Connect Newsletter (Dec. 12, 2024)

The End of an Era: Two Legendary Leaders Retiring from Cook Children's

Jim Cunningham, M.D., EVP, Chief Medical Officer

Please click here to watch a video and learn more about Dr. Cunningham, an extraordinary physician, husband, father, and friend. Since 1987, Dr. Cunningham has dedicated nearly four decades to Cook Children’s, making a profound impact on countless patient families and shaping the medical leadership that guides our path to preeminence. We invite you to celebrate this remarkable man.

Beth Schmidt

Since joining us in 1994, Beth Schmidt has been an indispensable part of our organization, shaping our HR policies and fostering a positive workplace culture. To honor Beth’s unwavering commitment to the well-being of our staff and families, we invite you to read this article about her enduring legacy.

Thank you!

To honor Beth's remarkable career, we invite you to join us for a retirement gathering from 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at the Hochberger pre-function area. This will be a wonderful opportunity to express our gratitude and share fond memories.

Please join us in wishing Beth all the best in her future endeavors. May this new chapter be filled with relaxation, adventure, and happiness.

VIDEO: Mighty Makenzie, a Cancer Survivor and Young Philanthropist 

Makenzie Chapa, 10, was honored as the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Fort Worth Metro Chapter’s 2024 Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy on Nov. 12 for her work in raising almost $40,000 for the Cook Children’s Health Foundation. For almost three years, Makenzie has raised money with support from her team through The Blast, a 5K race that benefits Cook Children’s Hematology and Oncology Center’s research. 

Makenzie is the brains behind the Mighty Makenzie Snickermallow cookie, featured at Leaves Bakery & Books at 1251 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth. The cookie is a snickerdoodle with marshmallows and blue sprinkles. The bakery will be making a donation to Cook Children’s Health Foundation with every cookie purchase.

Read more in the Fort Worth Report.

Meet Chris Pedigo, Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy, Education and Community Health Officer

Newsweek has named Cook Children's one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women 2024. We're introducing you to some of the women who make Cook Children's such an amazing place.

Before Chris Pedigo ever set foot in nursing school, she was already making her mark in the world of health care. At just 16, Pedigo had a job at a family practitioner’s office, where she expected her duties to be filing paperwork and handling administrative odds and ends as part of a high school career program. But one day, when a woman arrived in labor with no time to reach the hospital, Pedigo was thrust into the middle of a life-changing moment. Called upon by the doctor to assist, she found herself helping to deliver a baby—a profound experience that would spark her lifelong dedication to nursing.

“That was the beginning of my desire to work in health care,” Chris said. “I thought, ‘Wow. I can do something like this.’ Having that experience really ignited my desire to choose a career where I could help people.”

Read more about Chris Pedigo's career journey on Checkup.

Patient Safety: Hospital of the Month

Cook Children's Medical Center-Fort Worth is proud to be named the Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) December Hospital of the Month. This accolade comes as a result of our unwavering commitment to excellence in health care.  We are one of 140+ Hospitals in North America working to transform pediatric safety and quality of care as part of the SPS Network. 

Cook Children's submitted 100% of our hospital-acquired condition data and outcomes and we were able to significantly reduce our unplanned extubation rate. Additionally, we actively participated in and presented at multiple Society for Patient Safety (SPS) workstreams and projects. Our contributions include participating in proactive safety testing initiatives and improvement work for Employee Safety Overexertions, Associated Kidney Injury Cohort studies, and NICU Proactive Safety Huddles.

“Safety is the cornerstone of our six core values at Cook Children’s. Being recognized as the SPS Hospital of the Month validates our unwavering commitment to patient safety. It’s a testament to the tireless efforts of our team members, who prioritize quality and safety in every action. Their dedication is rewarded by the positive impact it has on our patients and their families," said Rick W. Merrill, President & CEO, Cook Children’s Health Care System.

Health Plan Nominated for THA's Health Care Heroes

Three cheers to the Cook Children’s Health Plan for being nominated for Texas Hospital Association’s #12DaysofHealthCareHeroes!

We are incredibly proud of the dedicated CCHP team of nearly 400 employees, led by President Karen Love; Kimberly Aaron, M.D.,  Vice President of Clinical Affairs; Crystal O'Reilly, Assistant Vice President of Quality and Service Coordination; COO Sherry Vetter; and Richard Lee, Vice President of Finance.

CCHP works tirelessly to ensure that children and families in North Texas have access to quality health care. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to improving the lives of Texans!

To learn more about the Health Plan visit:  Save Cook Children's Health Plan

Behind the Scenes at Jingle Mingle

Jingle Mingle began 20 or so years ago as an event simply called “The Feast,” during which administrators served food to staff members in the cafeteria. Ten staff members organized the entire event, including Executive Chef JoAnn Williams and Retail Manager Regina Hobson. Today, it's one of the most anticipated events of the season. Go behind the scenes like never before for this annual holiday gathering. 

Photos: See how we celebrated Jingle Mingle events across the System here. Stay tuned for information about the Feeling Festive holiday attire contest.

ICYMI: Read about how this year's Jingle Mingle was the most eco-friendly ever.

More Than a Million Thanks for a Record-Breaking Radiothon

The 2024 Cook Children's Radiothon was record-breaking. Over a two-day broadcast with New Country 96.3 and 99.5 The Wolf, we raised $1,327,708.92! 

We are beyond grateful for the generosity of our community, whose support has helped us make a lasting difference and create moments for our patients and their families. 

To everyone who tuned in, donated and cheered us on during Cook Children’s Radiothon—thank you. 

Nominate a Guest for the Raising Joy Podcast 

Raising Joy is Cook Children’s Podcast about youth mental health. Have someone you would like to hear on Raising Joy in 2025? We would love to hear from you. 

Please click here to submit the topic and guest for an upcoming show. 

Preparing for Winter Weather

The potential for winter weather is nearly here, and we are busy making preparations. In unsafe road and weather conditions, staff can stay at Cook Children’s after and in between shifts. Click here to read a guide to get your team, yourself and your family prepared in case of severe weather. 

For those of you who work on the Fort Worth campus, the process for Hotel Hero (formerly known as Hotel Cook) is the same as last year. Staff can go straight to a manager or leader to request sleeping arrangements and other resources. They will work directly with Hero Hotel to determine sleeping arrangements on your behalf. 

M365 Updates

We're excited to announce that we'll soon be transitioning from Microsoft Office 2016 to the latest Microsoft 365 applications. This upgrade will provide you with a more modern and collaborative work experience, including:

• Enhanced Features: Access the newest features and functionalities in Word, Excel, Outlook, and more.
• Improved Collaboration: Leverage powerful tools to work seamlessly with your team, regardless of location.

Important Note: Please be aware that Microsoft 365 will uninstall Office 2016, including Skype for Business.

Enhancing Mobile Security: For employees who have been approved to use the Exchange Mobile App, we’re enhancing our mobile device security. Coming soon, we will be implementing Microsoft Intune MDM, a cloud-based mobile device management (MDM) service that will allow us to better manage and protect your mobile devices.

Intune MDM will include Teams, but access to Cook-provided applications on personal devices is restricted to exempt employees or those who have received explicit approval from their managers. Stay tuned for more information.

For more information on mobile device privacy, please refer to this link. 

We'll provide additional details about the specific timeline and training resources as we approach the rollout.

Holiday Traditions for Cook Children's Employees

We asked some Cook Children's employees about the holiday traditions they cherish, and they told us about baking cookies, watching Christmas movies, and traveling and creating new adventures. 

Here's what they had to say, in their own words. 

Let Us Know:

What is a holiday tradition that you love? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of the article.

Retirement Announcements

After 38 years of dedicated service to Cook Children’s, Becky Southworth, Simulation Lab Director, has announced her retirement effective Dec. 20.

Becky’s career has been nothing short of remarkable. Starting as a unit coordinator, she grew to become a staff nurse in the PICU, where she later served as charge nurse for six years and a nurse manager in the same area for nine years. In 2009, she brought her vision and expertise to the Simulation lab, developing and implementing a program that has become a cornerstone of our organization’s educational efforts. Throughout her tenure, Becky has been unwavering in her love and commitment to our organization, which she describes as “an honor.” She has worked with her heart, believing in the mission of our organization and the incredible people who make it thrive. Becky shared that she feels grateful and lucky to have had many people support and believe in her. She served because she believed in the mission, not for recognition.

Becky’s accomplishments and the impact she has made on our staff, patients and families are a testament to her dedication, expertise, and compassion. While she prefers to retire quietly and has requested no formal celebration, please feel free to thank her for extraordinary contributions and wish her the best in the next chapter of her journey. Her legacy will continue to inspire us.

Datha Morris retired from Cook Children’s Telephone Triage department on Nov. 30, after 29 years of dedicated service at Cook Children’s.

“Datha has been a pioneer in Telephone Triage joining the department when it was first formed by Richard Hochberger, D.O., in 1995. She has been a staunch supporter of high-quality nursing by co-leading the department’s Quality Improvement program. Throughout her career at Cook Children’s Datha has guided thousands of families to the right care, at the right time, and at the right place for their child by providing education, safety, and a sense of security through her expert critical thinking and nursing judgement.” - Andrea Holliman, Nurse Manager for Telephone Triage

Miguel de la Guardia, radiation safety officer for the Radiation Administration department at Cook Children’s Medical Center, is retiring from Cook Children’s after more than12 years of service on Friday, Dec. 27.  

“Miguel has been a valued member of the Radiology and Radiation Safety team for the past 12 years. His knowledge and direction has resulted in a much safer environment for patients, families and employees. He has also played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of the MIBG therapy program, as well as numerous other nuclear isotope-based therapies as Cook Children's, Miguel's cooperative efforts within the entire HO team has helped designate Cook Children's as a premier location in the treatment of childhood cancer. Miguel will certainly be missed by everyone who had the opportunity to work with him, but we wish him the very best in his retirement.” – Bryan Mauldin, Director of Radiology. 

Please join us from 10-11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 27, in the Hochberger Auditorium pre-function area as we celebrate Miguel's retirement.

We encourage you to take a moment to send Miguel a farewell note or a congratulatory eCard by Dec. 26.

Sam McCage, manager of the Fort Worth Psychology Clinic with Cook Children's Medical Center, is retiring from Cook Children’s after more than 31 years of service on Friday, December 13. 

“Sam McCage, Ph.D., has been instrumental in his 31-year history with Cook Children’s helping to build the Psychiatry and the Psychology departments, where he has served graciously as a family therapist, clinical supervisor for LPC’s, and clinic manager of three psychology clinics. Sam has also served Cook Children’s Medical Center through the Emergency Management Committee and NCTTRAC. He has healed countless families, children, and teens and nurtured so many fellow therapists with his gentle, consistent, intelligent counsel and leadership.  Those who have had the good fortune to be in his presence will miss his earnest way of just stopping by to check on you when you seemed to need it the most.  He leaves a legacy of kindness, empathy, and listening with heart and integrity. Well done Dr. Sam!” – Lena Zettler, Director of Psychology

We encourage you to take a moment to send Sam a farewell note or a congratulatory eCard by Dec. 13.

Stacey Groome, Registered Nurse with Cook Children's Medical Center-Fort Worth is retiring from Cook Children’s after more than 40 years of service as a bedside nurse on Friday, Dec. 27. 

“When Stacey moved to Texas she started on the first floor at Fort Worth Children’s. She moved to 3 South when they moved into the main hospital in 1989. She has also worked on 3PAV, 4 Main, 5 North, and has finished her career on 4PAV/EMU. She is loved by all and will be missed. She is excited to return here as a volunteer even in her retirement. Thank you for your incredible dedication to serving patients and families for 40 years, Stacey,” said Ashley N. Chreene, Nurse Manager, Neurosciences Unit

Please join us from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18 in the Hochberger Auditorium Pre-Function area as we celebrate Stacey's retirement. We encourage you to take a moment to send Stacey a farewell note or a congratulatory eCard by Dec. 26.

Terri Pearcy, Registered Nurse for Telephone Triage with Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth is retiring from Cook Children’s after more than 23 years of service on Thursday, Dec. 19. 

“Terri joined Cook Children’s in 1991 working as a staff nurse and then nurse manager of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department for six years. She returned to Cook in 2001 as a nurse in the Pulmonary Clinic for six years, and then a staff nurse in Peri-op before moving into a Nurse Manger role for Peri-operative Services. Terri became a member of the Telephone Triage Team in 2020, and through her dedication and contributions to high quality nursing care, has improved the lives of thousands of children with her knowledge and skill,” said Andrea Holiman, Nurse Manager for Telephone Triage.

We encourage you to take a moment to send Terri a farewell note or a congratulatory eCard by Dec. 18. Thank you so much for your dedicated service, Terri! Enjoy your retirement.