January 28, 2019

Nearly 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented, yet cardiovascular disease continues to be the No. 1 health threat facing women. When it comes to preventing the disease and taking care of your heart health, knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI) numbers is the best place to start.

Join the Employee Medical Clinic this Friday, February 1, for “Go Red for Women Day,” featuring free heart education and blood pressure screenings for all Texas Children’s employees. Clinic staff will be on hand from 11 a.m.to 1 p.m., at the entrance of the Fresh Bistro in the Pavilion for Women at the Medical Center campus to conduct the screenings and provide employees with the critical personal health numbers that can help assess their risk for heart disease and stroke. Amplify unity by wearing red to show your support!

Launched by the American Heart Association, Go Red for Women is a comprehensive platform designed to encourage women to take charge of their own heart health and increase awareness of cardiovascular disease, which causes 1 in 3 deaths among women each year.

Wear Red for a Complimentary Heart-Healthy Sweet
Texas Children’s is also partnering with Morrison Chefs on Friday, February 1, to offer heart-healthy meal options in celebration of Go Red for Women. With the purchase of a heart-healthy meal, Texas Children’s badge holders wearing red will receive a complimentary heart-healthy sweet during lunchtime at the Pavilion for Women Fresh Bistro, Dot’s Cafeteria at West Campus and the coffee shop and café at The Woodlands. Sweets will be available while supplies last.

Healthy Heart Program
Your Employee Medical Clinic offers a Healthy Heart Program year-round at no cost to our employees. The program features three individual sessions with a registered dietitian who will work with you to improve your blood pressure and/or cholesterol through healthy lifestyle modifications, including nutrition, physical activity, stress management and blood pressure monitoring.

For more information about the Healthy Heart Program or to make an appointment, please call 832-824-2424.

Cigna Health Coaching and Heart Health Programs
Cigna provides complimentary health coaching to help employees achieve their health and well-being goals, as well as manage and prevent chronic conditions like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, heart failure and many more. These programs will help you understand your condition and provide education and resources to support you in your health journey, while also developing individualized goals to help you make meaningful, healthy lifestyle changes.

To learn more about these Cigna programs, contact Staci Tobolowsky Astrein, Cigna’s on-site health coach at Texas Children’s, at 832-824-3068 or sxtobolo@texaschildrens.org.

January 22, 2019

As of January 11, 90.7 percent of Texas Children’s employees had received the flu vaccine. A special thank you goes out to all of you who have taken such an important step in protecting yourselves, your colleagues and our patients and families. Although we are excited to see so much participation across the system, we still want to encourage employees to get their vaccine. It is not too late!

“Flu activity has increased over the past three to four weeks here in Houston, we are already seeing positive flu cases at the Employee Medical Clinic, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) anticipates flu activity to increase in the coming weeks,” said Dr. Irene Lomeda, the Employee Medical Center physician. “The good news from the most recent CDC data is that the flu vaccine seems to be on target for the major flu strain affecting this year’s flu season with lesser hospitalizations and lesser pediatric deaths.”

Employee Health continues to administer flu vaccines at no cost to Texas Children’s employees. The flu vaccine is also covered at 100 percent under our Texas Children’s Medical Plan, enabling employees to receive their flu vaccine at no cost through any in-network provider or retail pharmacy. If you have any questions about the safety and effectiveness of the flu vaccine, you may call Employee Health at 832-824-2150, option 2.

Staff who do not receive their flu vaccine should wear a surgical mask when providing direct patient care services for the duration of the flu season, which was declared on December 19, 2018. See Required Influenza Vaccination Policy and Procedure for more details.

If you elect to decline the flu vaccine this year, you are required to complete a Flu Declination Form. Prior to completing the declination form, review the Flu Vaccine Information Statement (VIS). The declination form can be found on the Employee Health and Wellness Portal. Follow these instructions to gain access:

Log in to the Employee Health and Wellness Portal. If this is your first time logging into the portal, click “Having trouble logging in” to reset your password. For instructions on how to log in to the portal click here or click here to view step-by step instructions.
Once you log in, click on the “Forms” tab, then select the 2018-Flu Declination Form.

Let’s amplify unity and prevent the spread of infections by practicing good health habits:

  • Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
  • Stay home when you are experiencing flu-like symptoms. If you begin to feel sick with flu-like symptoms while at work, call the Employee Medical Clinic at 832-824-2424.
  • Wash your hands often. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home and at work, especially when someone is ill.
  • For more tips on preventing the flu, visit CDC Flu Prevention.
January 15, 2019

Texas Children’s Hospital will have the distinct privilege of being the co-presenting sponsor of the upcoming Houston Marathon Health & Fitness EXPO alongside Houston Methodist.

The EXPO will be held Friday, January 18 and Saturday, January 19 prior to the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon, the largest single-day sporting event in Houston and the largest marathon race in Texas, with more than 33,000 participants running the streets of Houston on Sunday, January 20. All runners must attend the EXPO to pick up their race materials while others are invited to attend to interact with other runners and make purchases from a variety of vendors.

“This is a great opportunity to extend our mission and share our passion for youth health initiatives,” said Amber Tabora, senior vice president of Philanthropy, Marketing and Public Relations. “The EXPO is a wonderful event, and we are excited to be part of it.”

Click here to view the promotion video

As a benefit of our three-year co-presenting sponsorship of the EXPO, Texas Children’s was awarded 10 complimentary race entries. On January 7, Texas Children’s donated the often sold-out race entries to 10 Katy Students Run (KSR) members.

Austin Salas, a 16-year-old KSR member participating in the half marathon for the second consecutive year, said at a small gathering at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus he is extremely thankful Texas Children’s will be helping him reach his marathon goals this year.

“I look forward to helping others know how important eating, sleeping and pacing yourself is when running long distances,” Salas said. “I’m also striving to beat my time from last year. That would be really awesome.”

For the past 13 years, KSR has been empowering young people to set and achieve life-altering goals through mentorship, unconditional acceptance and training for a half-marathon.

“It is great to see the level of commitment that these students have,” KSR founder Jenny Demarest said. “To see them come into the group with no experience, and to watch them grow is amazing!”

In addition to the co-sponsorship of the EXPO, Texas Children’s Hospital is one of the participating charities in the Houston Marathon’s Run for a Reason program.

Run for a Reason is a way for people to achieve a personal fitness goal and help preserve the mission of Texas Children’s Hospital at the same time by allowing runners to run the marathon with a guaranteed entry – on behalf of Texas Children’s.

Running for Texas Children’s Hospital is not just about the race, it’s a promise to our patients. By signing up to run and fundraise on behalf of Texas Children’s Hospital, the donations will directly impact the lives of countless children. The support that we garner allows us to expand our care to even more children who need our help.

Our Run for a Reason contenders will be wearing light blue shirts on race day. Come out and cheer them on and check out the EXPO!

On race day, Sunday, January 20, look for the red Texas Children’s Hospital tent located at the Bed Bath and Beyond entrance off Kirby and West Alabama, across the street from Texas Children’s Pediatrics Pediatric Medical Group.

For more information, download the Chevron Houston Marathon official app on your phone, and click here for all event information.

AS OF JANUARY 24, ALL SLOTS HAVE BEEN FILLED. YOU CAN BUY A SPOT HERE.

Want to help build a generation of healthy, active children? Sign them up for the 2019 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon and Texas Children’s Hospital will pay their registration fee.

As the event’s presenting sponsor, the hospital will foot the bill for 50 children of Texas Children’s employees to participate in the event slated for April 27 and 28 at NRG Stadium. The complimentary registrations are not retroactive, therefore if you have already signed up for the event, we cannot provide a reimbursement.

Drawing more than 3,000 participants ages 6 to 15, the event is expected to be the largest USATriathlon sanctioned kids triathlon in the world for the fourth consecutive year.

Click here for more information.

If you are interested in receiving one of the complimentary spots, please fill out this form and submit it to chris.kidstriathlon@gmail.com.

Another way to participate in the event is to volunteer! This event presented by Texas Children’s Hospital would not be possible without our wonderful volunteers. This year’s event is expected to draw more than 3,000 participants and 10,000 spectators. In total, we need about 350 volunteers to run a safe, efficient event. If you are interested in signing up, click here.

January 7, 2019

Toss out those rigid and complicated New Year’s resolutions! Instead, kickstart 2019 by setting your intentions with One Word and gaining the tools and knowledge to become a healthier, happier you – not just for the year, but for life.

Join your Employee Well-Being and EAP Plus teams for the first Kickstart 2019 Workshop Series, which will feature the following activities and sessions:

Create Your Well-Being Vision – Choose one word that sums up how you want to be or live this year, then learn how to build the lifelong skills and behaviors you need to create and follow healthy habits that stick.

Ready to get started? We are too! Click here for the My One Word goal card and post it somewhere visible to maintain inspiration throughout the year.

Mastering Meal Prep – Eating healthy is all about the preparation. Learn how to master meal prep, from navigating the grocery store, to identifying the tools that should become your best friends in the kitchen, to finding easy recipes that you can cook in bulk. Meal prep is a tool that can be utilized by everyone, whether you are new to the kitchen or a well-seasoned home chef.

Fundamentals of Fitness – With all the fresh motivation the new year gives you to achieve your fitness goals, you’re primed and ready to tone up – but where and how exactly do you start? Get ready for a dynamic discussion about building a new workout routine and putting it into action.

Focusing Daily Energy – Between work, family and other responsibilities, our lives pull us in so many directions each day. Learn how to focus and shift your energy to the right places, at the right times. Make more mindful choices on how you spend your time and connect with people who bring positive energy.

Register Today
Click here for a full schedule of the Kickstart 2019 Workshop Series, including all session dates and locations. Class space is limited, register today.

Ready, Set, Win in 2019 with WW and New Fitness Partnerships
Weight Watchers is now “WW,” a reimagined and revamped program designed to inspire healthy habits for real life for people, families and communities around the world. WW is about more than weight loss; it’s about providing participants with a partner in wellness – whether that means eating better, moving more, developing a positive mindset, taking pounds off the scale or all of the above. WW also includes the new WellnessWins™ rewards program to recognize members at every steps of their wellness journey.

Click here to check out the new WW and join from January 2-25 to be enrolled in the Jumpstart Promotion, and as a new members, you’ll receive a free gift.

Texas Children’s badge holders receive reduced monthly membership rates, waived enrollment fees, and discounted programs and services from a variety of wellness partners. Click here to learn more about all of Texas Children’s wellness partnerships.

Introducing ClassPass, our newest wellness partner, offering one of the world’s most flexible memberships that allows you to work out where you want, when you want and how you want. Click here to learn more.

If you have any questions, contact the Well-Being team at wellbeing@texaschildrens.org.

December 11, 2018

Texas Children’s and the Houston Texans capped off this year’s fun-filled PLAY 60 Week by cheering on the Houston Texas as they played the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd Annual Texans Kids Day presented by Texas Children’s Hospital.

Texans Kids Day highlights the National Football League’s PLAY 60 initiative, a campaign that encourages kids to be active for 60 minutes a day in order to reverse the trend of childhood obesity. Texas Children’s Hospital, the local presenting sponsor of PLAY 60, was featured throughout Sunday’s game including signage, TORO headband gate giveaways and kids jobs.

Additionally, GW McMaster, an avid Houston Texans fan and patient at Texas Children’s Hospital’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, served as the Honorary Coin Toss Captain. Before the game began, the 16-year-old and his family spent time on the sideline watching pregame warmups and taking in the incredible experience of his first Texans game. Shortly before the coin toss, GW met his favorite player, DeAndre Hopkins along with Houston Texans legend Andre Johnson and Houston Astros second baseman, Alex Bregman. The smile on GW’s face lit up the whole stadium.

Nine employees recognized by the Texas Children’s Caught You Caring program as well as our 2019 Catalyst Award winners, their guests and leaders got to watch the game as a thank you for their compassion and dedication to the Texas Children’s mission. The tickets to the game are one of the benefits of Texas Children’s Hospital being the official children’s hospital of the Houston Texans football team. To learn more about those Caught You Caring recipients, click here. To learn more about our 2019 Catalyst Award winners, click here.

PLAY 60 Week ran from December 3 through December 9 and was full of fun events aimed at helping further the PLAY 60 message and get children across the Houston moving. The week kicked off with Smith Legacy Tower being lit red, white and blue – the official colors of the Houston Texans. The building’s first and third floor lobby ceilings and east windows stayed lit in these colors throughout the week.

Below is a recap of some of the other events during the week. View photos from all of last week’s events below.

PRE-GAME PEP RALLY:
Last week, we hosted a pre-game pep rally at the hospital’s play garden to help get some of our patients excited about the game and remind them about how important it is to PLAY 60. Texans players Greg Mancz and Julie’n Davenport, Texans Cheerleaders and TORO were in attendance and took photos, played games and signed autographs with patients and their families. Texas Children’s Heart Center patient Taylor Berry also was at the pep rally sharing his story of being a three-time heart transplant patient and putting smiles on the faces of patients he sympathizes with so well. Click here to see a video of him interacting with patients.

PLAY 60 AT THE PARK:
On December 3, Texas Children’s Hospital and the Houston Texans hosted the 2nd annual PLAY 60 at the Park event at Levy Park Conservancy to kick off PLAY 60 Week in Houston. As the local sponsor of PLAY 60, the NFL-led initiative, which encourages kids to get at least 60 minutes of active play per day, Texas Children’s invited the community to join in an evening of fun and games aimed at keeping kids healthy.

Special guests included Texans running back Alfred Blue and Texans linebacker Dylan Cole, Texans Ambassador Kevin Walter, TORO, the Texans Mascot, Houston Texans Cheerleaders and more.

PLAY 60 KID OF THE MONTH:
Last week, PLAY 60 Kid of the Month winners met for their special NRG Stadium experience which included Houston Texans prize packs, surprise visit with TORO, stadium tour, radio interview with the voice of the Houston Texans, Marc Vandermeer, and a walk on the field. Thank you to everyone who applied to be a PLAY 60 Kid of the Month by showing us how you get your 60 minutes of play each day.

Texas Children’s Hospital and the Houston Texans are two winning teams that share one goal – keeping Houston kids healthy and encouraging them to be more active. To learn more about our partnership, visit: texaschildrens.org/Texans.

December 4, 2018

Are you ready to PLAY 60? Texas Children’s Hospital and the Houston Texans are geared up and ready to go.

PLAY 60 is the National Football League’s campaign to encourage kids to be active for 60 minutes a day in order to help reverse the trend of childhood obesity. To help promote the campaign, the Texans and Texas Children’s have teamed up and created PLAY 60 Week.

PLAY 60 Week runs from December 3 through December 9 and is full of fun events aimed at helping further the PLAY 60 message and get children across the Houston moving.

The week kicked off with Smith Legacy Tower being lit red, white and blue – the official colors of the Houston Texans. The building’s first and third floor lobby ceilings and east windows will stay lit in these colors throughout the week.

PLAY 60 at the Park was held on December 3 at Levy Park. The event included appearances by two Houston Texans players, TORO, the Texans Mascot, Houston Texans Cheerleaders and Houston Texans Ambassador, Kevin Walters. The park was completely taken over by all things Texans including activity stations, an event passport, a giant Toss-Up game board and much more.

Other events going on this week include the PLAY 60 Challenge School Assembly at Piney Point Elementary in the Houston Independent School District, the Get Fit with TORO school program re-launch at a Katy Independent School District school and the PLAY 60 Kid of the Month reward ceremony at NRG Stadium. The ceremony will honor four out of 253 children who shared their PLAY 60 experience in our social media contest. The winners will receive a special stadium tour, lunch in the team auditorium and more.

PLAY 60 Week will conclude on Sunday, December 9 with the Kids Day game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans-Colts game is sponsored by Texas Children’s and celebrates the PLAY 60 campaign. A Kids Day game pep rally for patients and their families will be held at the hospital prior to the game.

Texas Children’s Hospital is the Official Children’s Hospital of the Houston Texans. The goal of the partnership is to inspire children to lead healthier, more active lives. You can learn more about the partnership by visiting texaschildrens.org/texans.