Connect Newsletter (May 29, 2025)

Thank you to all of our employees for engaging with our Connect Newsletter.  We know you're busy, so we're trying something new next month! We're moving to a twice-a-week newsletter format with shorter content and links you can read at your convenience. We are hopeful this will allow us to spread even more news across our system.

Have a story idea or news to share? Please view our SharePoint site for more information on how to send an Internal Communications request. We will continue to engage, inform and connect with you, and, as always, we welcome your feedback! 

New Focused Ultrasound Tech Coming this Summer

Focused Ultrasound is coming to Cook Children’s this summer! As the first pediatric hospital in Texas -and one of only a handful nationwide- to offer this leading-edge technology, the program positions Cook Children’s at the forefront of neuro-oncology care. 

To learn more, view Connect Newsroom. 

Safe Patient Handling

We've got your back! Many tools are available to help you and our patients maintain safety while ambulating, transferring, lifting or moving patients. Please view the Safe Patient Handing SharePoint Page to ensure you and our patients stay safe during ambulating, transferring, lifting or moving. 

On the page you will find: 

• Photos of equipment
• The purpose of the equipment 
• Need to know content 

IMPORTANT: Construction Updates

As we begin building the new West Tower, impacts on local roads and thoroughfares are to be expected. To ensure a smooth journey, it is highly recommended to plan ahead for your commute and allow extra time to reach your destination and report for your shift.

To ensure you are up to date on the most current traffic updates, please bookmark this page. It will be updated often and will include major street closures, pedestrian sidewalk closures and any potential reroutes.

For more general information on the growth and development across the system, visit our "We're Growing” page.

5 South Tower Earns National Recognition for Pediatric Nursing Excellence

The 5 South Tower unit has been honored with the prestigious Sapphire Level Recognition from the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) as part of their Pediatric Nursing Excellence Awards. This recognition celebrates the unit’s exceptional dedication to providing high-quality, developmentally appropriate care to pediatric patients and their families.

The Sapphire Level distinction highlights the unit’s outstanding achievements in aligning with SPN’s Pediatric Nursing Excellence Model, which emphasizes five core domains: Engagement, Values, Principles, Care Delivery and Continuous Improvement. By excelling in these areas, the 5 South Tower team has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing pediatric nursing care and fostering continuous improvement in patient outcomes.

This award celebrates the team's hard work and dedication and brings national recognition to their efforts. Congratulations to everyone at 5 South Tower on this well-deserved honor!

To learn more about how your unit can apply for this prestigious honor, click here.

Employee Relations POPUP!!

Get Ready to meet your Employee Relations Team!

POPUPs are designed to IMPACT (Interactive Meetings Promoting Accountability, Communication and Trust) between “YOU” and Human Resources. We know your demanding schedules don’t always allow you to give us a call or send an email to ask your questions, therefore, we’re coming to you! This is your opportunity to engage in 1-on-1 private conversations with Human Resources, ask questions and spin the wheel to win Cook Children's giveaways! Below is a list of our upcoming POPUPs. Don’t worry if you don’t see your location, we are working with your leaders to confirm a date. See you soon!

• Southlake Urgent Care – June 4
• Dodson – June 25
• Medical Center - Fort Worth – July 9
• Burleson Primary Care – Aug. 28

Update on Attendance Point Expiration

We have an important update regarding how attendance points expire. This change aims to provide more clarity and consistency.

Here's what you need to know:

• Any attendance points you received prior to May 18, 2025, will still be forgiven at their original 6-month expiration date.
• For attendance points received on or after May 18, 2025, they will now be forgiven on a 12-month rolling calendar year basis. This means these points will expire 12 months from the date they were incurred.

Join us for an Employees Care Event

Temperatures are rising and a treat is headed your way!  Join us for an Employees Care Coke Float thank you event. We want to celebrate and express our gratitude to YOU, our current Employees Care donors. Find dates and locations below:

Wednesday, June 4
Noon-1:30 p.m.
Prosper Medical Center
Classroom 1621 & 1622

Wednesday, June 11
2 - 3:30 p.m.
Fort Worth Medical Center – Atrium

Friday, June 13
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Child Study Center – Maddox Room

Wednesday, June 18
Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Calmont – 3rd Floor Break Room

Tuesday, June 24
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Night shift
Fort Worth Medical Center – Atrium

Haven't signed up to be an Employees Care donor yet? Come be a part of something big! 

Donors who haven't received your t-shirt? We'll have it ready for you

The Enchanted Castle Gift Shop Sale Coming Soon

Mark your calendars, the Enchanted Castle Gift Shop is having a sale between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on June 10 in the Atrium at Cook Children’s Medical Center Fort Worth.

Customers can pay using cash, credit card or badge. Due to the volume, we are not able to place holds on the merchandise and ask you to come shop in person.

 All proceeds in our gift shop and retail services are donated back to Cook Children's. 

Fidelity Provides Tips for Repaying Student Loans

Join the experts from Fidelity for a webinar called “Get a Handle on Your Current Student Loan Debt” at 11am on Thursday, June 5. The webinar will offer information about different approaches to paying off your student loans.

Register Here

You’ll earn 100 Personify Health Points as an added benefit of participating. Points may be cashed in for gift cards through the Cook Children’s employee wellness program.

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.