Connect Newsletter (Oct. 28, 2022)

Take a Break to Celebrate: Big Day for the System on Monday, Oct. 31

We hope you can join us on Monday, Oct. 31, for a historic day at Cook Children's,  either in person or by watching the activities on video. 

If you can't attend the event live, you can watch it by clicking here or follow along on our internal newsroom by clicking here.

Here's a run down of the events on Monday:

9 a.m.:  Please watch your Outlook email inbox for a a special “Know Before You Go” video from our leaders that will prepare you for Monday's Culture Platform Events. 

11 a.m.: At the circle drive (right in front of the Medical Center), we'll come together as a connected system to celebrate something we've been hard at work developing over the last few years: our culture platform.  Please join us for this special event, including a big announcement. 

2 p.m.: Join us for everyone's favorite event, Halloween Hoopla! It also will take place at the circle drive in front of the Medical Center.

10 p.m.: Meet us in the foyer at Camelot Court. For our awesome evening and night teams, this is the time for you. Learn how we're connecting the dots with our culture platform. 

We'll have more information to come, but we also have events planned for Nov. 8 at Calmont and a big celebration planned for Prosper on Nov. 17. Our off-site locations will receive an exciting “Pinkies Up” boxes in early November that have been thoughtfully crafted and packaged with party items to share in the excitement!

We Stand With Methodist Dallas

We are deeply saddened by the senseless violence that took the lives of two people at Methodist Dallas Medical Center this weekend. We know it takes a great amount of compassion, courage and resilience to be a health care worker. We need more of these people in our world, not less. We pray unity, peace and healing. 

In light of this recent tragedy, we want you all to know that Cook Children’s prioritizes the safety of patient families and staff. We have armed security officers who are on staff around-the-clock. We also utilize an extensive network of cameras throughout our campus to monitor activity. In addition, our security team regularly provides active criminal event trainings and drills to ensure our staff knows how to safety respond to a threat.

It is important for our staff to be prepared and ready for a possible violent event. Below are some videos and articles as a refresher on the in-person and online safety and security classes offered to all employees here at Cook Children's:

• Active Criminal Event Overview: Know How to Respond Safely, Report and Respond
• Safety and Security Training for Cook Children's Employees
• R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense): Systems of Self-Defense Course

Cook Children's Leads National Conversation on RSV Surge

On Oct. 17, the Cook Children's Public Relations team released an article about the surge in RSV cases flooding our Urgent Care clinics and Emergency Department, which also included a video interview with Jeff and Zoe Green. Their daughter, Lindy, had just been released from the PICU. Half of the children in the PICU at this time were diagnosed with RSV.

Within days of the Checkup Newsroom article being released, Cook Children's fielded dozens of interview requests from reporters across the U.S., including Fox News, CBS Evening News, Good Morning America and CNN. Below are a few of the national news stories that Cook Children's health experts participated in about the surge in RSV cases: 

• Fox News: Surge in respiratory illnesses among children early in the season are extremely rare
  • Laura Romano, D.O., a hospitalist at Cook Children's, was interviewed about the impact RSV and other illnesses are having on the health care system.
• CBS Evening News: Cases of child respiratory virus surge nationwide
  • Daniel Guzman, M.D., an emergency department physician, interviewed about the surge. 
• CNN: Doctor explains what RSV symptoms to look for
  • Dr. Guzman also spoke to CNN about what symptoms to look for that should prompt RSV testing from a physician. 

The online news articles have a total readership of nearly 4 billion, and the broadcast coverage reached an audience of 22.7 million. Please help us get the word out about RSV, symptoms and when to call a pediatrician or seek immediate medical care by sharing these stories with your friends, family, neighbors and community members. 

Sign Up Now For Holiday Help

The Good News: Our Social Workers are amazing.  Oh, and they have been working hard to identify needs and nominate patient families who would benefit from Holiday Help.

The Bad News: The timeframe to request a patient family to sponsor is quickly coming to an end. 

The Good News: There's still time sign up as a Holiday Help sponsor!  All you have to do is follow these simple steps:

Step 1—No later than Nov. 4, as a department/clinic, find someone to be the contact person and complete the doc found at this link: Holiday Help Sponsor Sign-Up (google.com).

Step 2—Eagerly await for Nov. 15 when the Holiday Help Herd notifies your contact person and provides the wish list from the patient family!

Step 3—Purchase the items from the wish list provided by the patient family! 

Step 4—Work with the patient family to set up a time and place for gift exchange.  (Remember, Cook Children’s is an excellent location for that to occur!)

Still have questions?  Missed the November 4 deadline, but still want to contribute? 

Reach out to Jennifer Hayes (Jennifer.Hayes@cookchildrens.org) or to the Holiday Help Herd (HolidayHelp@cookchildrens.org)!

Raising Joy LIVE Podcast: The Mystifying Rise of Child Suicides with Andrew Solomon, Ph.D.

On this week's very special episode of Raising Joy, hosts Wini King and Kristen Pyrc, M.D., sit down in front of a LIVE audience here in Fort Worth, Texas, to speak with acclaimed author, Andrew Solomon, Ph.D. Solomon is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, National Book Award winner, TedTalk presenter, as well as a professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. 

Dr. Solomon spoke to us about his recent article in The New Yorker called, “The Mystifying Rise of Child Suicides,” and recounts what he has learned from conducting dozens of interviews with parents who have lost a child to suicide. This is a difficult, yet important episode for anyone interested in learning more about the mental health crisis affecting youth in America.

Click here to learn more about episode 28 and to view photos from our live recording event at the historic Downtown Cowtown at The Isis Theater in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Magnet Month Awards: Mentor of the Year and Ancillary Staff Member of the Year 

In the final week of celebrations for Magnet Month this October, the Cook Children's Magnet Committee is excited to announce the last two award winners who represent the model components of Magnet.

Congratulation to Leigh Brown, RN and case manager for Health Plan - Star Kids Case Management, for winning the 2022 Mentor of the Year Award. You can read Leigh's nomination here.

Congratulation to Reilee Williams, patient care technician on 5 South Tower, for winning the 2022 Ancillary Staff Member of the Year Award. You can read Reilee's nomination here.

Peak Performers: Fourth Quarter (July-September 2022)

It's time to recognize the quarterly Peak Performers for July through September 2022. 

Please join us in congratulating all of the Peak Performers for the fourth quarter of our 2022 fiscal year! 

Click here to see the Peak Performer recipients.

Cook Children's Annual Drive for Those Experiencing Homelessness

Local homeless shelters are facing significant shortages on necessities that help comfort residents and their families. Let's help spread our Cook Children's magic to them! 

You are invited to donate bar soap, twin linens, washcloths, hand towels and bath towels. All items must be new and unopened. 

For all the details, click here.

For any questions, please contact Martin Reidy or Karen Kimberling. 

Fidelity Webinar Offers Strategies for Money Management

Learn ways to build your emergency savings fund at a virtual event presented on Thursday, Nov., by Fidelity. The webinar also covers the core components of a sound budget and tips for getting ahead of debt. 

Register for the 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. webinars here. You'll earn 100 Vitality points for attending the webinar.

Congratulations to the 2022 PI Graduation Class

The Process Improvement recording of the event, including leadership messages, is now available to watch. 

Click here to view the event.* *Note: You must be on our network to access this link.

Please take some time to watch the event, including an inspiring message from the keynote speaker.

Happy Filipino American History Month! 

Happy Filipino American History Month to all our employees, patients and families that are celebrating!

This month is designated to honor Filipino culture and experiences throughout American history since the 1500s.