Connect Newsletter (June 30, 2022)

A Message of Encouragement: You Matter

Whenever we lose a member of the Cook Children’s family, it hurts. When the loss is from suicide, it can be particularly devastating to those left behind. Dr. Blake Palmer was an acclaimed and gifted surgeon who modeled Our Promise every day. For reasons we may not fully know, his burdens became too much to carry.

We don’t want anyone else we care about at Cook Children’s, or outside of our system, to ever feel that way again. You are important and needed in this world. You matter. 

Please take a moment to read this message of encouragement, which includes resources for you if you are struggling.

Fourth of July Fireworks Reminder 

Please remember that for the Fourth of July holiday on Monday, you should NOT visit any Cook Children's locations to watch fireworks. This includes the main campus, ROB and campus parking garages. 

Please have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

2022 Presidents' Scholarship Recipients

On Wednesday, June 29, Cook Children’s awarded several Presidents’ Scholarships during a special virtual presentation with recipients and their families. Ten children of Cook Children’s employees earned scholarships of $5,000 each. Congratulations to the 10 scholarship recipients!

The Presidents’ Scholarship program was created in 2008 to establish a legacy for health care through academic advancement and to create a vehicle that recognized our employees' families. The selection committee is represented by a variety of jobs and levels from five Cook Children’s companies. 

Through the Presidents’ Scholarship program, Cook Children’s hopes to support your child’s efforts to continue personal and professional growth through higher education and ultimately a career in the health care field.

Moving On Up: Gwen Drake

In 2004, Gwen began at Cook Children’s Medical Center in an entry-level position as a certified medical assistant in the GI Clinic. 

After years of experience in several locations, including Psychiatry, Endocrinology and the Richland Hills Neighborhood Clinic, Gwen is now the practice administrator for the Arlington Neighborhood Clinic. 

Prior to Cook Children's, Gwen was one of the first women on one of the ammunition ships in the Navy as she served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Following her honorable discharge, she immediately enrolled in medical assistant school to start her health care journey.

“The challenges of my occupation motivate me to assist the families in the community we serve,” Gwen said. “Seeing the children well and whole drives me daily to do what I can to help them.”

Learn more about Gwen's incredible career journey here. 

Be The One

LGBTQ+ youth are at significantly higher risk of suicide. At Cook Children’s, we know that every child’s life is sacred and adults can be the ones to make a positive impact on a child's life. 

The Trevor Project’s 2019 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health study surveyed more than 20,000 LGBTQ+ youth from age 13 to 24. The survey shows that having at least one accepting adult in their lives can reduce the risk of suicide attempts for LGBTQ youth. 

Adults can make a difference, whether it’s a parent, another family member, teacher, guidance counselor, doctor or another health care provider.

Stay Alert: Tarrant County COVID-19 Community Level Rises to Medium 

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again and Tarrant County Public Health has raised the community spread level to Medium. 

At this time, Cook Children's is not changing the current mask policy; however, employees in non-clinical areas are strongly encouraged to wear a face mask. 

We have also noticed more staff inviting families to visit them at work during the summer. We are not allowing visitors at our workplace currently. Pease help us to keep each other safe! 

Please review the latest system-wide COVID-19 update here.

New Mileage Reimbursement Rate: Effective Friday, July 1

The IRS is making a rare mid-year adjustment to the IRS mileage rate due to the rising price of gas. Effective Friday, July 1, the rate is increasing from $0.585 per mile to $0.625 per mile. 

As business-related travel ramps back up, we would like to remind employees of the FN550 Travel and Expense policy*. We encourage all employees to familiarize themselves with the travel policy. A few key points to know are: 

• All airfare needs to be booked through Travel Services* or via TripEasy*.
• All hotel reservations need to be booked through Travel Services, unless a lower rate is available through a conference hotel block.
• All car rentals need to be booked through Travel Services.
• Expenses must be turned in to Accounts Payable within 60 days of the actual expense.

*Note: you must be connected to the network to access these pages on CookNet.

Happy Retirement!

Please join us in recognizing the upcoming retirement below! 

Meridian Carter, environmental services aide, Environmental Services, is retiring from the system on Friday, July 1, after more than 10 years of service to Cook Children's. 

We encourage you to take a moment to send Meridian a farewell note or a congratulatory eCard by July 1.

Quick Links: 

• Cookchildrens.org
• Cook Children's Careers
• Checkup Newsroom

Our Promise

Knowing that every child's life is sacred, it is the Promise of Cook Children's to improve the health of every child through the prevention and treatment of illness, disease and injury.