Connect Newsletter (June 15, 2023)

VIDEO: Whether it's 5 Years or 5 Decades: Thanking Our Longtime Employees for Years of Service

This year, nearly 1,200 employees are celebrating career milestones at Cook Children's, including Susie Schulwitz, who has been here an amazing 55 years. Please watch this touching and uplifting video (consider grabbing a tissue first) and hear Susie describe her memories and what her tenure at Cook Children's has meant to her. 

Thank you to this special group of employees for all you've done for our patients, their families, and your coworkers. Your hard work, dedication, and service to our community and our Pinky Promise have helped to create moments of magic here at Cook Children's. 

Everyone, let's give our congratulations and kudos by sending any of these employees an eCard, and if you see them around, why not give them a smile or a high five?

Take a look here for the list of employees hitting milestones this year and watch Susie's video. (You must be on the network to view.) 
 

Employee Resource Groups (ERG) Launch Events Postponed

The kickoff events scheduled for our new Employee Resource Groups (ERG) on June 19 and 21, have been postponed so we have more time to plan, prepare and socialize this new program. Staying true to our values, we hope this additional time will allow us to create more impactful and meaningful events that benefit everyone.

We apologize for any disappointment you may have, but please know we value your commitment and enthusiasm for our ERGs, and we appreciate your understanding as we work toward creating a more inclusive environment.

We are grateful to all of you who have been actively participating in the planning of our ERGs, and we want to especially recognize the current members of our long-serving and valued Veterans Group. Your dedication and contributions are instrumental in shaping our workplace culture, and together we will foster an even stronger sense of belonging and collaboration.

We will keep you informed on future plans for our ERGs and our overall Inclusion, Diversity and Equity efforts.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to InternalCommunications@cookchildrens.org.

Thank you for your continued support.

Happy Juneteenth: A Day to Connect and Celebrate

On Monday, the United States will observe Juneteenth, a commemoration of the delayed emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. It’s such a new holiday, we thought it would be helpful to provide some information about Juneteenth, its unique connection to Fort Worth, and resources for learning and celebrating. We'd love it if you took a moment to check them out here.

Juneteenth Feast: Cafeterias Offer Special Menu on Monday, June 19

Many of us will get to spend the Juneteenth holiday with friends and family, enjoying time together and even grilling out. Others of us will be on the job, helping to ensure our essential services for patients remain available 24-7. 

But we don’t want you to miss out on the fun. The Camelot Court Cafeteria and Over the Moon Cafeteria in Prosper will be offering special picnic-style menus. Camelot Court will offer barbecued ribs, barbecued chicken, smoked sausage, baked beans, potato salad and sweet potato pie. In Prosper, they’re serving barbecued ribs, barbecued chicken quarters, sliced brisket, barbecued smoked sausage sandwich, baked beans, potato salad, grilled corn on the cob and peach cobbler. See you there!

Important Electronic Consent Information 

As we work to move our procedure consents to an all-electronic format and to ensure regular reviews of these consents (per policy), efforts are currently being made to remove any consents that are currently stored on CookNet. If your department needs to make any changes to consents currently on CookNet, please email Charity Darnell, MSN, RN, VP, Chief Clnical Information Officer, by July 14.

ICYMI: Workday Wednesday Newsletter 

Our launch to the Workday platform is on track for July. Please be sure to see this week's edition of the Workday Wednesday newsletter. In this edition, you will find information on: 

• Changes on the horizon for Kronos transfers.
• A training video for supply orders is now on ULearn.
• Workday to bring a new look to benefits enrollment, and we learn more about Beth Schmidt, Vice President, Human Resources.
• The latest freeze date chart for this week.
• A helpful FAQ.
• An archive section to help you get caught up on anything you may have missed.

A Prestigious Award for Theresa Meadows

Theresa Meadows, BSN, RN, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, has been honored in Becker's Healthcare 2023 "Women in Health IT to Know" list. 

Congratulations, Theresa! We are so grateful for all you and your team have done to optimize health care through IT. Your work is instrumental to the elevation of the patient journey, the standardization of processes, the implementation of telehealth initiatives and more! 

View the complete list of winners here.
 

Help Our Patients with a Generous Book Donation 

Our Junior Volunteers are having a book drive on June 23 to help stock book carts located in family waiting areas. The books are free for kids to take home. This program runs completely on books donated from Half Price Books and from the community. Our Junior Volunteers are working hard to get donations so that we can keep the carts stocked at all times. They will be accepting donations of books from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the atrium at Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth. 
 

Redeem Your Vitality Bucks by June 20

Wellness Program reminder: We’ll be saying goodbye to Vitality and moving to a new wellness platform called Virgin Pulse beginning this fall. The last day to redeem your Vitality Bucks is June 20. Bucks will not rollover to the new Virgin Pulse platform. If they are not redeemed, you will lose them. Redeem them through your Vitality Portal. 

Our First Nursing Excellence Conference

Please join us in celebrating how Cook Children’s nurses are advancing pediatric nursing. Register by July 7 for the first Nursing Excellence Conference, which will provide pediatric nurses and nursing students with updates on the latest innovations in nursing practice presented by nurses at the 2023 Society of Pediatric Nursing Annual Conference. Topics include clinical interventions, assessment, cultural integration, pain management, child development, and patient safety. The conference is scheduled from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on July 14 at Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth. Register here.
 

Meditation Room at Main Campus Temporarily Closed

The Meditation Room at Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth is currently closed to patients, families, and staff. Plans are to reopen the Meditation Room by July 1. It is located on the first floor of the south tower. 

The Erma Lowe Chapel, located on the second floor of the main building, remains open for use by all. 

As a reminder, food and drinks are not permitted in the Meditation Room or Erma Lowe Chapel. 
 

Help Save Lives with Your Generosity: Donate Blood

Blood donation is a simple act that can save lives. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. Blood is used in surgeries, to treat cancer patients, and to help people with blood disorders.

If you are able, please sign up for our next blood drive, scheduled for July 17 at the Cook Children's Medical Center-Fort Worth, Family Support Meeting Room A. 

And please save the date for a blood drive on Aug. 18 at the Rosedale Office Building (ROB). We'll keep you posted when we get the sign up link.

Retirement Announcement for Howard Willoughby, Physician Network Medical Receptionist II

Howard Willoughby, Physician Network Medical Receptionist II, Primary Care Physician-HEB, is retiring from the system on Friday, June 30 after 14 years of service to Cook Children’s. We encourage you to take a moment to send Howard a farewell note or a congratulatory eCard by June 29. 

Thank you so much for your service, Howard! Enjoy your retirement.