure new best practices and improve outcomes for children with appendicitis.

“We felt there was an urgent need in the health care industry to accelerate the identification and deployment of shared guidelines of care,” said Dr. Charles Macias, Texas Children’s Chief Clinical Systems Integration Officer and Evidence Based Outcomes Center director. Read more

 

April 14

New pediatric urologist joins Department of Surgery

Dr. Duong Dai Tu has joined Texas Children’s as a new pediatric urologist. Tu, who started April 1, has been appointed assistant professor of urology and attending surgeon in urology at Baylor College of Medicine.

“Dr. Tu is bringing an exciting vision to the surgery team that will help us continue to develop a preeminent program, enabling us to better serve our patients and their families,” chief of Urology, Dr. David Roth said. Read more

 

April 7

Texas Children’s welcomes new surgeon and researcher, Dr. Sundeep Keswani

Dr. Sundeep Keswani joined Texas Children’s as a pediatric and fetal surgeon and an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine. He also is the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded laboratory. Read more

 

51215transplantnos300April 7

Transplant team perform 95 organ transplants in 2014

Transplant teams with Texas Children’s Hospital performed 95 solid organ transplants in 2014, continuing to serve as one of the largest, most active and successful pediatric transplant programs in the nation. The heart and the lung transplant programs were the largest in the country last year with 32 heart transplants and 16 lung transplants.

“Texas Children’s Transplant Services continues to earn its reputation as one of the best pediatric transplant programs in the country,” said Dr. John Goss, medical director of Transplant Services. Read more

 

April 7

CRC presents resarch award to Dr. Srivaths

The Clinical Research Center presented the Clinical Research Award for First Quarter 2015 to Dr. Poyyapakkam Srivaths, Department of Pediatrics – Renal, Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Srivaths’s research activities in the CRC focus on investigating cardiovascular morbidity associated with end stage renal disease (ESRD) in children. Read more

April 28, 2015

42915stephaniemarton640Dr. Stephanie Marton from The Center in Greenspoint is the latest Texas Children’s Super Star leader. “Knowing that I am contributing a small slice to improving the futures of the children I work with is my biggest motivator. The smile on a kid’s face, their high fives, their questions and curiosity about the world, all keep me ticking.”

Read more of Dr. Marton’s interview:

Q&A: Dr. Stephanie Marton, October – December 2014

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Dr. Stephanie Marton, Medical Site Leader for the Center for Children and Women, Greenspoint. Although I have been with Baylor College of Medicine since 2008, I have worked at the Center for Children and Women for about a year.

What month are you Super Star for?
October-December 2014

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
We had an all staff meeting. At the very end an announcement was made that I had won an award. I was speechless (both from shock and from a recent viral illness that had helped me to lose my voice).

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do?
I feel very honored to be selected for this award. I see my entire team doing the best work every day to provide quality patient care, and I hope that everyone realizes that they, too, are part of this award.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
Giving 110 percent commitment every day to both patients and their colleagues.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
Every day I see patients coming in to the Center for Children and Women at Greenspoint, and I directly see the impact that Texas Children’s Hospital is making in this community. Knowing that I am contributing a small slice to improving the futures of these children is my biggest motivator. The smile on a kid’s face, their high fives, their questions and curiosity about the world, all of this keeps me ticking.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
My coworkers. Health care is a team effort, and my colleagues with whom I work make a hard day’s work that much easier.

November 18, 2014

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Texas Children’s Health Plan opened its second location of The Center for Children and Women on November 11. The approximately 65,000-square-foot facility, which is located at 9700 Bissonnet Street in the Southwest Corporate Center, provides comprehensive medical care for Texas Children’s Health Plan members in the Southwest area of Houston.

Through a partnership with Baylor College of Medicine, the patient- and family-centered medical home includes pediatricians, advanced nurse practitioners, OB/GYNs, certified nurse midwives, optometrists, imaging specialists, speech therapists, a laboratory, and an onsite pharmacy. There are also plans to add dentistry services. Having all these services under one roof makes it possible for members to have their medical needs met on the same day and in the same location.

“Texas Children’s Health Plan is very proud to expand The Center for Children and Women to another location in Houston,” said Christopher Born, Texas Children’s Health Plan president. “The Center for Children and Women model has exceeded our expectations at our Greenspoint location and we look forward to the same success at the Southwest location.”

The new facility is the second Texas Children’s Health Plan – The Center for Children and Women to open in the past year and a half. The first facility opened in the Greenspoint area in August of 2013 and has made a great impact on the surrounding community. Within its first year of operation, The Center for Children and Women in Greenspoint completed more than 27,000 appointments, delivered more than 260 births, and hosted breastfeeding, car seat safety, and new parent classes to help educate the community. The facility also received National Committee for Quality Assurance recognition and was selected by Texas Health and Human Services for a national pregnancy medical home pilot program.

“Our goal is to ensure that Texas Children’s Health Plan members receive the same level of care as those with commercial health insurance,” stated Tangula Taylor, director of operations at The Center for Children and Women. “We are very proud of what we have accomplished in the time that the Greenspoint location has been open and we are uniquely positioned to serve the Medicaid and CHIP populations in Southwest Houston with the same commitment.”

September 16, 2014

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The Center for Children and Women recently celebrated its one-year anniversary of delivering quality health care to Texas Children’s Health Plan members. As part of the August 20 festivities, staff members enjoyed cake and punch and received a one-year anniversary token of appreciation. Patients and their families celebrated along with the team by donning birthday hats and stickers and delivering their happy birthday well wishes.

Since opening in 2013, The Center for Children and Women has provided state-of-the-art health care that incorporates a wide variety of services in one location with extended hours. Services include pediatric and obstetrics/gynecology care, imaging, a laboratory, behavioral health services, and an onsite pharmacy, as well as support from a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals.

91714TheCenterinside640“Texas Children’s Health Plan is proud of the exceptional care offered at The Center for Children and Women,” said Christopher M. Born, Texas Children’s Health Plan president. “The Center is revolutionizing the way CHIP and Medicaid patients receive health care by improving access, coordinating care, and providing the highest quality community-based health care.”

As a patient centered primary medical home, The Center for Children and Women has definitely made an impact on the Greenspoint area by delivering care to more than 7,006 patients in the last 12 months. That number includes more than 6,100 pediatric patients and 887 obstetric and CenteringPregnancy patients. There also have been 268 births since August 2013. The actual number of appointments in the past year may best demonstrate the Center’s true footprint in the community. That number totals more than 27,000, which breaks down to 18,000 pediatric, nearly 6,000 obstetric and more than 3,100 behavioral health visits.

During its first year of operation, the facility expanded its scope of services to include dispensing eyeglasses and speech therapy. Also in March 2014, The Center marked another milestone with the addition of dental services through a partnership with UT School of Dentistry.

In addition to other first year accomplishments, The Center for Children and Women earned the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Level 3 recognition as a Patient-Centered Specialty Practice for Obstetrics and Level 3 recognition as Patient-Centered Medical Home for Pediatrics. These recognitions further demonstrate the team’s commitment to patient-centered care and clinical quality.

“On behalf of the entire leadership team and staff of The Center for Children and Women, it has been and continues to be a privilege to serve Texas Children’s Health Plan members in the Greenspoint community by enhancing access to the highest quality primary care,” said Tangula Taylor, director of operations at Texas Children’s Health Plan – The Center for Children and Women. “Our extended hours and breadth of services provided in one central location makes it easy for our patients and families to achieve healthy outcomes for their lives.”

September 3, 2014

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Hormonal changes during and after pregnancy may trigger depression in some women. In fact, between 10 and 15 percent of pregnant women and new mothers may experience some symptoms of depression. But their condition can be far more than simply feeling “blue” or “down.” For many, it can have a debilitating effect on their health, their family, their careers and their relationships.

To address the need for earlier screening and treatment of maternal depression, the Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women launched a pilot program in May to screen patients multiple times throughout their pregnancy and postpartum period. The effort is part of the Women’s Mental Health Delivery System Reform Incentive Payments (DSRIP) program, focusing on expanded access to health care services.

“Our goal is to identify women with maternal depression as soon as possible and get them into care because maternal depression is treatable,” said Dr. Lucy Puryear, medical director of The Women’s Place – Center for Reproductive Psychiatry and Baylor College of Medicine psychiatrist, who oversees the program. “How we deal with this can have a profound impact not only on the physical and emotional well-being of the mother, but on the life of the child and the family overall.”

As part of the program, women are screened for maternal depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale multiple times throughout their pregnancy (during the first and third trimesters) and postpartum (at two weeks in the pediatrician’s office and at six weeks by their obstetrician), and those requiring follow-up mental health services are referred for care.

“Our overriding goal is to learn from the patients we’re currently screening in order to develop a model for the early diagnosis and treatment of maternal depression using several combined strategies,” said Dr. Puryear. “Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women is uniquely positioned to oversee this project because of the unique Reproductive Psychiatry program and faculty at Baylor College of Medicine.”

Dr. Lisa Valentine, a Baylor College of Medicine psychiatrist hired to treat patients as part of this program, practices at The Women’s Place at the Pavilion for Women, The Center for Children and Women at Greenspoint and at Pearland Ob-Gyn. Two Texas Children’s Pediatrics practices, Pearland and Shadow Creek Ranch, are serving as pilot sites for the project. Providers and staff at these pilot sites have been trained to implement standardized screening and referral.

At Texas Children’s Pediatrics Pearland, every new mother is screened for postpartum depression at the initial well-child visit, which occurs approximately two weeks postpartum, referring those needing services. Referrals are processed quickly and most patients are seen within seven days of being screened. Select providers at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Shadow Creek Ranch have also begun standardized screening.

Future plans focus on educating and training staff at obstetric clinics and additional pediatric clinics to implement standardized screening and referral; adding additional providers, including a psychiatrist, therapist and social worker; and expanding to additional sites with the intent of integrating maternal mental health services where women are already seeking treatment.