Connect Newsletter
Jan. 28, 2026 |
| |
 Winter Weather Policies: Staying Safe and Informed
As we continue to navigate the current inclement weather, our priority is keeping you safe while ensuring we provide essential care for our patients, their families and each other. We’ve written a clarification guide to answer your most frequent questions regarding attendance "points," PTO usage, emergency childcare, and on-site accommodations, as well as a link to a helpful FAQ. Winter Weather Policy Clarifications: Absences, Pay, and Childcare |
| |
 Thank You for Weathering the Ice and Cold
This week, as snow and ice covered North Texas, your dedication to our patients and one another has shined brighter than ever. Many of you traded the comfort of your own homes and time with your families for an air mattress and sleeping bag, choosing to stay on-site to ensure our care remains uninterrupted. As the temperatures warm up, please continue to exercise caution when walking on sidewalks and parking areas to be aware of slick spots. Thank you for your dedication to our patients. If you stayed at Hero Hotel in Fort Worth, please return air mattresses to the Employee Disaster Resource Center (EVS classroom). In Prosper, leave air mattresses in place for the next staff member, and Environmental Services will gather them from the allocated rooms once Hero Hotel in Prosper shuts down. For more information visit Connect Newsroom. Send in your Photos from Hero Hotel, Winter Weather We want to see your winter weather photos! Whether you stayed at Hero Hotel or enjoyed the snow with your team send us your snaps! Take a moment to email us your photos at internalcommunications@cookchildrens.org. This article will be updated with all the photos sent to us. Click here to see your photos. |
| |
 How to Receive Your 2025 W-2 Forms
2025 W2-s have been mailed to the address on file for everyone who has not yet opted to receive their W-2 electronically. Additionally, effective Wednesday Jan. 21, 2026, W-2’s are now available through Workday. Please click here for instructions to view/print your W-2 tax forms. |
| |
 Microsoft Windows 11 is Coming to Virtual Desktops
As part of our continued efforts to modernize our technology environment, Follow Me Desktop (FMD) — the virtual desktop you access through Citrix and MyAccess — will be automatically upgraded to Microsoft Windows 11 starting on the night of Feb. 11, 2026. The date has been postponed by one week because of the winter weather event. Windows 10 will be removed and replaced with Windows 11, a modern operating system designed for better performance, usability, and security. It is designed to be simpler and more visually appealing. Windows 11 has a new clean look with rounded corners and pastel colors, and Start Menu and Taskbar are centered. More information will be posted on the Connect Newsroom in coming days. |
| |
 House Supervisors Fill Staffing and Safety Needs - Fort Worth
At Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth has four full-time house supervisors, one halftime and four in a relief position. A house supervisor is on duty every hour of every day to make sure the hospital’s medical-surgical and intensive care units have the staff coverage they need for the next shift. “At times, there can be non-stop action, and it can be from one end of the campus to the other. It requires a lot of flexibility and critical thinking," Gina Hernandez, MSN, RN, CPN, Director of Nursing Administration at Medical Center-Fort Worth said. To read more about how the house supervisors ensure the Fort Worth medical center runs smoothly, visit Connect Newsroom. |
| |
 Cook Children's Researchers Named Finalist for Outstanding Original Paper Award
The Pediatric Pharmacy Association (PPA) Research Committee named Impact of Pediatric Pharmacy-Led Discharge Transitions of Care Services a finalist for the Outstanding Original Paper Award. The poster was submitted by Debra ‘Debi’ McDonald, Sara Frey, Hae Jin Cho, Jesus Castillon, and Alice Y. Yeh. The Outstanding Original Paper Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the pursuit of new knowledge through innovative and impactful research. The submission took the team about four months to accomplish and is dedicated to pharmacy discharge services at Cook Children's. If you see the team, please wish them a congratulations! |
| |
 Cook Children’s Day at the Rodeo
Employees can dress up in their best western wear on Feb. 4 as we recognize Cook Children's Day at the Rodeo! Come to work in your family friendly cowboy attire. Want to attend Cook Children's Day at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo? You can purchase your tickets online and half of the proceeds of every ticket sold will be donated to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). For more information and to purchase tickets visit: Cook Children's Day at the Rodeo |
| |
Share Your Content with UsDo you have any tips, ideas or content you would like us to know about? We want to hear from you! Please view our SharePoint site and email us at InternalCommunications@cookchildrens.org. To find more content about our employees and news you need to know, bookmark our Connect Newsroom website. |
| |
