Connect Newsletter (Dec. 1, 2022)

Let's Jingle All the Way through December with the Holiday Happenings at Cook Children's 

The holiday season is always a special time here at Cook Children's, especially when we can celebrate with each other!

We have a complete run down of our holiday events this season:

Find out all the details about this year's Jingle Mingle in-person event, the virtual sweater contest and the eCards that will be coming soon. No matter where you are across the System, we hope you’ll plan to celebrate the holidays with your team. Click here to learn more about the 2022 Holiday inter-department transfer (IDT).

The return of Cook Children's Holiday Extravaganza. This year's event will be at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth and you're invited to attend this annual event that begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. Learn about this all-outdoor extravaganza, including Santa's visit, outdoor games, activities, refreshments, entertainment, the tree lighting and of course, fireworks.

Important: Policies and Procedures on CookNet Should Never be Copied and Pasted 

We want to make employees aware that the text of our policies and procedures on CookNet are not allowed to be copied and pasted.

This causes confusion if the policy is not updated on a different page or location on CookNet, when someone is looking for the current policy. In an effort to ensure that the current version of the policy is accessed, please only use the link to the current policy which can be found by clicking here. You must be on the network to access this page.

Each company has a folder of policies with topical folders under each one. Click any folder to view its contents.

Policies within each book are listed by title with the policy number at the end. Use your mouse to hover over the policy title to see a comment box showing the policy’s purpose.

Click once on the title to view the policy in a new window.

Thank you for your cooperation.

What's New on Our Checkup Newsroom

It's been another busy and informative week on our Checkup Newsroom. Visit our newsroom to find out what our Cook Children's experts are communicating to our patient families. 

Doctor's Note is Not Required for Excused Absences at Fort Worth ISD: We sent out an important message this week to Fort Worth ISD parents and families of the district's absentee policy: If your child is not well and unable to come to school, a doctor’s note is NOT required.

More than 800 Patients Positive for Flu A During Previous Week at Cook Children's: Laura Romano, D.O., a hospitalist at Cook Children's Medical Center, provides an update on the record number of flu A cases we are seeing right now.

Raising Joy Podcast: New episodes of the Raising Joy podcast will be available each Tuesday. It is currently available on all major streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts. On this episode of Raising Joy, Executive Director Sandy Hennip, MSW, joins us to talk about Unbound Now and what parents need to know about human trafficking. 

Your Holiday Survival Kit

Holidays are supposed to be a special time when family and friends come together to celebrate, but many of us may celebrate alone. Things are different for all of us during the holiday season and these changes can trigger feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and stress. Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is here for you and your family and includes a variety of counseling and online well-being resources to help you feel emotionally and physically balanced during this challenging time. Click here to learn more.

12 Days of Fitness

The holidays are here which means fitness is probably the last thing on your mind. Join the 12 days of Fitmas from Dec. 5-12 for daily, body weight exercises to keep you mindful of your health this holiday season! Each day you will receive an email with the exercise of the day until you finish on day 12 by performing all 12 minutes of exercise.

Once you complete the challenge, email which exercise was your favorite to WellnessZone@cookchildrens.org to be entered into a drawing for a prize. There will be three overall winners. To register please email the Wellness Zone at Wellnesszone@cookchildrens.org.

Happy Retirement

Maria A. Gonzalez, Radiology Scheduler, is retiring from the system on Friday, Dec. 9, after 24 years of service to Cook Children's.

We encourage you to take a moment to send Maria a farewell note or a congratulatory eCard before her retirement date.