June 8, 2020

Texas Children’s is excited to announce that the trauma centers at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands have been designated Level IV trauma centers by the Department of State Health Services.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment that will officially put our community hospitals on the map in terms of places trauma patients can go to receive care,” said Dr. Sohail Shah, West Campus’ chief surgical officer. “It’s a move that will ensure patients receive the right care, at the right place at the right time.”

Dr. Jeffrey Shilt, chief of community surgery, agreed, and said this tremendous effort really highlighted the collaboration between both community campuses and Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Center Campus leadership.

“Every planning meeting was the epitome of system coordination between the departments of nursing, surgery, emergency medicine, and the executives,” Shilt said. “We had a goal in mind and everyone came together to accomplish it for the greater good of our patients and their families.”

A Level IV trauma center is capable of stabilizing any trauma patient it receives, handling onsite single-system orthopedic injuries and superficial lacerations. More complex cases are stabilized and then transferred to a higher level trauma center such as our Level I trauma center in the Medical Center.

The Level IV designation sends a clear signal to first responders that our community hospitals are equipped to handle such trauma patients. West Campus and The Woodlands have been caring for such patients since the hospitals opened their doors, however the designation formalizes that process and holds the centers to certain quality and process improvement standards.

Preparation for the designation process took a little over a year and was a collaborative effort between Nursing, the Department of Surgery, Emergency Medicine and leaders at the community hospitals. During the designation process, trauma medical directors and nursing coordinators were named at each campus.

Dr. Ruben Rodriquez is the trauma medical director in The Woodlands and Shah serves as the trauma medical director, in addition to his role as chief surgical officer, at West Campus. Julie Hollan is the trauma nursing coordinator in The Woodlands and John Coley is the trauma nursing coordinator at West Campus.

“Trauma care demands committed teamwork, beginning in the Emergency Center with the physicians and staff playing a critical role in receiving trauma patients and working with the surgeons in managing their care,” said Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria, medical director of our Level I Trauma Center at Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Center Campus. “The teams at West Campus and The Woodlands are equipped and ready to serve our Greater Houston community in this very important way.”

March 17, 2020

The Rewards and Retention Committee presented this quarter’s Woodlands Shining Star award to, physical therapy ambulatory service representative, Jessica ‘Jessi’ Carcamo, and radiologist, Dr. Marla Sammer.

“To say she is innovative is an understatement,” Kelsi Martinez, child-life specialist, said. “Jessi was a huge part of the success for both our hospital’s Camp For All 2U event, as well as the holiday bike giveaway.”

Carcamo, was nominated by her colleagues for being an invaluable contributor to Texas Children’s One Amazing Team. Known for her bright smile and always positive attitude, Carcamo embodies what it means to embrace freedom, amplify unity, and live compassionately. She goes above and beyond, even when doing things outside of her job description.

“She embraces and completes any goal with enthusiasm and spirit,” Child-Life Specialist Barbara Bledsoe explained. “Overall, Jessi’s genuine outlook that patients and parents are an extension of the hospital family, is what makes her so deserving of this award.”

Sammer was nominated by her peers in Radiology for always giving so much of herself to both her team and patients. When it comes to patients receiving the best and most timely care, x-ray technologist, Robyn Pacheco, explained how Sammer has consistently worked late hours and through lunch to provide patient care.

“She is truly a team player and has the patient’s best interest at heart,” Pacheco said. “Whether it is working with the technologists to help streamline dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), scan protocols or with anesthesia to create a standard operating procedure for using general anesthesia in voiding cyst urethrograms, Dr. Sammer embodies the leading tirelessly core value. She thoroughly educates staff with patience and kindness.”

Dr. Victor Seghers, Radiology Service Chief of Community, says that the one thing that he admires most about Sammer is her ability to regularly pitch in and assist in patient care when others are caught up in other work duties.

Congratulations Jessi and Dr. Sammer and thank you for being the shining stars that you are, and going above and beyond for our patients, families, and co-workers!

November 26, 2019

The Woodlands Campus’ therapy dog, Cohen, recently turned two years old and the campus threw him a fabulous party. Employees, patients, and their families all gathered in the campus lobby where they were able to meet and take photos with the birthday boy.

Cohen arrived to The Woodlands Campus in July of this year as Texas Children’s Hospital’s first community campus therapy dog. He is a golden retriever, doodle mix, and is the fourth therapy dog in Texas Children’s Pawsitive Play Program, which uses animal-assisted therapy to enhance the emotional well-being of pediatric patients by reducing their anxiety, perception of pain and fear of hospitalization.

His birthday festivities included a happy birthday song, games, popcorn, a cake and a host of balloons and other decorations that really set the scene.

Many leaders and executives came to wish Cohen a happy birthday, along with our President and CEO Mark Wallace.

October 8, 2019

On September 28, nearly 500 guests gathered at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott for the Spirit of the Woods gala benefiting Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands. The spectacular evening was filled with stunning performances by Antigravity, a high-energy aerial and acrobatics group which showcased the power of the human body and spirit. Thanks to the entertainment sponsored by Woodforest National Bank, guests were treated to highflying acts and daredevil drops all in support of the outreach and care Texas Children’s provides to underserved families in the community.

President of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, Michelle Riley-Brown, welcomed guests and provided updates on the hospital’s successes since opening in 2017, including the remarkable milestones of completing 351,000 patient visits, more than 86,100 emergency center visits, and 18,787 surgeries. She also commended the astounding generosity of The Woodlands community, which – through this gala – helped raise more than $800,000 to care for the area’s most vulnerable children.

Chief surgical officer at Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, Dr. Jeffrey Shilt, introduced the event’s honorees, Missy and Wayne Herndon. At the tender age of six, The Herndon’s son was diagnosed with batten disease, a rare, inherited pediatric neurological disorder that strikes young, otherwise healthy children. Following this prognosis, the Herndon’s partnered with Beyond Batten Disease Foundation to raise funds from generous donors in The Woodlands, the Houston area and Texas. Since then they have been an integral part of the community and continue to make a lasting impact on Texas Children’s.

The gala was made possible by Stacey and Steve Bourque, as well as the dedicated gala committee. The hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Paul Sirbaugh, helped close out the evening by sharing the transformational impact the gracious support of these individuals, and those in attendance, has on Texas Children’s mission. Through their generosity, and that of the community at large, the most vulnerable children in The Woodlands are able to receive the best care possible regardless of their ability to pay.

September 10, 2019

The Woodlands Rewards and Retention Committee is honored to present this quarter’s Woodlands Shining Star winners. Physical and occupational therapy (PT/OT) technician Robert Cole, and Infectious Disease provider Dr. Ankhi Dutta, were honored for their hard work and dedication.

Cole was nominated by many of his co-workers and peers for embodying all of the values of Texas Children’s. He constantly makes himself available when needed, even if this means coming in early or working through lunch.

“There was a patient that had to be rescheduled multiple times and due to no other opening, the patient had to be scheduled during lunch time one week and early morning before regular appointment times the following week,” Physical Therapist Kendall Peterson, shared. “Robert offered, without hesitation, to come in to assist the therapist put a cast on the patient both weeks. He gave up his lunch and he came in early before his shift started in order to help the therapist and the family.”

Another example of Cole living the core values is his undeniable willingness to help. One day when he was headed to lunch, he noticed a family from the therapy department in the parking garage having car trouble. He spent his lunch time helping the family get their car started, and making sure their needs were met.

Cole’s helpful spirit is also spread to other employees during times when they may need to step away from the stress of work. He is the organizer and motivator for the Woodlands Therapy Department kickball team and constantly encourages new therapists to participate.

Dutta was nominated for living the values of embracing freedom, leading tirelessly, living compassionately, and amplifying unity. She is very well respected and known for going above and beyond for her patients and families.

“Dr. Dutta is the rare specialist who knows and cares for the whole patient,” Dr. Stephen Edwards said. “As a tireless leader, no matter where the patient is inpatient, outpatient, PICU, NICU, even College Station, she is readily available to offer guidance and is a light when doubts in patient care case darkness.”

She has been instrumental with helping the care team diagnose and care for patients even after they are transferred to the Medical Center Campus PICU. This is just one of the many ways that she constantly goes the extra miles for our patients and their families.

Congratulations to each of you and a huge thank you for being the shining stars that you are and going above and beyond for our patients, families, and co-workers!

September 4, 2019

Texas Children’s is known for implementing the latest technology to increase the quality of care for our patients. At an open house, The Woodlands campus recently celebrated the Radiology Department upon receiving two new, hi-tech MRI scanners that will expand the range of exams that are performed.

“We feel that we owe it to our patients to deliver the best possible care and with that it includes getting the best possible diagnoses and having the best possible equipment,” Assistant Director of Radiology Traci Foster said. “We are extremely excited about what this means for The Woodlands campus, and Texas Children’s as a whole.”

The celebration began in the second floor conference room at The Woodlands campus, as members of the radiology department and hospital leaders mingled and enjoyed complimentary breakfast. Foster then opened a small program by welcoming everyone and thanking many others for their part in this accomplishment. Three MRI technologists, Dionne Dowdy, Hollis Marshall, and Mark Caspari, were awarded the Texas Children’s – The Woodlands Radiology Promise award for Quality Improvement for their collective efforts in successfully transitioning the Radiology Department to the new MRI platform.

“I have been here 22 years and I am really excited about receiving these new scanners and the success of the radiology department as a whole,” Dowdy said. “I look forward to working with these machines and expanding the scope for what we can do for our patients.”

The primary benefit of the new scanners are to provide the best possible quality MR imaging, particularly for neurologic imaging of the brain and spine. The implementation of these machines is a part of a cutting edge platform by our vendor partner, Siemens.

“Texas Children’s for years has set standards for pediatric care in Texas and the country,” Vice President of Sales for Siemens Healthcare Matt Hoffman. “We are excited to be working with you all to be a part of providing high-quality care to children.”

The multinational manufacturing company provided the campus with both the 3T Vida scanner and the 1.5T Sola scanner. Both scanners represent the latest technology on their newest platform, and are amongst the first of its kind in any pediatric facility worldwide.

“Texas Children’s has a commitment to the highest quality and the highest safety for patients, and we are extremely proud of being a part of something so groundbreaking in radiology,” Dr. Victor Seghers, Chief of Community Radiology, said. “These new Siemens MRI magnets represent yet another tangible delivery of our CEO Mark Wallace’s promise to The Woodlands community that children will receive the best care, close to home.”

Following the program, everyone proceeded to Radiology on the first floor as seventeen-year-old patient, Ashia Smith cut the ribbon commemorating this momentous event, just before her scheduled MRI exam.

“We have improved our ability to diagnose disease and ultimately treat our patients due to the investment in this new technology,” Seghers added. “Our patients are also reporting improved convenience and satisfaction related to faster imaging time acquisition and the quieter environment in the new MR scanners.”

From an imaging perspective, these new scanners will help ensure that The Woodlands campus can perform all types of MRI exams onsite as opposed to sending patients to the Medical Center campus.

“The future looks terrific. We have a solid partnership with our vendor and a brand new cutting edge platform,” Seghers said, “that can benefit from further improvements and enhancements to both hardware and software over the next 10 years. This is important in light of our clinical and academic/research mission to the patients in The Woodlands and the North Houston metro region.”

Texas Children’s will continue pioneering pediatric radiology technology as we look forward to the arrival of the Kinetic Sensor later this year. This is an integral part and one of the key features of Siemens Healthineers BioMatrix technology and of the new 1.5 Sola and of the 3T Vida systems. It is the first ever in-bore, real-time patient viewing system, allowing close patient monitoring and prospective motion correction for neurological MRI exams, and will be the first in the country.

To learn more about Texas Children’s radiology services, click here.

August 20, 2019

Walking the halls of Texas Children’s you may see someone in a red vest offering assistance or providing some type of support. Those are our volunteers, who have played an important role in the organization’s success since day one.

This summer The Woodlands Campus adopted the junior volunteer program to offer opportunities to teenagers and provide more support for patient care.

The volunteer program began when Texas Children’s opened its doors in 1954. Over the years the program has expanded to over 800 diverse active Auxiliary members who support patients, families and hospital staff.

“The role of the volunteer has really changed over the decades,” Assistant Vice President, Clinical Support and Research Administration, Paige Schulz said. “One of the things that’s really significantly changed is originally it was only women that volunteered at Texas Children’s. And then that was from the ‘50s really until the ‘80s, and then men started volunteering a lot more with our organization.”

Click below to view a video about the system-wide junior volunteer program.

In 2017, West Campus began their junior volunteer program based off of several requests from the Katy community. As the campus grew over the years, so did the need for a program.

“The juniors make a big difference in the patient’s experience in the hospital,” West Campus Senior Volunteer Coordinator Nora Lopez said. “When the patient comes in and they go to visit the doctor, they are scared. So if they play with someone before they are seen by the doctor, or nurse, or prior to any procedure or surgery, the patient is most likely in a better mood. So it’s a win, win situation and it makes a big difference in the hospital.”

The Woodlands Volunteer Services Department selected 12 high school students with an interest in working in the healthcare field to engage in tasks that enhances patient experience, whether it is providing games for them to play, snacks like popcorn and tea, or just having someone to talk to their age.

“The best part is their energy. They bring an enormous amount of energy to the hospital and their energy is contagious and it’s been so wonderful to have that contagious positive energy around the hospital,” The Woodlands Senior Volunteer Coordinator Zett Small said. “We are grateful to have the best, brightest, and most talented kids volunteering with us.”

Anvi Sana is a 16-year-old aspiring pediatrician who has always dreamed of working at Texas Children’s. The summer junior volunteer opportunity at The Woodlands combined her love for kids and thirst for the knowledge of health care. Sana expressed how much of a learning experience volunteering was and why it is beneficial for someone her age.

“I think as a teenager it teaches you a lot about the different kinds of people that you’re going to run into in a hospital,” Sana said. “I think doing a program like this as a teenager kind of opens up your eyes to the number of different people that you’re going to see or come across when you’re working in a hospital.

Being a volunteer at Texas Children’s is not just a job it is an experience for all ages, and backgrounds with endless possibilities.

“What I like to say about the volunteers are that they are the heart and soul of this organization,” Schulz said. “I’m excited about just the opportunity for us to expand beyond what maybe is a traditional volunteer assignment.”

Click here for information about the volunteer program.