March 7, 2017

Texas Children’s is committed to the health and well-being of our patients, their families and our employees. This is why all patient care providers and other employees whose duties are listed below are required to have their routine tuberculosis (TB) skin test. Testing will begin Tuesday, March 7 (click on the flier for larger view of all dates, times, and locations).

Employees who are unable to be tested on any of these dates may make appointments by calling Employee Health at ext. 4-2150.

Which Texas Children’s employees are required to receive a TB skin test?

  • Employees who work in a hospital setting
  • Employees who work in a non-hospital setting but have possible patient contact
  • Employees who have face-to-face contact with suspected or confirmed TB patients or have the potential of exposure through shared air space with infectious patients
  • Employees with a negative TB skin test history and have not received a TB skin test in 2017

Employees with a known positive TB skin test will NOT receive a TB skin test. They will receive an email with instructions to complete a questionnaire through the Employee Health & Wellness Portal. Employees located off-site will receive separate instructions from their leader at a later date.

The current risk assessment provided by the Texas Children’s Infection Control Committee states that routine skin testing will occur every two years. For more information, please see sections 8 and 9 of the Tuberculosis Exposure Control Plan Procedure or visit the Employee Health Services page on Connect.

Thank you in advance for your support in helping safeguard the well-being of our patients, their families, and our employees.

February 28, 2017

At Texas Children’s, we are a community that cares for our patients, their families and each other, so as we get ready to celebrate National Nutrition Month® in March, it is important to remember that healthy eating is always in season.

To celebrate this year’s theme, Put Your Best Fork Forward, the Food and Nutrition Services department, in partnership with Employee Health and Well-Being, is sponsoring several events throughout the month of March. Whether you are planning meals to prepare at home or making selections when eating out, Put Your Best Fork Forward to help find your healthy eating choices. Throughout March, there will be several events and resources offered across the organization:

Celebrating National Nutrition Month Event

This event will teach you how to incorporate healthy fats into your diet, show you which foods have the most protein, provide healthy eating strategies, and much more. Our Texas Children’s health coach and registered dietitians will be present to answer your nutrition questions. We hope to see you there!

Thursday, March 16
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
West Campus, DOTS Kitchen corridor

Wednesday, March 22
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Main Campus, The Auxiliary Bridge

Well-Being Wednesdays
Join our Fresh Bistro chefs every Wednesday to enjoy a healthy meal while our registered dietitians and Well-Being Team provide nutritional facts and creative cooking tips.

  • Wednesday, March 8 – Taco Salad Bar with Chef Joseph
  • Wednesday, March 15 – Vietnamese Pho Station with Chef Kenya
  • Wednesday, March 22 – Gyro Station with Chef Dee
  • Wednesday, March 29 – Taco Salad Bar with Chef Lyle

Pavilion for Women, Fresh Bistro
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Healthy Plentiful Bowl Promotion at Fresh Bistro

Starting Monday, March 6, through Friday, March 31, if you purchase a minimum of five healthy plentiful bowls from the Wild Greens Salad Station, you will receive one at no cost. To learn more about the promotion, visit the Fresh Bistro at the Pavilion for Women.

Skinny Latte Challenge and Breakfast Meal Samples

Can you taste the difference between a regular latte and a skinny latte? Our registered dietitians will provide these latte options to see if you can tell difference. Enter for a chance to win a $50 gift card from Snap Kitchen.

Thursday, March 9
8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Clinical Care Center Food Court and West Campus DOTS Kitchen corridor

Friday, March 24
8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Meyer Building lobby
*Healthy breakfast samples will be provided!

Weekly Nutrition Tips

We are excited to announce that beginning March 1, you can receive year-round weekly nutrition and well-being tips by texting WellBeing to 882-02 (message and data rates may apply).

Check out the Texas Children’s Blog and Voice of Nursing Blog during the month of March for weekly tips about healthy eating and proper nutrition.

Resources to Support Your Nutrition

The Employee Health and Well-Being Team provides a variety of nutrition resources:
Snap Kitchen – 10 percent off purchases in store
Weight Watchers – 50 percent subsidy on membership
Health Coaching Program – no cost for Texas Children’s employees
Nutrition Consulting – no cost for Texas Children’s employees

#NationalNutritionMonth, #TexasChildrens

Use these hashtags and share pictures of your healthy meals, at work, home or while dining out, throughout the month of March. You can also submit your healthy meal photos to culture@texaschildrens.org to join our photo gallery on Connect.

For more information about proper nutrition and National Nutrition Month events at Texas Children’s, please visit the Well-being website on Connect or email wellbeing@texaschildrens.org.

February 21, 2017

Want to be part of the largest USATriathlon sanctioned kids triathlon in the world? Sign up to volunteer for the 2017 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon.

Presented by Texas Children’s Hospital, the event will be Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 at NRG Stadium. Drawing more than 3,000 participants ages 6 to 15, the event aims to help build a generation of healthy, active responsible children.

Volunteers are needed for everything from course set-up and clean-up to registration, expo and race-day assistance. Click here to learn more and to sign up to be a 2017 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon volunteer.

February 14, 2017

Last week, Texas Children’s employees celebrated The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign by learning about heart health through education and free blood pressure checks, provided by the Employee Medical Clinic.

Year-round, the Employee Medical Clinic offers a Healthy Heart Program at no cost for 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. Click here to learn more.

January 31, 2017

12517hearthealthy640There are several numbers we all know by heart: our phone numbers, dates of birth, debit and credit card PINs, and social security numbers. But do you know the most critical numbers for your heart health? That knowledge could save your life.

The Employee Medical Clinic will help you learn that information if you don’t already know if by offering heart education and blood pressure checks at no cost to employees. We encourage you to come and learn the most critical numbers in your life.

Date: Friday, February 3
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Main Campus location: Pavilion for Women, Fresh Bistro (entrance)
West Campus location: DOTS Kitchen (corridor)

In celebration of Go Red for Women, employees are encouraged to wear red on this day to raise awareness for heart disease.

Complimentary Heart Healthy Sweet
Texas Children’s is partnering with Morrison Chefs to offer heart healthy meal options in celebration of Go Red for Women. With the purchase of a heart healthy meal you will receive a complimentary heart healthy sweet* during lunchtime at the Pavilion for Women Fresh Bistro and West Campus DOTS Kitchen.

Healthy Heart Program
Year-round, the Employee Medical Clinic offers a Healthy Heart Program at no cost for 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. Click here to learn more.

For more information about the Healthy Heart Program or to make an appointment, please call ext. 4-2424.
*Free heart healthy sweet with purchase, while supplies last, to Texas Children’s badge holders wearing red.

January 10, 2017

11117discounts640Given the popularity of New Year resolutions about health and well-being, we want to remind you of the well-being discounts available to all Texas Children’s badge holders. Participating vendor partners include:

  • 24 Hour Fitness
  • American College of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
  • Blast Fitness
  • CampGladiator
  • Define body & mind
  • Dynamic Fitness 24/7
  • LA Fitness
  • Lifetime Fitness
  • My Fit Foods
  • Orange Theory Fitness
  • Revolution Studio
  • Snap Kitchen
  • Weight Watchers
  • YMCA
  • Yoga One Studios

For discount details, eligibility, and enrollment click here.

In addition to our well-being discounts, Texas Children’s subsidizes 50 percent of Weight Watchers’ Beyond the Scale, a program with a holistic approach to weight management. To learn more about the program, check out this video.

Another benefit offered at Texas Children’s is access to our well-being programs, available at no cost to Texas Children’s employees:

Did you know?
Texas Children’s also offers counseling, stress management, financial assistance, and grief recovery programs. For more information, please call the Employee Assistance Program at ext. 4-3332.

October 18, 2016

12016HoustonMarathon640Want to achieve a personal fitness goal and help preserve the mission of Texas Children’s Hospital? Runners can still enter the sold out 2017 marathon and half marathon races through the Chevron Houston Marathon’s Run for a Reason charity program.

Texas Children’s Hospital is an official charity for the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon, taking place on Sunday, January 15, 2017. The Run for a Reason program is a way for runners to run the race of their choice with a guaranteed entry – on behalf of a charity.

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, your donations will directly impact the lives of countless children. Your race will become the race for our patients who are too sick – sometimes too sick even to play outside. Your support will allow us to expand our care to even more children who need our help.

Make your promise and join the Texas Children’s Running Team today!

1. Fundraise to Run
A fundraising entry is a way for runners to secure a guaranteed entry to the race of their choice while fundraising for Texas Children’s Hospital.

The minimum fundraising milestone to receive the guaranteed entry for the full marathon is $750 and for the half marathon is $500. Please complete this form and email it to Eileen Condit in the Office of Development at runforareason@texaschildrens.org to sign up and secure your registration.

Donations will be received through February 2017. These donations can come from friends, family and employer matching programs.

2. Support the Team
To support the Texas Children’s running team with a donation, please visit our fundraising page.

Questions?
Please contact Eileen Condit at Ext. 4-6823 or runforareason@texaschildrens.org.