Just a few years earlier, orphan trains rumbled through Texas towns, carrying vulnerable children westward seeking new homes and opportunities. In Fort Worth, amidst the challenges of a growing frontier town, individuals and families opened their hearts and homes to these children. Some specifically chose to take in the sickest among them, the ones with special needs, or those whom others might have overlooked. It was a poignant time in the nation’s history, but that legacy of compassion would soon inspire a new kind of home for vulnerable children—a place devoted to healing and to a Promise to improve the health and well-being of all children in its care and communities.

A lot has changed in a century. Orphan trains are a thing of the past, replaced with child welfare services that aim to keep children safe and families together if possible. Camp Bowie is now a boulevard bridging history and commerce; the Stockyards are an entertainment hotspot showcasing cowboy culture; and Fort Worth’s population is nearing 1 million, making it the 12th largest city in the country.

But one thing remains the same. The spirit of embracing the vulnerable and offering hope to those most in need still runs deep in the heart of this community. Through all of Cowtown’s transformations, Cook Children’s has risen to meet the needs of the moment—expanding its campus, evolving its technological capabilities, and adding services to improve the health and well-being of all children in its care.

Today, Cook Children’s begins a new chapter in its 107-year history of hope and healing by breaking ground on the site that will soon see the rise of a new 760,000-square-foot patient care tower, currently referred to as the West Tower.

“About 59 people move to this area every day,” said Stan Davis, president of Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth. “To keep pace with this unprecedented growth, we must also expand. This isn't just about getting bigger. It's about ensuring we can continue to be that steadfast home for every child who needs us. It's about equipping our exceptional doctors and nurses with the leading-edge tools they need, providing a comforting space for our tiniest patients, and offering a sanctuary for our sickest children.”

Expanding the Blue Peaks
The addition of the West Tower will enhance Cook Children’s Heart Center, already home to the nation’s top pediatric cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. The growth, which includes two new dedicated cardiovascular operating rooms, paves the way for Cook Children’s surgeons to perform life-saving heart transplants.

The West Tower also makes way for the expansion and redesign of Cook Children’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Designs for the new PICU focus on two key elements for supporting healing and improving the patient and family experience—sunlight and privacy.

Over the past decade, studies have shown that a lack of natural light and loud environment can increase the risk for what doctors call ICU delirium, according to Kyle Brown, M.D., PICU co-medical director. It is a common occurrence in intensive care settings, especially those like Cook Children’s current 20-year-old PICU where there are few private rooms and natural light is hard to find.

“Some kids that come into the ICU after a serious injury are thinking clearly and know 100% where they are and who their family is. Mentally, they are their usual selves,” said Linda Thompson, M.D., co-medical director of Cook Children’s PICU. “Then, with a few days of not sleeping well, with pain medicine on top of that, and being stuck in bed, they can start to get confused. They don’t recognize people as well and they can start to see things that aren’t there. This is considered ICU delirium.”

One Patient’s Experience
For former PICU patient Emerson Bellucci, it only took 24 hours for the delirium to set in.

In 2024, Emerson spent 36 days in Cook Children’s PICU following a rare and life-threatening allergic reaction to the common antibiotic Bactrim. The reaction damaged her lungs so severely she required life-support via extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO. It is the most advanced form of life support available. Essentially, an external artificial lung. A pioneer in her own right, Emerson was one of very few patients to remain awake and even walk around while on ECMO. Most are fully sedated during this life-supporting treatment.

In the initial days of Emerson’s PICU stay, she and her family shared space with 42 others healing from severe and traumatic injuries and illnesses. In her case, Emerson was separated from neighboring patients only by a curtain. The sights and sounds of every other patient’s monitors, machines, televisions, and even the cries of an infant patient, often interrupted her sleep and added to her own anxiety about her illness. The lack of natural light caused her to confuse her days and nights.

“There were no windows to notice it was night and we were supposed to be sleeping,” said Ashlee Bellucci, Emerson’s mom. “I think that was the beginning of her delirium that really set her pattern to where she was up a lot at night. As a mom, you’re up with her, too. So it was hard.” 

Despite the best efforts of Cook Children’s PICU staff to institute daytime quiet hours for napping, simulate nighttime hours with low light settings, and minimize disruption while caring for a neighboring patient, the scenario described by Dr. Thompson and experienced by Emerson happens over and over again.

“When we have increased delirium, that increases the length of time that patients spend in the ICU and the length of time that they spend in the hospital,” Dr. Brown said. “It also leads to what we now call post-intensive care syndrome, which is something that both patients and families can experience after they leave the ICU. This includes things like PTSD and anxiety.”

Once Emerson was placed on ECMO, she was moved to a more private, enclosed space in the current PICU. While it had a small window that helped regulate her sleep, it did not have a private bathroom. Emerson’s parents still had to trek to the family waiting area for showers and restroom breaks.

“Having to walk down the halls in my pajamas to the bathroom was very inconvenient,” Ashlee said. “But I think one of the hardest things was shower time. Her dad and I had to plan showers around when doctors would be visiting so that we could be sure one of us was there. I felt like a college kid in a dorm taking all my things, and having to go down and sometimes wait for a shower. Inevitably, you would forget something.”

The design of the new PICU aims to change that.

“Instead of making families feel like they're coming into our place, we need a way to make it feel more like home for them and more like we're actually entering their space,” Dr. Brown said. “That's really what creates a more healing environment for the patient and family,” Dr. Brown said.

Hope Lights the Way
In the redesigned PICU, every patient will have a fully enclosed private room with a window, as well as a private bathroom. A sliding glass door with a curtain for privacy will shield patients from the sights and sounds of their neighbors’ care and machines, while allowing the medical team to keep a close eye on their patients. Quiet sleep will go uninterrupted by the commotion of a middle-of-the-night admission of a new neighboring patient. Parents and young patients can focus on their own healing without the added trauma of witnessing the circumstances of others. When the sun rises, patient rooms will be drenched with natural light, awakening their souls to the hope of a new day.

“I think the first time I noticed the little window it just reminded me of outside and that I won't be stuck here forever,” Emerson said about the more private ICU space she was moved to while on ECMO. “Having a window definitely increased your mood. Having sunlight is just like a happy thing.”

New Frontiers
The West Tower will be a place where Cook Children’s charts new frontiers in medical research, ensuring that every step forward in patient care is informed by the rigorous pursuit of knowledge. While Cook Children’s already has 300 open clinical trials, as well as 500 ongoing studies, the expansion of services like Cardiology and Pediatric Intensive Care opens new doors for even more research that advances medicine and shapes the quality of care.

Take cancer treatment, for example. Over the past 50 years, research-driven protocols have decreased the five-year mortality for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia—the most common pediatric cancer— from 80% to 5%, according to a 2021 article published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

“The centers that do research have higher, better quality numbers than the centers that don’t," said William Stigall, M.D., Cook Children’s chief research officer. “Research is one of those things that make you better at everything, and the robust space and technological capacity of the new tower will give us the capacity to do even more.”

Design Through the Eyes of Others
Planning and design of the West Tower is a collaborative effort between staff, patients and the design and construction teams.

“We have thought long and hard about what is important to us and our patients,” said Melodie Davis, DNP, RN, CENP, Director of PICU, ECMO and Dialysis at Cook Children’s. “For several months we have gathered input from our team and our patients. Bringing together evidence from literature on how PICUs can create healing environments with our lived experiences and collaborating with the construction team is truly a dream come true. Our patients, their families, and our staff have so much to look forward to.”

Today, Emerson and her family joined Cook Children’s executives, members of the board of directors, city officials and community supporters to turn the first shovels of dirt on the site of the future West Tower. Construction is expected to take five years.

“This groundbreaking of the West Tower is not just the laying of concrete and steel. It is a powerful continuation of the pioneering spirit,” said Rick Merrill, president and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System. “It is a tangible manifestation of our enduring commitment to the future, a bold step driven by the same courage and vision that defined Fort Worth from its earliest days.”

Fast Facts

• The West Tower will seamlessly integrate with the existing medical center floor by floor.
• The services/units moving to the West Tower will make way for the expansion of Hematology/Oncology as well as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which will grow from 106 beds to 143.
• The Heart Center will gain two new operating rooms, a third cardiac catheterization laboratory for advanced diagnostics and interventions, 14 additional cardiovascular intensive care beds, as well as a new Step-down Unit for transitioning care as heart patients heal. All Heart Center inpatient services will be conveniently located on one floor in the new tower, from procedure prep spaces, to operating rooms and special procedure areas, to the Cardiovascular ICU and Step-down Unit.
• In addition to the Cardiovascular Operating Rooms, the West Tower will house eight new operating rooms. Two will be specifically equipped for Orthopedic surgery and two for Neurosurgery.
• The redesigned PICU will feature 56 private patient rooms with private bathrooms.
• Anticipating future growth, shell space will be included in the build.

By Arianna Flores

The Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI), the world's leader for business continuity and disaster recovery, has named Johnathan Offringa, Disaster Recovery Manager, its Program Leader of the Year – Nonprofit Sector. The award highlights Offringa's exceptional work in preparing our healthcare system for any potential crisis that affect information systems.

The DRI is the oldest and largest nonprofit that helps organizations around the world prepare for and recover from disasters by providing education, accreditation, and leadership in business continuity, disaster recovery, cyber resilience. The award was given to Johnathan in Las Vegas where over 22 countries and 300 companies were in attendance. This is the first award given to Johnathan and the Information Systems Department. 

Johnathan said this internationally recognized award came as a shock and blessing to him. An anonymous nomination put him in the mix for the award, a nod to his hard work and the skills he's brought to Cook Children’s.  

During Johnathan’s tenure, he has not only helped us follow industry standards but excelled in working to ensure our patients and staff will be safe in the event of a crisis. The team is continually planning for worst-case scenarios, to protect the overall operation and production of Medical Center-Fort Worth. 

“It’s not ‘if,’ but ‘when,’ ” Johnathan said. “From a healthcare perspective, our goal is whenever something does happen, we will ensure that we are able to get systems back up and running as soon as possible so we can resume patient care."

Johnathan said he and his team continue to learn more about how to best recover in a crisis by earning accreditations through the DRI and the mentorship of team leaders. 

“Without the leadership, guidance, and commitment from the Information Services leadership team to maturing the IS Disaster Recovery Program here at Cook Children’s, it would not have been possible to reach this accomplishment,” he said of the award.  

Aaron Wishon, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, has high praise for Johnathan's work.

“His peers and leaders across the IT and other parts of the Cook Children’s organization have raved about his excellent communication skills and collaboration during the implementation of his program,” Aaron said. 

“This effort and leadership are the difference between having disaster recovery programs that look good on paper versus one that goes above and beyond and is resilient and real-world battle tested that gives us the confidence that we’re ready to face a disaster,” Aaron added.  

Thank you, Johnathan, for your commitment to our Promise and congratulations for earning this prestigious award.

By: Arianna Flores 

The Risk Management department celebrates our staff reporting safety concerns by awarding Proof of Promise (POP) awards. These awards are dedicated to highlighting team members who go above and beyond to ensure the safety of our patient, family and employees. 

Megan Atwood, Clinical Risk Coordinator, said the Risk Management team is trying to increase the reporting of near misses and then recognize those who promote patient and employee safety.  

At the end of the month the POP Committee looks at each report and determines a ‘POP of the Month’. A winner and honorable mentions are determined and gifted a t-shirt and recognition.  

POP of the Year 

At the end of the year, all the ‘POP of the Month’ award winners are reviewed, and one is voted as the ‘POP of the Year.’ This year the award was given to Jamie Gomez, BSN, RN, in Surgery, for going the extra mile to ensure the safety of a patient.  

Jamie's winning safety story:  

During preparation for a case, it was discovered that the patient could have metal fragments in their hands due to their occupation. This staff member stopped the line and notified their management. After discussion with the imaging department, options were given on how to safely proceed. The staff member discussed with the care team and shared the new findings and options available. Knowing that patient safety came first, the staff member persisted with the options and had to escalate again to her leadership. While discussing the situation again with additional providers, this staff member thought of an alternative measure that would keep the patient safe but also support the team. A decision was made to utilize their recommendation, the patient’s surgery was successful, and their safety was maintained. 

This staff member went above and beyond to follow procedures, maintain patient safety and stop the line when something was not right. If you look at our Zero Harm tools, it appears the staff member was able to use the ARCC method…they asked a question, requested a change, voiced their concern and utilized their chain of command. 

Megan said Surgery is a busy area and it can be hard to stop and ask questions. Not only did Jamie ask questions but she continued to press when she knew there was a concern.  

“(Jamie) did not give up. She knew that we had to keep the patient safe,” Megan said. “She kept asking questions, raising concerns. She even made an alternative solution that they implemented, that helped everyone come together and proceed safely with the procedure. I think her persistence for us was a big key, and feeling safe and empowered enough to stop that line in such a busy area.” 

Jamie has worked in the Cook Children’s OR for five years and said she was not expecting this award, but the recognition reminded her why she became a nurse in the first place.  

“One of the biggest reasons why I became an OR nurse is to be the advocate for the child when the family and the parents can't be there,” Jamie said. “Going to surgery can be frightening for not only the patient, but for their parents.  So, I take pride in being that person that gets to assure the family that we're going to do the best that we can do to keep their child safe during surgery.” 

Jamie added being aware of what is right and following your gut is an important part of patient and employee safety.  

“Speaking up or just stopping for a second and say, ‘Let me look into this. Let me ask some questions.’ Because I'd rather be cautious before we have a serious injury happen from something that could have been avoided,” Jamie said.  

For more information about the Risk Management department visit their CookNet page here.  

If you have any questions about when and how to report, visit their Event Reporting FAQs or to ask a non-urgent question email the Risk Management team at RiskMgmt-All@CookChildrens.org.   

Cook Children’s Health Care System is proud to announce that seven of its specialty programs have been ranked among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. This recognition underscores the health care system’s unwavering commitment to providing exceptional care to children and their families.

The report, which was released on Oct. 8, 2024, analyzed data from 108 children’s hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists.

The following Cook Children’s specialties were named among the top programs:

·         Pediatric Behavioral Health – Top 50

·         Pediatric Cancer - #37 in the nation

·         Pediatric Cardiology - #37 in the nation 

·         Pediatric Endocrinology - #44 in the nation

·         Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery - #45 in the nation

·         Pediatric Orthopedics - #24 in the nation

·         Pediatric Pulmonology - #48 in the nation

This is the first year for U.S. News & World Report to include Pediatric Behavioral Health as “Top 50” programs and Cook Children’s was named to the inaugural list. Other highlights include Cook Children’s Cardiology jumping to #37 and Cook Children’s Orthopedics moving an impressive 16 spots in the rankings, from #40 last year to #24.

“We’re thrilled to see our Pediatric Behavioral Health services recognized on a national level,” said Kia Carter, M.D., co-medical director of Inpatient and Consultation Liaison Psychiatric Services. “Our team's expertise in child and adolescent mental health is unparalleled. These rankings reflect our commitment to providing evidence-based care that empowers young people to thrive.”

U.S. News & World Report evaluated children’s hospitals based on a variety of factors, including quality of care, clinical research programs, services and surgeries performed, patient and family involvement and access to resources, staff dedication, recognition as a Nurse Magnet Hospital, and more.

For Cook Children’s Health Care System as a whole, the rankings highlight longstanding excellence in a variety of areas. 

"It's a tremendous honor to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report once again," said Rick W. Merrill, President and CEO of Cook Children's. “This recognition is a testament to the exceptional work of our doctors, nurses, and staff, who consistently strive to provide the best possible care for every child, every day. Our dedication to our promise and values, combined with our strong culture, sets us apart, and we're proud to be named a top children's hospital.”

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C