Throughout the year, there are special days, weeks and months to recognize the achievements and contributions of professions, roles and departments. And they are so important to ensuring that we all feel connected and appreciated. We are excited to announce a new process for recognition communications. This process will give you more control over how your team's achievements are celebrated.
What's changing? Departments will now be empowered to plan and execute communications about recognitions. This means that you will post announcements, reward award winners, highlight successes, and post photos on your department's CookNet site. You can update this content as often as you like.
The Internal Communications team will publicize information about recognitions on the CookNet scroll and the Connect Newsletter based on our capacity and the need to be equitable among the different areas in our organization.
Why are we making this change? We believe that the best way to celebrate your team's achievements is to give the power to the people who know your team best: you. We want you to be able to tell your story the way you want to, and we want to make it as easy as possible for you to do so. This new process also allows the Internal Communications team to focus on System-wide initiatives.
How do I get started? If you would like to request a site or page on the new CookNet, or if you would like to get trained on updating existing sites, please visit this link. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
We look forward to seeing how your creativity emerges as you showcase your moments for magic!
Your 2023-2024 Benefits Open Enrollment Information: Enroll by Aug. 25
Open enrollment for employee benefits is underway. From now until Friday, Aug. 25, you have the opportunity to make your selections for the upcoming year's benefits via our user-friendly platform, Workday. At home, look for the newsletter and Open Enrollment booklet with information about the 2023-2024 open enrollment.
Your Questions Answered: Meet with the Benefits Team
Employees are invited to stop by to speak one-on-one with a member of the Benefits Team to ask questions related to benefits and/or open enrollment. The benefits team will be available the following dates/times:
1-2:30 p.m., Aug. 21, Medical Center-Fort Worth, Atrium 9:30-11 a.m., Aug. 22, Medical Center-Fort Worth, Atrium 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Aug. 23, Calmont CE356 8:30-10 a.m. and 3-4 p.m., Aug. 24, Medical Center-Fort Worth, Atrium
Make Plans Now for the 2023 Leukemia Symposium
Registration is open for the 2023 Leukemia Symposium, scheduled for Nov. 3-5 at the Medical Center-Fort Worth. This conference is an inter-professional forum addressing the latest advances in pediatric leukemia treatment and research. The focus is on the team-based approach to comprehensive care and the latest innovations in evaluation and management of acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.
We hope you will take advantage of this unique opportunity to network with your peers and hear from a distinguished panel of experts from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Texas Children's Hospital and The Hospital for Sick Children. The event is being hosted by Paul Bowman, M.D., and his wife Lois. Dr. Bowman is a retired Cook Children's physician.
Nursing Values: Improving Communication with Caregivers
Our series on Cook Children's values continues. Today we are spotlighting how our amazing nurses are able to live our values every day in their special role by highlighting the value of Respect.
Meet Jennifer Stephen, Ph.D., RN, CPN, who is helping meet the communications needs of patient families who speak little to no English. Using research for her Ph.D., she is identifying processes that can help these families to have the language access they need.
The Jane Justin School opened its doors Monday to 86 students, the largest enrollment yet! Students hugged their parents, took photos in front of the school and met their teachers. Friends reunited with hugs and talked about their summers. The Jane Justin School, under the Child Study Center at Cook Children's, is a private school that provides special education to children.
Students in the Purple Room class, who are between ages 7 and 9, gathered around to color a large “back-to-school” sheet together. The Fort Worth Report was there to capture the morning’s excitement – please read the news article here.
We also created a great video showing students, parents and teachers as they started their school year off right. It's right here on Checkup Newsroom.
Aaron Wishon Recognized in National Healthcare Publication
Aaron Wishon, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, has been honored in Becker's Healthcare’s “Hospital and Health System CISOs and CPOs to Know” list for 2023.
This list shines a light on the accomplishments of CISOs and CPOs who leverage their backgrounds in IT and cybersecurity to protect patient privacy. As the landscape of cybersecurity continues to change at a rapid pace, these leaders adapt and adjust so that their organizations can continue to safeguard sensitive information. In September 2019, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives recognized Cook Children's as one of the nation's Most Wired hospitals.
We are proud to have one of the nation's best experts leading our team here at Cook Children's. Congratulations, Aaron! Thank you for all you do to safeguard sensitive patient and organization data.
TEDx VIDEO: Raymond Turner and the “Heartsongs” of Our Patients
If you have 18 minutes, we invite you to watch this powerful and emotional speech by Raymond Turner, Cook Children's Recording Studio Producer. He had the opportunity in April to present a TEDx talk at Tarrant County College Northeast on the theme “An Ever-Changing World.”
Titled “Fireflies and Hurricanes: Finding Your Calling Without Losing Your Wings,” the talk is about how he taps into his passion for “producing music, working with children, writing songs, healthcare, and the holistic wellbeing of a child” in his role at Cook Children's.
Raymond told the audience: “I create ‘heartsongs.’ This involves a delicate process of our music therapists capturing the heartbeats of terminally ill babies, young children, teens, and some young adults who have been treated at Cook Children’s most, if not all, of their lives. This is an example of how the healing power of music can transcend through other lives.”
Of the TEDx experience, Raymond says, “it was an unforgettable opportunity to share some of my life story and the journey that formed me, prepared me, and fuels my passion for the work I do here daily at Cook Children's.”
We're celebrating summer with ice cream social events all across the System! Employees are enjoying a variety of flavors of treats, taking a moment to cool off, and connecting with colleagues.
The sweet treat events are a great way to relax and have fun with coworkers. They're also a great way to learn about different departments and get to know people you might not normally interact with.
Sweet Treat Events and Raffle Offerings Across the System Need a break to exercise your creativity? Enter the Create Your Own Cone Raffle by Aug. 31 for your chance at winning a Starbucks gift card. If you would like to treat yourself after work, don’t forget that Melt Ice Creams is offering 10% off purchases for all Cook Children’s employees at any of their four area locations throughout August. Employees must show their badge at the register to receive the discount.
Get Healthy, Get Rewarded with New Wellness Program
Cook Children's is excited to announce a new employee wellness program that starts on Sept. 1. The program is designed to help employees improve their health and wellbeing through fitness, nutrition, and stress relief, and replaces the Vitality program, which ended in June.
The program is powered by Virgin Pulse Wellness Platform, a leading digital health and wellness company that is part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, along with Virgin Atlantic Airways. You'll have access to a variety of personalized resources and tools to help reach your health goals, with the opportunity to earn Pulse Cash redeemable for merchandise at an online store or gift cards from retailers including Amazon, Target, Visa, Nike and Starbucks.
Workplace benefits at Cook Children’s give employees access to Occupational Health and CareATC for help with your health concerns. But do you ever wonder – what’s the difference between the two sites?
Here’s the easiest way to distinguish them: Occupational Health treats work-related injuries, while CareATC treats primary care medical needs including illnesses and chronic conditions.
Hear from Bridget Page, Director of Occupational Health Employee Wellness and Employee Safety, who explains how employees can make the most of these resources to maintain your physical health and mental wellbeing in this article on the Connect Newsroom.
Update on General Observations and Shadowing Experiences
Application/registration for general observation/shadowing experiences this summer closed on July 14. The Academic Education staff processed 314 requests. The focus is now on scheduling, onboarding, and orienting the anticipated 3,000 learners who require clinical rotations as indicated by their school curriculum.
The online application/registration portal will reopen on April 2, 2024, for next summer’s session beginning May 13, 2024. Please be aware of the following requirements: • Observers must be at least 18 years old on the date they wish to observe. A copy of their driver’s license is required. • Observers must identify a preceptor or mentor. Observers should obtain approval from the preceptor prior to registration. Final approval will be at the discretion of the hosting department’s leadership. • Observations are limited to a maximum of 40 hours. Hours may be less than 40 hours at the discretion of the preceptor or host department’s leadership. • Observation hours may not be used for academic credit toward a degree or college course in which the observer is currently enrolled. • Observers must be current on immunizations, including MMR & Varicella. • Observers must provide proof of current health insurance coverage. • Observers must complete a Release of Liability and Confidentiality forms. • Observers will receive a “Cleared to Observe” email, copied to the preceptor and host department leadership, upon completion of the requirements.
Retirement Announcement: Ilene Pope, Home Health Administration
Ilene Pope, Home Health Administration On-Call Coordinator, is retiring on Thursday, Aug. 31 after 30 years of service to Cook Children’s.
We encourage you to take a moment to send Ilene a farewell note or a congratulatory eCard by Aug. 30. Thank you, Ilene, for your remarkable dedication to Cook Children's and the patient families we serve. We wish you all the best!
Open enrollment for employee benefits is underway. From now until Friday, Aug. 25, you have the opportunity to make your selections for the upcoming year's benefits via our user-friendly platform, Workday. At home, look for the newsletter and Open Enrollment booklet with information about the 2023-2024 open enrollment. 
Registration is open for the 2023 Leukemia Symposium, scheduled for Nov. 3-5 at the Medical Center-Fort Worth. This conference is an inter-professional forum addressing the latest advances in pediatric leukemia treatment and research. The focus is on the team-based approach to comprehensive care and the latest innovations in evaluation and management of acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. 
Aaron Wishon, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, has been honored in Becker's Healthcare’s “Hospital and Health System CISOs and CPOs to Know” list for 2023.
Workplace benefits at Cook Children’s give employees access to Occupational Health and CareATC for help with your health concerns. But do you ever wonder – what’s the difference between the two sites? 
Ilene Pope, Home Health Administration On-Call Coordinator, is retiring on Thursday, Aug. 31 after 30 years of service to Cook Children’s.