I want to start off this week by congratulating three groups here at HMSL. The first one - 15 of our incredible nurses have been selected for the Houston Chronicle's 2024 Salute to Nurses Top 200 Award for the significant impact they've made on the health care community. Our Childbirth Center director Cristina Martin was selected for the elite group of Top 15 nurses. These nurses will be honored in Sunday's paper, and I'll be sure to share a link in next week's newsletter. All 15 nurses’ names are below - please join me in congratulating them on such an amazing honor. It's always great to see when members of our team are recognized for their commitment to providing excellent patient care. 

The second group I wanted to highlight today - the strong men and women who completed the MS 150 this weekend. More than a dozen HMSL employees, including four physicians, joined dozens of Houston Methodist employees on the two-day trek. This is the 40th year of the race - raising money to change the world for people living with MS, one mile at a time. Their names are also below, with photos from this weekend. Please make sure to celebrate this group too (although they might be resting today!)

The third group I want to highlight includes two employees who were recently recognized at the Houston Methodist System Quality Integration Committee Meeting. Lorie Johnson, RN, and Pedro Pugh, RN, were both recognized for a Good Catch. Thank you for always putting our patients first.

Finally, a quick reminder this week is your last chance to catch one of our town hall meetings. There are two virtual sessions this week. Senior leaders and I are sharing important hospital updates. You can find more details below or click here. These meetings are designed for you. I hope to see you there.

Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land

This Year’s Employee Gift is a Cooler!

To say thanks for all you do this National Hospital Week, we are giving all employees a Houston Methodist-branded Back Country cooler. HR department members at each hospital will coordinate the gift distribution over the next few weeks. Your leader will inform you on how to get your cooler. We hope you enjoy this eco-conscious gift and use it to spend time outdoors with your friends and family this summer!

HMSL Blood Drive

Save a life and donate blood! The next blood drive at HMSL will be Friday, May 17 in Brazos BC from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Eligible donors will receive a Houston Astros Kyle Tucker jersey (while supplies last). Click here to schedule an appointment. 

March For Babies

Thank you to everybody who contributed to our March of Dimes raffle event for donated baskets and parking spaces! Winners are on the CEO Corner Facebook page! Don't forget - you can still join the HMSL March of Dimes team and walk Saturday, May 18 at Constellation Field. Click here to join the walk or to donate. 

2024 Best Employers for Diversity

Houston Methodist placed second in Texas and 68^th nationally in Forbes’ 2024 Best Employers for Diversity ranking. Participants were asked to evaluate their employers based on criteria such as their opinion of the organization's approach to diversity. Click here to read more about the annual survey.

Happy Passover

The holiday of Passover, celebrated April 22–30 this year, commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and their transition from slavery to freedom. Many Jewish families get together during the holiday to share evening meals called Seders. The details on how these ritual gatherings should be held are provided in the ancient book The Passover Haggadah. The guidebook contains texts dating back to biblical times, as well as the Talmudic era, which come together to recreate the story of Passover.

Conference on Career & Family Balance

Join the Moms of Methodist ERG for the second annual MOMS ERG Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 3, in the Josie Roberts Building. This year’s theme, “MOM is a Verb,” highlights the incredible efforts that working moms make to ensure their children receive the care and support they need. The half-day conference will feature workshops and breakout sessions focused on career building and balancing career and parenting responsibilities.

Early Voting Now Underway

Many area elections including a state senator’s seat, appraisal district directors and school board positions will be held Saturday, May 4. Early voting will continue through Tuesday, April 30. Houston Methodist supports the rights of all employees to vote.  View our elections page for more details on elections in your area.

Hyperdrive Survey Deadline This Friday

On Sunday, April 21, Epic Hyperdrive launched systemwide. Hyperdrive is a special internet browser, much like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, used only to access a web-based version of Epic. If you just started using Hyperdrive, be sure to take the post-launch survey. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete and will help us make future improvements. The deadline to share your thoughts is Friday, May 3.

New Library Additions

More than two dozen new titles have been added to the HMSL Digital Library. We’ve also created a few new collections of titles,  based on employee interests, like communication. You can access those titles via a curated list on the homepage of the HMSL collection on Libby. Additionally, in support of our hospital-wide 5S journey, we’ve added books on organization and minimalism that can support you in your professional or personal life. If you are not yet connected to the HMSL Digital Library, click here for helpful instructions. Happy reading!