Connect Newsletter (July 29, 2026)

Starting Soon: Open Enrollment for New Benefits Year

Get ready to enroll for the 2026-2027 benefits year by exploring your options for medical plans and many more benefits available to you and your family members.

Open enrollment runs from Aug. 3-21. The benefits you select will be effective Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.

The comprehensive Employee Benefits Guide provides details about eligibility, plan rates and options including dental, vision, pharmacy, time away from work, leave, disability, retirement, lifestyle benefits and financial wellness. Use the guide, arriving in your mailbox next week to learn about the variety of benefits and changes new this year. Choose the coverage that fits your life best. 

“At Cook Children’s, we want every team member to thrive at work, at home, and in every stage of life,” said Merridth Simpson, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer. “That’s why we continue to invest in high-quality, affordable benefits that support your physical, emotional and financial well-being.”

Read more about what's new this year, in-person help at Benefits Fairs, and information sessions at several locations. 

August is Well-being Month 

Each year we dedicate August as Well-being Month at Cook Children’s. The goal of Well-being Month is to connect you with the programs, benefits, and resources available at Cook Children’s that support your well-being both at work and at home.

When we prioritize our personal and professional well-being, we’re better equipped with the energy, motivation, and resilience to show up as our best selves each day.

Join us for one or more well-being activities planned throughout the month. Opportunities include self-care classes, connection events, and fun ways to explore new well-being practices through Well-Bingo and Well-Being On-Demand.

The best place to stay informed about everything happening during Well-being Month is the Well-being Month page on the Team Experience site on CookNet. You’ll find registration links for classes, details about upcoming activities, and access to the Well-Bingo card. Click here to learn how off-site clinics and locations, and fully remote teams, can get funds to host a Beat the Heat Treat event. 

FAQs: Your Voice Matters Survey

We want to hear from you Aug. 4 to Sept. 1 through the Your Voice Matters Survey!

The survey is our most effective tool to understand how we’re delivering on our Promise. It helps us know what is working well and where we have opportunities to improve. Your input continues to drive real improvements that enhance our team, patient, and safety/quality experiences at Cook Children’s.

Our goal is that 75% or more of you will complete the survey. Reaching that goal will give us a strong picture of your work experience so we can take meaningful action. Read through the helpful FAQs below to learn more about this year’s survey.

Survey FAQs: 

• Who is included in this year’s employee survey? Employees who started with Cook Children’s on or before May 4, 2026.
• How long is the survey open? The survey opens the morning of Aug. 4 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 1.
• How can I take the survey? Press Ganey, our survey vendor, will send eligible employees an email on Tuesday, Aug 4; Press Ganey emails are green tag/approved so it’s safe to click on the link to take the survey.
• Will there be a QR code for the survey? Yes, employees can also take the survey on their phone by using the QR code posted on the CookNet survey page on Aug. 4.
• Will I get reminders to take the survey? Press Ganey will send reminder emails each Tuesday morning in August; if you lose your email link, you can wait for a reminder email or use the survey QR code.
• How long does the survey take? The average time to complete the survey is 10 to 15 minutes; this includes the multiple-choice questions and three open-ended questions.
• Do I need to complete the survey all at once? You can start the survey, then stop and return later to complete it; the survey will open where you left off.
• Is the survey confidential? Yes, the survey is administered by our third-party vendor, Press Ganey. No one at Cook Children’s sees any individual employee’s responses to the survey.
• What if I can’t open the survey or have issues with logging in? The Press Ganey help desk can assist you. See their contact information at the bottom of their email or on the CookNet survey page.
• What if I have a question about who or what the survey is asking about? Look for the survey Key Terms link at the top right of the screen.

Questions about the Your Voice Matters survey? Visit the CookNet survey page or email teamexperience@cookchildrens.org.

P&D Self-Evaluation Kicks Off in Workday

Now is your chance to assess your own job performance and weigh in with your perspective ahead of year-end evaluations for Performance & Development (P&D). 

You should have received a task in your Workday inbox to submit a Self-Evaluation by Aug. 10. This should cover the entire P&D year starting on Oct. 1, 2025. Here’s what else you need to know:

• Seize the opportunity to reflect on and advocate for:
  • How well you carried out your core job responsibilities
  • The impact you’ve made on patients, patient families, members and/or your team
  • How you’ve demonstrated Cook Children’s Values
  • (For Directors) How effectively you’ve managed goals and delivered expected results
• Highlight your strengths and areas you’d like to develop next year.
• Responses can be viewed only by you, your manager and Human Resources.
• Magnet nurses are required to complete Self-Evaluations. It’s highly encouraged for everyone else.

What comes up next in the P&D cycle? Performance Evaluations. Managers can begin these annual reviews for their direct reports as soon as each Self-Evaluation is submitted. Otherwise, managers will have to wait until Aug. 10.

Other action items to complete:

1. FY26 Required Annual Training by Aug. 1. See the list and the steps to check your completion status here. Those who are not complete by the deadline will be subject to a corrective action at the written warning level beginning Aug. 2 and given 15 days to complete the curriculum. Further disciplinary action will continue if the required curriculum is not complete by Aug. 15.

   Anyone who hasn’t completed the FY2026 Required Annual Training in ULearn by Aug. 1 will be issued a Written Warning corrective action by the Employee Relations department. The employees will have an additional 30 days to complete these requirements.  If the employee has not completed their training by Aug. 31, the employee will be issued a Final Written Warning corrective action the next day..
    

2. Leader Feedback by Aug. 3. Your insights help your manager know their strengths and areas for growth.
    

3. If your role requires annual respiratory mask fit testing, all required employees must be up to date with their mask fit test by Dec. 11, 2026. Mask testing is required once every 12 months. If your current test is still good, you are all set for now and do not need to take any action until your 12 months are up. For example, if you got tested in December 2025, your test is good through December 2026. Before booking an appointment, please take a quick moment to check the date of your last test. Making sure you actually need a new test right now helps keep open appointment spots available for teammates who are due immediately. 

   If your test is already past due, or will expire soon, you can easily schedule a new appointment through the Enterprise Health Portal, where plenty of open times are available. Leaders can view completion dates in their Enterprise Supervisor Portal, but if you are past due, you will have a grace period to get scheduled before any further action is taken. 

   As a reminder, you can sign in to the Enterprise Health Portal, to confirm your due date or that your mask fit has expired. Please contact occhealth@cookchildrens.org if you have any questions. 

   The goal is for everyone to be in compliance with all requirements when the employee’s Performance and Development is completed. 

Check out CookNet to find resources, tip sheets and a timeline for year-end P&D activities. 

Introducing Data Sensitivity Labeling

Data Sensitivity Labeling will launch across the System on July 30, 2026. Data sensitivity labels are digital tags users can apply to documents, emails, and other files to classify how confidential or sensitive the information is. Think of them as a standardized way to label content (such as Public, Internal, Confidential, or Regulated) so that everyone handles it appropriately.

Data labels make it easy to identify the sensitivity level of our files and documents. This helps to:

• Protect patient and business information.
• Reduce the risk of accidental data sharing.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and Cook Children's Data Classification and Governance Policy IS 350.

To learn how to use the new labels in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), SharePoint, Outlook, and Teams, please review the quick reference guides here.

The Motion Lab at Medical Center - Fort Worth Has New Home

Join the team for an open house at the Motion Lab from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, and explore the new space.

Finding the lab is easy: Enter the Seventh Avenue parking garage and use the doors leading to the elevators on the first floor. Just beyond the elevators closest to Pruitt Plaza you'll find the entrance to the Motion Lab's new location.

In Case You Missed It

Save the Date: System Town Hall 

Please join us for a Town Hall event at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Hochberger Auditorium, Medical Center-Fort Worth.

Click here to attend virtually and experience the discussion in real-time via a live stream.

These events are designed to keep all of us informed and aligned about what has been accomplished by our teams across the system and what we are looking forward to in 2026. 

For those whose schedules or locations do not permit attendance, the event will be recorded and posted on the scrolling banner on the homepage of CookNet and emailed later after the event.

Solutions Center - Simplified Support

Beginning at 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, the Solutions Center will transition to a single phone number for all service requests: 682-303-COOK.

This new phone number is designed to simplify the process of requesting service by providing one easy-to-remember point of contact. When you call, your request will be routed to the appropriate department, helping ensure you are connected to the team best equipped to assist you

Services available through the Solutions Center include Security, Facilities, Environmental Services and Clinical Engineering.

By consolidating multiple phone numbers into one, the Solutions Center will improve the customer experience and help connect callers to the right resources more efficiently. 

Please note: This phone number will be available for the Medical Center - Fort Worth campus only. Existing numbers and processes at other Cook Children’s locations will remain unchanged. 

Thank you for your support and cooperation as we implement this improvement to simplify the support services you need. 

Share Your Content with Us

Do 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.