By Amber Kaiser

Pina Saputo is a Senior Travel Agent with Cook Children’s in Fort Worth. She’s spent 20 years in the hospitality and travel industries, including 13 years working as a travel manager in an aviation training center, booking pilots from all over the world to travel to cities in Texas, New Jersey, Nevada and Georgia for pilot training.

Pina is now using her experiences with pilots to help Cook Children’s physicians and System staff get where they need to go when they need to travel for business! She also uses her talents to keep staff updated internally on the travel page in CookNet and has created many new user-friendly features for the online platform.

“Not everyone at Cook Children’s is aware we have a travel department, and I love keeping people informed about all of our travel services,” Pina said.

Pina books travel, updates reservations and provides staff with one-on-one training for Navan, the internal travel software service. She can also assist with booking offsite meeting space. 

You can contact Pina for any work travel needs. Find the Travel Services page on CookNet here.

Expense reports come to Accounts Payable, which is responsible for making sure each expense report is within the FN550 Travel and Expense policy.  The team processes and pays more than 17,000 expense reports each year for Cook Children’s. 

Key Travel and Expense Information

• Read Policy FN550 – Travel and Expense Reimbursement
• Airfare, hotel and rental cars must be booked through Cook Children’s Travel Services.
  • Exception: Conference block hotel rooms may be purchased through the conference.
  • Travel Services webpage can be found here. 
• Employees are expected to book the most economical travel option that reasonably suits the travel timeline and does not compromise safety.
• Expense reports are due within 60 days of the purchase or return date of the business trip.
  • How to complete an Expense Report job aid can be found here.
• Gift Cards must be purchased through Concierge and are not eligible for reimbursement on expense reports.
• Travel Advances may be requested by submitting a Spend Authorization in Workday.  The job aid can be found here.

Expense Report Tips

1.    Attach all receipts: Include detailed receipts for meals, including those listed on a hotel folio. 

2.    Separate alcohol expenses: Use the itemization on the right.

3.    Include conference documentation: Registration confirmation, and proof of attendance (example: conference handout, schedule, CEU or CPE).

4.    Include your travel itinerary: This should include flight details, hotel reservations (if not done through the conference), and any other pre-booked travel arrangements.

5.    Maps for mileage: Please add a map showing the miles being requested.

6.    Use clear and concise descriptions/memos for each expense.

7.    Employee must review and approve an expense report if an assistant completes it on the employee's behalf, before it will be processed for approval and reimbursement.

Questions can be sent to ExpenseReports@CookChildrens.org

We gave Kate a Peaks to take with her to France and she is bringing him along on her adventures.

Follow along with Peaks as he travels around The Olympic City this summer!