Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Don’t Let Texas Move Fort Worth-Area Kids Off Health Plans Their Families Prefer
As part of our efforts to protect Cook Children's Health Plan members, Rick Merrill, President and CEO of Cook Children's Health Care System, wrote an op-ed to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, calling on the Legislature to empower families by allowing them to choose their health plan.
YOUR VOICE MATTERS! SURVEY OPEN NOW THROUGH APRIL 30
We Want to Hear from YOU!
We’ve hit 51% participation for the Your Voice Matters Employee Survey! If you’ve already taken the survey – thank you! If you haven’t had a chance yet, there’s still time to take a few moments to share your thoughts and experiences by completing the survey by April 30.
Your participation is so important and helps us know what’s going well and what we can improve upon. The feedback we receive from you helps shape the future of Cook Children's for all of us!
Please know that the survey is completely confidential. Press Ganey, as our trusted survey partner, ensures that individual responses or comments cannot be linked back to any one person.
You can use the link in the Press Ganey email you received on April 15 or you can visit the Team Experience survey page to scan the QR code and take the survey on your phone. After you scan the QR code, you’ll enter your employee ID # (no letters or leading zero needed) to take the survey. Click here for the QR code: Your Voice Matters: 2025 Employee Survey
NOTE: Employees who started on or before January 1, 2025 received an invitation to take the survey. If you’re returning from leave this month and were employed before January 1, 2025 but didn’t receive an invitation, please contact hdesk@pressganey.com to activate your survey. They will send you the email invitation and you’ll have until April 30 to complete the survey.
To see where we stand on participation by company click here.
MUST READ: Finalize Corrective Actions on Workday
Due to the overwhelming number of Corrective Actions in Workday that haven’t been acknowledged by our employees, Employee Relations along with our IT Department have created an automated process that will help finalize the Corrective Action and moves to the employees HR file.
Mass Advance Description: The Mass Advance Communication Manager (MOM) process will run every weekday morning at 7am and all Corrective Actions that have been in the employee’s inbox for more than 24 hours will be Mass Advanced to the Manager for Acknowledgement.
Mass Advance Communication to Employee: If you have not submitted your acknowledgment within 24 hours of receiving this task, the corrective action will be advanced to your manager to indicate that you have refused to sign/acknowledge, and the process will complete on your file.
Mass Advance Communication to Manager: If the employee does not acknowledge the corrective action, after 24 hours the corrective action notification will be sent back to the manager and the manager will have the following options as well as a free form comment box for both options:
Employee refused to sign/acknowledge
Employee unable to sign/acknowledge
Mass Advance Communication to Employee:
Notification will be sent back to the employee indicating, “the corrective action has been completed and placed in the corrective action file on your Workday profile."
Spring Forward with Next Epic Upgrade
The next Epic Upgrade is set for April 23. Be sure to check the Upgrade LHD for a breakdown of the changes coming to your Epic application. These materials are now available.
In addition, the routine content freeze that accompanies Epic Upgrade will be in effect from April 16 to 23.
Cook Children's names 2025 Social Worker of the Year
This year, our Social Worker of the Year is awarded to Kate DeVore, LCSW, Case Management Social Work Team Lead and Outpatient Pulmonary Clinic Social Worker.
“Kate’s positive impact is not just felt within the department but extends to the broader organization and the individuals she serves. She has a unique ability to make people feel heard and valued, which significantly contributes to the trust and rapport that is essential in social work.”
Need to view the warehouse catalog? Need guidance on how to order supplies in Workday? Our new supply chain SharePoint site contains this information and much more. Please click here to access the site and share with your colleagues.
Doctor Spotlight: Abdul Siddiqui, M.D. of Cook Children's Hematology & Oncology - Prosper
Get to know Dr. Siddiqui, our dedicated pediatric hematologist, in this insightful Q&A! Learn about his inspiring journey from medical training in Chicago and Detroit to his impactful research and mentorship. Discover what fuels his passion for working with children and his philosophy of holistic patient care. Beyond the hospital, Dr. Siddiqui shares his love for world travel and language. Read more about his goals for our hematology/oncology team and his unique experiences abroad – find the full interview here!
Community Health Workers Recognized by Tarrant County Commissioners
Community Health Workers (CHWs) play invaluable roles in our public health care system and many diverse communities. These vital workers act as intermediaries between social services and the underserved communities that need access to crucial health care resources, helping ensure that all families have access to the care they need.
Take a look at photos from the proclamation reading on Connect Newsroom.
Sushi added to Camelot Court Menu
Watch our new video on Connect Newsroom to see the new sushi additions available at Camelot Court every Tuesday and Thursday and learn about Chef Noel Demafiles' inspiration for adding these fresh flavors to our menu.
Video by Tom Riehm
‘Like Coming Home’
This is the heartwarming story of Viggo Petrilli, who is making his return to Cook Children's Medical Center, not as a patient, but as a Marketing Intern. Ten years ago, Cook Children's was a central part of Viggo's life as he underwent treatment. Now, a decade later, he walks the same halls feeling a sense of familiarity and joy.
Watch this heartfelt storyabout his journey “back home” to Cook Children'son Connect Newsroom.
Video by Tom Riehm
Send a Message to Those Who Have Reached a Significant Milestone at Cook Children's
Congratulations to those who are celebrating a milestone year of service between May 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025.
Mark Your Calendars for Employee Appreciation Month
Please join in the fun no matter where you are in the System for Employee Appreciation Month! See the Team Experience page for more details on ways to connect and celebrate with your colleagues and teams in May.
Find more information about:
Campus Cookouts
Support for Off-Site Locations and Work from Home Teams
Cook Children's Night at the Cliburn
Cook Children's Weekend at the Ballpark
Discounted Tickets to NRH2O in North Richland Hills
Join us for ECMO Patient Reunion 2025
Date: May 4, 2025
Time: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: Cook Children's Medical Center - Fort Worth in the Family Support Center
This year we will raise the LifeGift Flag for Organ Donation Month on April 24, 2025.
Be on the lookout for our Fort Worth campus to be lit blue and green between April 21- April 25, 2025.
From noon to 4 p.m. a sign-up table for the Texas donation registry will be available near Camelot Court.
At 11:15 a.m., on April 24, the LifeGift Flag-raising ceremony will take place at the front lawn of Cook Children's Medical Center - Fort Worth.
Celebrate Lab Week starting April 20
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Medical Centers in Fort Worth and Prosper include nearly 200 laboratory professionals offering a broad range of diagnostic testing in pathology, clinical laboratory, and transfusion services. An estimated 70% of medical decisions are based on results provided by the laboratory.
Some Lab facts from 2024
The inpatient phlebotomy team collected over 53,000 specimens.
Medical Laboratory Scientists resulted over 760,000 tests and called more than 28,000 critical results.
Outpatient Lab saw and collected 35,406 patients.
Join us in Celebrating Patient & Family Experience Week 2025
Patient and Family Experience Week (PFX Week) April 28 – May 2, 2025, is an annual time to celebrate accomplishments, re-energize efforts, and honor those who collaborate with the goal of improving the experiences of our patients and families.
We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the week by participating in one or more of the events listed on our SharePoint page. The theme for this year’s PFX Week is “Community of Trust: The Cook Children’s Experience.” We appreciate and celebrate all the unique ways our teams use collaboration and communication to improve the lives of children in our communities.
After participating in challenges and activities, remember to share your experiences! Share photos, posts, stories, and insights by emailing patientexperience@cookchildrens.org to join the conversation and showcase your commitment to improving the human experience.
Daily Challenges, SharePoint Scavenger Hunt, Team Bingo and Virtual Contest: Tidbits of Trust can be found here: Patient & Family Experience Week 2025 Email patientexperience@cookchildrens.org with examples of how you or your team completed the events. Participants will be randomly selected each day for a prize.
Celebrate Health Information Professionals Week
Celebrate Health Information Professionals (HIP) Week! Acknowledge those who work to ensure accurate, accessible, and protected health data. Share your experience with Jessica Conrad at jessica.conrad@cookchildrens.org.
Debbie Standridge, Purchasing Program Coordinator for the Peds Pal department is retiring from Cook Children’s after 31 years of service on Wednesday, April 30. We encourage you to take a moment to send Debbie a farewell note or a congratulatory note by April 29. Thank you so much for your many years of dedicated service, Debbie! Congratulations and enjoy your retirement!
Brenda Simmons, Sr. Application Systems Analyst of Sterile Processing for the IS Administration department is retiring from Cook Children’s Health Care System on May 9 after more than 28 years of service.We encourage you to take a moment to send Brenda a farewell note or a congratulatory note by May 8. Thank you, Brenda, for your many years of dedication to the Cook Children's Promise.
Marguerite Belew, Insurance Specialist and Receptionist at Forest Park Primary Care is retiring from Cook Children’s Physician Network on May 2 after 27 years with Cook Children’s. We encourage you to take a moment to send Marguerite a farewell note or a congratulatory note by May 1. Congratulations on your retirement, Marguerite and thank you for the many years of dedicated service.
2025 iCan Shine Summer Programs
Movement and Play are the basis for all iCan Shine programs. Each program provides success through experience. Every effort is acknowledged for each unique person’s individual abilities.
Click Here for more information on the iCan Bike program.
Click Here for more information on the iCan Dance program.
Find Upcoming Events in the Calendar on the New CookNet
Keep tabs on important deadlines and upcoming events. Be sure to check the Cook Children’s calendar for system-wide events. If your team would like to add an event to the calendar, please reach out to us in the weeks leading up to your event by emailing us at InternalCommunications@cookchildrens.org.
The calendar is hereor scroll to underneath the Important Places section on the CookNet home page. You may also add the calendar to “My Important Places” using the tagged URL.
Debbie Standridge, Purchasing Program Coordinator for the Peds Pal department is retiring from Cook Children’s after 31 years of service on Wednesday, April 30. We encourage you to take a moment to send Debbie a farewell note or a congratulatory note by April 29. Thank you so much for your many years of dedicated service, Debbie! Congratulations and enjoy your retirement!
Brenda Simmons, Sr. Application Systems Analyst of Sterile Processing for the IS Administration department is retiring from Cook Children’s Health Care System on May 9 after more than 28 years of service. 
Marguerite Belew, Insurance Specialist and Receptionist at Forest Park Primary Care is retiring from Cook Children’s Physician Network on May 2 after 27 years with Cook Children’s. We encourage you to take a moment to send Marguerite a farewell note or a congratulatory note by May 1. Congratulations on your retirement, Marguerite and thank you for the many years of dedicated service.