Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women has been a pioneer in maternal care since it opened in 2012. Leslie Goodwin, nurse manager for the Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) team, began her career at Texas Children’s as the first clinical nurse coordinator in MFM. She knew from the moment Texas Children’s announced it was expanding into maternal care she wanted to be part of it. Now, she is a driving force in the expansion of maternal care access in the Houston area and beyond.
The MFM team is tasked with providing essential consultation and support in diagnosing and treating pregnant women at risk for serious complications during pregnancy. This diverse team collaborates with specialists from multiple fields for fetal imaging, genetic counseling and care for multiple pregnancies, heart disease, infectious disease and other conditions. They run the gamut from closely monitoring and managing high-risk pregnancies to preventing conditions like preeclampsia. More than that, they provide personalized care plans and offer support and guidance to patients during what can be a very difficult and stressful time.
Leslie leads this team of nurses and specialists with a commitment to open and transparent communication. A big unit comprised of several smaller teams, she is responsible for the antenatal testing team, MFM clinic team in the Medical Center, and the nurses in the MFM community clinics. She has her hands in leading the coordinator group, working with business teams and coordinating with the fetal center and ultrasound. She keeps an open-door policy with all of them, always making sure she is available to her team members. “I am in constant communication with them,” said Leslie. “I think it’s just very important to be available.”
As a nursing leader, Leslie is an exemplary advocate for her team and patients alike. “Through her actions and decisions, I can tell she’s always thinking of what is best for the patients we see in MFM and her staff’s well-being,” explained MFM Nurse Coordinator Katherine Wang. Dealing with challenges in staffing and changes in the department, Leslie doesn’t pretend things are easy when they aren’t. But she leads her team to adapt to these changes with grace and positivity. “She keeps our team focused on patient needs and safety while maneuvering through the changes with grit and resilience,” said Katherine.
The work done by MFM impacts many for the better, but Leslie is most proud of the specialty clinics, specifically the cardiology clinic. The first of its kind for the system, this clinic combines cardiac and prenatal care, enabling the team to provide for pregnant moms with heart disease or cardiac problems in pregnancy. “Having patients that started their care at Texas Children’s when they were babies seeing the congenital heart team and literally coming back to the Pavilion when they’re pregnant, it’s like a lifetime cycle completed at Texas Children’s,” said Leslie. “They feel comfortable receiving their pregnancy care here because they got excellent care at the Heart Center.” As a result of the cardiology clinic, expansion into additional specialty clinics has begun including rheumatology, renal and neurology. Leslie can’t wait to move into more specialty services as the clinic grows.
Furthering their commitment to excellence, Leslie and the MFM team have spearheaded several quality improvement initiatives, including AMEWS ambulatory training and development of clinical operations-based continuity. These efforts have streamlined clinic workflows, improved patient outcomes and set new standards for MFMs across the nation. Leslie also promotes ongoing educational opportunities for the team via huddles, rounding and virtually. Her ability to foster a supportive environment has been an inspiration to her nursing teams, leading them to lean in and cross train sister teams within MFM.
The MFM team has a lot of exciting and historic work on the horizon. Their commitment to excellence and compassionate care make them an outstanding team and an exemplar for all to follow. Under Leslie’s leadership, they are poised for continued success. “Her leadership goes beyond the workplace,” outlined MFM Nurse Coordinator Myrla Balderas. “She is a great example of servant leadership. Her support for each of us and the team as a whole goes over and beyond what her role requires. This unit is a better place to work in because of her.”
“She built this MFM clinic, and this place is a well-oiled machine because of her leadership and direction,” MFM Clinical Nurse Coordinator Erin Balmert described.
Texas Children’s is proud of the work being done by Maternal Fetal Medicine and Leslie Goodwin. Together, they are a living embodiment of The Difference.