Connect Newsletter (Sept. 18, 2025)

High Five for Magnet: Nursing Excellence in Action

We are excited to share a major milestone in our Magnet journey.

We’ve officially received notification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center that our Magnet document has been fully accepted with no deficiencies. This is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of the outstanding work happening across our organization.

The next step is the Magnet Site Visit, which is scheduled for Sept. 22 – 24.

During this visit, three Magnet Appraisers will be on-site to engage with teams across all the practice areas included in our document.

The purpose of this visit is to validate and celebrate the incredible work described in our written document.

The appraisers will connect with nurses and interprofessional team members across all roles and settings to hear their experiences and to see how we live out Magnet principles through our culture, outcomes, collaboration, and commitment to excellence in patient care.

You can explore our Magnet document and all the different topics and stories by visiting this webpage.

Halloween Hoopla: Everything You Need to Know

Get ready for a spooktacular celebration! Our goal is for all Cook Children’s employees to share magical moments happening from wherever you work. From costumes to skits, Halloween Hoopla truly showcases the creativity in all of us, and we invite you to participate and connect with one another.  Registration is now open for this year’s Halloween Hoopla, mark your calendars for the livestreamed event from 2-3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31.

Where to join the fun: Visit the Team Experience Halloween Hoopla page on CookNet for all contest details and registration.

• Fort Worth Medical Center (Live Contest and Livestream)
• Virtual option (Open to all employees system-wide.)
• Calmont and Prosper hosting campus contest

What to Expect:

• Updated contest guidelines; please be sure to review before registering.
• Opportunities to participate in individual and group costume contests.
• A “fang-tastic” chance to showcase your creativity and join in the festive fun.
• Employees will have an opportunity to vote for their favorites in early November.

We can’t wait to see your costumes, skits, and creative spirit! Don’t miss out, register today and join in on the fun this October.

From Intern to Chief Administrative Officer

Amy Knight's career journey has come full circle, leading her back to Cook Children's Health Care System as the new Chief Administrative Officer. Her story is a powerful testament to what makes this organization special.

"It really strengthens our ability to drive change and act as one, because we all truly share one mission, our promise," Knight said.

In a recent interview with Becker's Hospital Review, Amy shares details about her return to Fort Worth, her passion for the system's "thoughtful expansion," and her vision for the future.

Ready to learn more about our new leader? Click here to read the full story.

New Badge Distribution Update for Next Week

The distribution of new badges in Prosper, Calmont locations, Urgent Care Centers and Off-Site Specialty Clinics is set to begin early next week. Please click here for full details including instructions on what to do after receiving the boxes with the badges in them. 

• Misspellings: If your name is misspelled, contact the Badging department directly for a correction.
• Name Changes: For a legal name change, you must first submit a badge name change form through OnBase to HR. Once HR approves the change, they will notify the Badging department, which will then issue a new badge with your updated name. To reach OnBase:
  • Workday > Menu > Employee Resources > HR Tab > Employee Badge Request
  • This will lead you to an OnBase electronic form.

• Missing Badges or Incorrect Information: If you're missing a badge or the location on your file is incorrect (a common issue for employees in newer offices), please notify the Badging department.

The Badging department encourages employees to reach out with any issues they encounter to ensure everyone has a correct and functional badge. To reach them, please email Michelle Skillin or call 682-885-4445.

Home Health Celebrates 25-Year Anniversary 

For 25 years, Cook Children’s Home Health has been a forerunner of helping our patients beyond the medical center walls. Since its inception, Home Health has completed over 1,000,000 patient admissions. 

Friday, Sept. 19 marks Home Health's 25-year anniversary. Join us as we celebrate the hard work and dedication of our Home Health employees and the specialized care they bring across the state of Texas.  

Click here to read our story. 

We’re Moving: Email Mailboxes to M365

This month we are moving Cook Children’s email mailboxes from our current system (Exchange 2016) to cloud-based Exchange Online, which is part of Microsoft 365. The email mailbox moves will come in weekly waves to different user groups across Cook Children’s. When it is your turn, you will get an email from Internal Communications with step-by-step instructions for updating mobile devices to reconnect mailboxes to Cook Children’s email. Until you receive that email, there is no action on your part.

Once migration takes place, users will notice some changes to mobile services. Safeguards have been implemented to protect sensitive patient information and follow health care security regulations. For example, multi-factor authentication is required – this adds extra protection to your account.

Please read this article on the Connect Newsroom with more details.

Take Action for National Preparedness Month

Make a plan with your household members. It could protect your life and the lives of those around you. When disaster strikes, city services may be cut off and local disaster relief and government responders may not be able to reach you. You need to have plans and supplies in place in case you need to make it on your own, at least for a limited time, no matter where you are.

Follow these steps to create an emergency plan. Gather family to discuss what should be included in the plan. Take into account the special needs of your family. Create an emergency plan as a family. Practice your plan with members of your family.

Click here to view the CookNet site from Emergency Management department to learn how they prepare for disasters within the system. 

Our Pet-scription for Happiness

When we leave our Cook Children's campus, our pets may be the ones who greet us when we get home. Each week, we're showcasing all the pets who make us better humans, with videos featuring photos of pets that have been submitted by you, Cook Children's employees. We will be posting these videos periodically, so if you do not see your pet right away, they will be showcased in a later video. 

Help us show some love to our furry friends at home. 

*We are no longer taking submissions*

Click here to watch our latest video

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.