Connect Newsletter (Sept. 3, 2026)

Flu Vaccines 2026: Onsite Flu Fairs Begin Sept. 15

All employees are required to complete the annual influenza vaccination process and receive their flu vaccine by Oct. 23, 2026.

To get started you must complete the electronic influenza consent form on Enterprise Health Portal by Sept. 15. Then, attend one of the various onsite flu fairs or upload your flu vaccine you received from a non-Cook Children's provider, such as a physician's office or pharmacy, through the My Medical tab in the Enterprise Health Employee Portal.

Visit Connect Newsroom to learn more about flu fairs and other important information including exemptions, compliance and how to pick up flu vaccines for department events.

Get Ready for Year-End P&D Conversations

Your manager will be reaching out to schedule performance conversations during September as we enter the home stretch of our year-end Performance & Development activities.

These one-on-one sessions provide you and your manager with a scheduled block of time to discuss your performance over the past year, paving the way for continued improvement and professional development in the coming year. The goal is to provide constructive feedback that empowers everyone to thrive and flourish in their careers.

A few tips for a productive conversation: 

• Prepare: Take time beforehand to reflect on your achievements, the Cook Children’s values you demonstrated, and any work challenges you navigated since the start of the performance year on Oct. 1, 2025.

• Listen actively to your manager’s feedback and suggestions.

• Ask questions if you need clarification.

• Share your honest perspective. Your input can connect the dots to help your manager make specific and impactful recommendations. 

Learn more at the P&D page on CookNet. 

Watch Now: A Conversation with Matthew Carroll at the Summer 2026 Town Hall

If you were unable to attend the Aug. 13 Town Hall or would like to revisit the topics discussed, recordings of individual segments will be available to watch on demand over the next few newsletters. 

This featured segment includes a conversation with our new Chief Quality Officer, Matthew Carroll, M.D., MHA, MSHQS about the high-quality care we strive for at Cook Children's. 

Watch the segment to revisit these important Town Hall highlights.

NFL Kickoff: Jersey Days

Wear your favorite NFL jersey on Sept. 10-13 to kick off the upcoming football season! Show off your football pride and send a photo to team.experience@cookchildrens.org.

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.