Texas Children’s Transition Medicine Team hosted a dinner this fall at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in conjunction with the Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference. More than 100 people interested in transition medicine attended to learn about Texas Children’s program and the progress being made in this new branch of medicine.
Transition medicine describes the planned process of moving pediatric patients into the adult health care system in a way that optimizes their health and ability to function. Texas Children’s is dedicated to helping these patients smoothly transfer to adult care without a decline or break in treatment needed for optimal health.
David Gonzalez, a Texas Children’s patient and student at Saint Thomas University, kicked off the dinner with his inspirational story and spoke to the importance of a solid transition program. He encouraged the audience to support the hospital’s efforts so that future patients will not have the same difficulties he had during his transition period.
The October 2 dinner also offered an opportunity to award the second Benjamin B. Ligums Scholar to Dr. David Hall, medical director for the Harris Health System’s El Franco Lee Health Center. The scholar program allows a provider in the community to receive training on the adult special needs population as well as project management assistance in setting up a referral process between them and their surrounding pediatric providers. Hall will build upon the successes of Dr. Elizabeth Bosquez, the first Benjamin B. Ligums Scholar.
This night also celebrated and acknowledged two remarkable families who have dedicated themselves to the transition medicine cause with their generous philanthropic support. The Ligums family was acknowledged for their support in creating the Benjamin B. Ligums Scholar Program, and the Robbins family was acknowledged for their commitment to support the Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference each year.
The transition medicine team has been working together for more than two years and has made great progress. They have focused on:
Readiness – preparing patients to self manage their disease and succeed in the adult world.
Handoff – ensuring that patients are not lost to follow-up during the move from the pediatric to the adult health care system.
Transfer – guaranteeing an adult provider for our patients to transition to at the appropriate age.
For a more comprehensive look inside the transition medicine plan, visit www.texaschildrens.org/transitionmedicine. For questions or additional information, please contact Caitlyn Barrow at crbarrow@texaschildrens.org or 713-798-3323, or Kris Barton at krbarton@texaschildrens.org or Ext. 4-1265.
