Connect Newsletter (Jan. 11, 2024)
| Connect Newsletter Jan. 11, 2024 |
Prosper: Celebrating One Year of Connected Care The landscape of pediatric health care services in North Texas changed on Jan. 9, 2023, when Cook Children’s Medical Center – Prosper opened its doors to offer emergency care, surgery and other crucial hospital services to families. Since then, the new Medical Center has provided services for thousands of patients and families who have been able to stay closer to home and receive the same high-quality care as Medical Center-Fort Worth. To celebrate the milestone, we hosted a birthday party in Prosper this week to thank our employees and congratulate them on their hard work and dedication to Our Promise and Culture. As part of the celebration, a sea of teddy bears filled the medical center's lobby. More than 1,800 PrayerBears were donated to the Medical Center-Prosper campus as part of a community donation drive spearheaded by pediatric offices in the Denton/Collin county area. The bears will be given to patients as a source of comfort and encouragement during their hospital stay. See photos and a video here. |
Cook Children's Wins Two Prestigious Awards
Nursing: Silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence We’re delighted to share some exciting news that reflects the dedication and excellence of our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) team! The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has honored our PICU with the prestigious Silver Beacon Award for Excellence, a testament to the outstanding care and commitment demonstrated by each member of this unit.
We’re proud to announce that Cook Children’s has been recognized by Press Ganey as a 2023 Guardian of Human Excellence Award® recipient. This award acknowledges our inpatient experience and places our health care system in the top 5% of health care providers nationwide. Thanks to your hard work every day. We are being recognized among other organizations across the nation that show the highest levels of standards in patient experience. “An award of this magnitude is only achieved through the dedicated efforts of our teams,” said Megan Chavez, Vice President of Cook Children's Experience. "This is an award for all of our teams. What happens in the hospital is very much informed by what our families experience at the doctor’s office, in the emergency room, urgent cares, at home and through their health plan." |
What You Need to Know About Preparing for Winter Weather The forecast is calling for chilly temperatures on Monday and we want to reassure you that Cook Children's leaders are monitoring weather conditions and making preparations for winter weather that may roll in this season. Now is the time to prepare yourself, your family, your home and your vehicle for periods of bad weather. By taking steps ahead of time, you'll have one less thing to worry about if weather disrupts your usual routine. We've compiled a list of helpful steps you can take to get ready, including packing a go-bag with essentials. For those employees who work on the Fort Worth Campus: If the weather gets bad enough that employees cannot safely travel home before or after their shift, we will again provide safe sleep accommodations to our staff. Leaders are identifying accommodations in their own areas for as many staff as possible. For staff members who cannot be accommodated, leaders will request a sleeping assignment on the employee's behalf. Please click here for more details on this process. For those employees who work on the Prosper Campus: Requesting safe sleep accommodations can be made directly to the House Supervisors Office at 945-204-2914 or VOCERA. By working together, we can ensure everyone stays safe and supported throughout the winter months. Stay informed, stay safe, and stay warm! By the way, we'd love to see a photo of your winter weather go-bag. Send a photo to InternalCommunications@cookchildrens.org
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Martin Luther King Day of Service
Thank you to our Black/African American Employee Resource Group (ERG) for spearheading these events. A Taste of Civil Rights HistoryCamelot Court at the Medical Center-Fort Worth will be offering a special menu with a nod to the civil rights era of the 1960s. The Homestyle line will feature Southern Cuisine based on the menu at Paschal's, an Atlanta restaurant that served as a meeting place for key civil rights leaders and strategists. “The Paschal Brothers would often post bond for arrested protestors. They would also serve complimentary meals and extend hours to provide a central location where parents and friends could greet their loved ones after release from jail. Paschal's was a place where blacks and whites were welcome to meet and come together," the restaurant's website states. Camelot Court will serve its versions of some of Paschal's signature items, including pan fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, stewed collard greens, candied yams, and pecan pie. In addition, Camelot Court will offer a sack lunch for just 50 cents to commemorate the meals eaten by participants in the March on Washington in 1963. Volunteers in New York made 80,000 bagged lunches, comprised of a cheese sandwich, mustard, marble cake and an apple, which were loaded onto refrigerated trucks and shipped to Washington, D.C. Diners here at Camelot Court will be able to purchase the same sack lunch for the same 50 cent price that marchers paid six decades ago. |
Finding Their Way with a Smile: New Digital Maps Welcome our Patient Families
That's why we're excited to announce a new addition to our Fort Worth medical center: digital wayfinding! This helpful tool assists families as they navigate throughout Dodson Specialty Clinics and the Medical Center-Fort Worth. We have strategically placed QR code signs that can be scanned with a smartphone. Once scanned, a map of Cook Children’s campus pops up, highlighting important family-facing locations like restrooms, cafes, information desks and even the gift shop. And the best part? No need to download any extra apps – it's as simple as point, scan, and navigate. This means, when you see a patient family looking a little lost, you can be an instant hero! Remember, a small gesture of guidance can make a big difference during a stressful time. Let's all show our patient families the warm, welcoming spirit that makes Cook Children’s so special, one scan at a time. |
Bee Well in 2024Wellness may be on the top of your mind as this new year begins. To help you on your wellness journey, the Institutional Resiliency Collaborative is hosting a “Bee well” event for employees from 10 a.m-2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25 in the atrium at Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth.
From Cook Children's:
We hope you will buzz on over and learn about resources to boost your health and well-being this new year. |
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Continuing Professional Education Team Joint ReaccreditationThe Education Department is thrilled to announce that the Continuing Professional Education Team was awarded Joint Reaccreditation by the governing bodies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Accreditation Program (ANCC). This achievement secures Cook Children’s commitment to excellence in healthcare education for the next four years and underscores our dedication to providing top-notch training while maintaining high standards. |
News from Around Cook Children's
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2023 Press Ganey Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award
In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Americans are encouraged to volunteer and engage with their communities. Cook Children’s will have a voluntary day of service across the system, offering employees the opportunity to take part in activities that benefit our patient families. You’ll be able to put your creativity to work making “busy books,” laminating games and creating cards of encouragement for emergency and urgent care patients and their siblings. 
We all know how visiting a hospital can be stressful, and one of the biggest worries for families can be simply finding their way around. No one wants to wander hallways feeling lost and anxious – especially when their loved ones need them most. 
Gather your cowboys and cowgirls for Cook Children's Day at the Rodeo! On Jan. 31, the legendary Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo will donate half of the proceeds of every ticket sold to our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Bring your family!