Connect Newsletter (May 21, 2026)

Gearing Up for Employee Performance & Development

Our year-end Performance & Development (P&D) cycle kicks off in June, launching the annual activities that review and support your performance on the job.   

This is the third straight year we’re applying Workday tools to our P&D platform. The goal is to reinforce your strengths, enhance your career growth, and equip you to excel and thrive in your role at Cook Children’s.

What does the P&D process mean for you? You’ll be involved in: 

• Peer Feedback: Selected co-workers provide input on your performance.
• Leader Feedback: Selected direct reports provide input on the leader’s performance.
• Self-Evaluations: Highlight your own successes; it’s your time to shine! (required for Magnet nurses)
• Manager Evaluations: Assessment of each direct report’s performance over the past year, followed by a check-in conversation.

Be sure to read the Connect newsletter for updates from now until P&D wraps up Oct. 5. We’ll keep you informed and help you prepare. You can expect:

• Articles and images explaining each step
• Advance notice of key dates
• Reminders when a task is coming due
• Expectations and tips

Thank you for your collaboration as we look ahead to this important process. In preparation for the kick-off, visit the Performance & Development page on CookNet for resources including Job Aids and Click Views.

Upcoming Law Enforcement Training on Fort Worth Campus 

Please read this important notice regarding scheduled activity at the former Kids' Place location.

On weekdays starting Tuesday, May 26 through Friday, June 5, SWAT and local police forces will be using the former Kids' Place and former Alliance for Children building on the Fort Worth campus, for essential emergency response training. These scheduled exercises will take place between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

During these hours, you'll see an increased presence of uniformed officers on campus and may hear noticeable noises coming from the training space. All training will take place within a fenced area and will not impact hospital operations in any way. 

This is a scheduled, routine training exercise only. There is no active threat to the campus, and there is no cause for alarm.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as local law enforcement makes use of this facility.

Get Ready for World Cup Preparedness Day

Ahead of the big tournament, be sure to attend World Cup Preparedness Day, taking place on May 26 at the Hochberger Auditorium at the Medical Center - Fort Worth campus. You must register for the Stop the Bleed training, but the remainder of the sessions do not require registration. 

Feel free to attend one, multiple, or all of these sessions. These sessions will cover major incident response actions, emotional safety tips, and hands-on training.

Click here to see the full list of what will be offered during World Cup Preparedness Day. 

Visit the World Cup Resource site located on the top of the CookNet homepage for more information on preparing for this huge event in North Texas. 

Untold: Meet Kanika Bowen-Jallow, M.D.

Kanika Bowen-Jallow, M.D., Medical Director of the Bariatric Surgery Program, never set out to become a pediatric surgeon - but one unexpected rotation in medical school changed everything. In this episode of Untold: The Stories of Cook Children’s podcast, Dr. Bowen-Jallow shares the journey that led her to pediatric surgery and to building Cook Children’s Adolescent Bariatric Program in Cook Children’s Medical Center - Prosper. 

To learn more about her story, visit Connect Newsroom. 

Retirement 

Join us in congratulating a staff member who is retiring from Cook Children's this month: 

• Liz Barriteau, MS, RRT, AE-C-Patient and Family Education Coordinator, is retiring after 38 years of service. Please join us for her celebration from 1–3 p.m. on Friday, June 5, in the Hochberger Auditorium to congratulate Liz.

To read more about Liz along with other recent retirees please visit the Retirement CookNet page. 

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. 

Check our CookNet calendar for more system-wide events and to find more content about our employees and news you need to know, bookmark our Connect Newsroom website.