Week of April 8, 2024
Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
I've officially celebrated 60 days as CEO here at HMSL - and I must say I couldn't be more excited about our future. As i continue to meet many of you during huddles, meetings and rounding - one thing that stands out to me the most is the spirit of teamwork, and that makes me proud to be here. I'm inspired by your ideas and insights about how we can enhance both our hospital and the care we provide to our patients. Every conversation is a valuable opportunity to listen, learn and grown together. I have been taking notes and immersing myself in the culture of collaboration here in Sugar Land.
With the 60 days I have been here, many of you have asked questions that senior leaders and I will be happy to address in our upcoming town hall meetings. I encourage you all to register for one of the meetings today. Topics include expansion plans, new food options, security and much more. I am fully committed to transparency, so if there's anything specific you'd like us to address, please don't hesitate to click here to send me an email.
Lastly, I want to take a moment to honor Donate Life Month. This April, we are celebrating the milestone of more than 10,000 transplants performed at Houston Methodist through the gift of organ donation since 1963. Last Friday, a service of remembrance, celebration and thanks was hosted at the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center. While I was honored during this special occasion, it was truly my privilege to be in attendance. Our mission at Houston Methodist is to save lives and offer hope - and I'm proud to be a part of a system who lives out that mission every single day. Thank you all.
Have a great week,
Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
Town Hall Schedule
To join the HMSL Senior Leadership team for an update on important topics, please register in MARS. The LMS course number is 1652102.
- Thursday, April 18 7:30-8:30 a.m. Brazos
- Tuesday, April 23 9-10 a.m. Brazos
- Tuesday, April 30 5:30-6:30 p.m. Virtual
- Thursday, May 2 2-3 p.m. Virtual
Submit your questions to OfficeofMichaelGarcia@houstonmethodist.org by Tuesday, April 9.
Children's Clothing Swap Event
HMSL is hosting a Children's Clothing Swap Event today and tomorrow - where you can give and receive clothing items for your little ones! Please gather any outgrown, gently used and laundered clothing to swap for sizes you need. We are accepting newborn to high school sizing. The event is hosted by MOMs ERG, with support from the Fathers in Health Care ERG. Click here for more information.
BRING WHAT YOU HAVE:
Monday, April 8 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Brazos Pavilion Conference Room C
TAKE WHAT YOU NEED:
Tuesday, April 9 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Brazos Pavilion Conference Room C
Recognizing the Impact of Microaggressions
Microaggressions can lead to strained relationships and breakdowns in trust, as well as present barriers to promoting inclusivity. There will be another in-person DEI learning series on microaggressions Thursday, April 11, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in Brazos BC. Click here to register.
Joint Pain Seminar
Is joint pain slowing you down? David A. Braunreiter, M.D., Matthew Pearl, M.D. and Afsar Sunesara, PT with Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine at Sugar Land will host a free seminar focusing on joint pain at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in the Brazos Pavilion Conference Center. Click here for more information, including how to register.
Celebrating Eid Al-Fitr
Join Houston Methodist Global Health Care Services as we mark the end of Ramadan and celebrate the blessings of Eid. We invite physicians and staff who observe the holiday to a special luncheon this Friday, April 12, from 2-4 p.m. in the HMH Outpatient Center first floor lobby. Although the luncheon is at HMH, all HM physicians and staff who observe the holiday are invited. For additional information, contact Houston Methodist Global at 713.441.2340.
HMSL Welcomes New Cardiologist
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is pleased to welcome Wafi A. Momin, D.O. to Houston Methodist Cardiology Associates at Sugar Land. He will begin seeing patients on April 8. He is board certified in cardiovascular disease, internal medicine and echocardiography. His clinical expertise includes congestive heart failure, hypertension, preventive cardiology and valvular heart disease. You can read more about Dr. Momin here. If you see him in the halls, please welcome him to HMSL.
Lung Nodule Program Expanding at HMSL
HMSL is expanding our lung nodule screening services and is proud to announce our new Medical Director for the Lung Nodule Program, Priya Oolut, M.D. It’s important to note, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Dr. Oolut will focus on early detection initiatives. She believes a 30-second scan can truly change a person’s life. Click here to read more about Dr. Oolut and the expansion of lung screenings in Fort Bend County.
HMSL in the Media
On TV
Cancer Survivorship Program Manager Yolanda Lopez appeared on the 10 a.m. LIVE show on KPRC to talk about breast cancer awareness. This is the third year HMSL has partnered with SurviveHER to raise awareness in our community. Yolanda talked about the hospital’s commitment to supporting cancer patients on their journey and did an amazing job. Thank you Yolanda for representing HMSL! To watch the full segment, click here.
In Print
Oncology Nurse Navigator Joan Burnham was interviewed for an article in MedPage Today, answering questions about a new report on nicotine and tobacco research. The article focused on vaping and smoking cessation for adults. Click here to read the article titled: Vaping may help people quit smoking cigarettes after all.
Doctor's Day Celebrations
Over the last two weeks, we celebrated Doctor's Day, thanking our physicians for their hard work. The physicians here at HMSL play a valuable role to provide unparalleled quality care to our patients.
Have you taken the Total Rewards Survey yet? 50 employees will be chosen to receive an extra day of PTO, based on their weekly standard hours following the holiday PTO accrual. The purpose of this survey is to determine what parts of our total rewards (such as base pay, benefits, compensation, retirement, paid time off and other benefits) are most important to you. The deadline is April 15.
March of Dimes Fundraising
The annual HMSL March of Dimes basket raffle will take place starting next Monday, April 15. Baskets will be on display for two weeks. Raffle tickets are 1 ticket for $2, 3 tickets for $5, 7 tickets for $10 and there is no ticket limit! Winning raffles will be drawn on Friday, April 26, at 1:30 p.m. Click here for more information on our fundraising efforts, including how you can win a reserved parking spot for an entire year!
Saving for College: Tips for Parents
Are you saving for your child's college education? Do you know how much money you should save? If you want to know more about this topic, the Father's in Health Care ERG is partnering with Fidelity to host a virtual presentation about saving for college. It will be held on Zoom on Thursday, April 18, from noon to 1 p.m. Registration is required. Click here for more information, including the QR code to register.
Donate Life Month
A team of Houston Methodist educators — which is led by Amy D. Waterman, PhD, director of Patient Engagement at Houston Methodist Hospital — has launched the Living Donation Storytelling Project to share authentic stories of kidney transplant journeys. This project amplifies patients' voices, allowing their wisdom and experiences to reach a broader audience. Please share this information with your patients and families who may be considering donating, needing a kidney, or are simply curious, as these stories offer invaluable insights. Click here for more information.
New Way to Get IT Support
The IT Support website (itsupport.houstonmethodist.org), powered by ServiceNow, is now your main way to get IT support. With this change, the IT team will no longer accept email requests from employees, contractors and vendors. They also ask you to not reach out to your colleagues in IT directly. Please use the website, it’s the best way they can support you.
HMSL Campus Moves
MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING 4
As our hospital campus continues to grow, several practices are relocating to Medical Office Building 4.
- Houston Methodist ENT Specialists - MOB 4 - Suite 400 (moved week of March 18)
- Houston Methodist Primary Care Group - MOB 4, Suite 600 (moved week of March 11)
- Houston Methodist Oncology Partners - MOB 4, Suite 325 (moved week of March 4)
- Houston Methodist Rheumatology Associates - MOB 4, Suite 300 (moved in Jan.)
- Houston Methodist Gastroenterology Associates - MOB 4, Suite 110 (moved in Oct.)
If you encounter a patient who is lost and don't know where to direct them, please direct them to an information desk for a campus map. You can also view our campus map here. We'll continue to share practice moves in this weekly newsletter.
BROOKS STREET
Clinical Education will be moving to our Brooks Street location - less than two miles away from HMSL. They will start offering classes in their new location starting April 8. Their new address will be:
1201 Brooks St., Suite 200.
Mark Your Calendars for Earth Day: I CARE in Action
The Houston Methodist Office of Sustainability and Houston Methodist Office of Community Benefits teams are excited to announce Earth Day: I CARE in Action with Habitat for Humanity Northwest Harris County! The event is tentatively scheduled from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, with lunch provided to volunteers.
This unique Earth Day I CARE in Action day further supports sustainability and a circular economy. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity Northwest Harris County, volunteers will participate in deconstructing old homes that are being replaced or renovated. Their efforts will help divert quality building materials from landfills. The deconstructed building materials will then be sold for new construction projects or to the public through Habitat for Humanity ReStore home improvement stores/donation centers. Proceeds from those sales provide financial support to benefit Habitat for Humanity’s mission.
Habitat for Humanity provides housing security for people in our communities, which is a leading social determinant of health. Housing insecurity results in negative health outcomes, higher emergency room visits and unnecessary health care costs.
Once registration is live on the I CARE in Action website, we will share additional information.
Black Maternal Health Week is recognized each year from April 11-17 to bring attention and action in improving Black maternal health. Every person deserves access to quality health care and the support they need during pregnancy and childbirth.
This month we also celebrate Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month, National Volunteer Month, Parkinson’s Awareness Month and Testicular Cancer Awareness Month. Click here to read about others celebrating or raising awareness this month.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, April 8 - Tuesday, April 9: MOM ERG Children's Clothing Swap Event. More information.
Thursday, April 11: Recognizing the Impact of Microaggressions Learning. Register here.
Thursday, April 11: Joint Pain Seminar. More information.
Monday, April 15: Deadline to take Total Rewards Survey. Click here to take survey.
Monday, April 15 - Friday, April 26: March of Dimes fundraising. More information.
Thursday, April 18: Town Hall Meeting (Brazos). More information.
Thursday, April 18: Saving for College: Tips for Parents presentation. More information.
Tuesday, April 23: Town Hall Meeting (Brazos). More information.
Friday, April 26: Houston Methodist System Quality and Patient Safety Symposium. More information.
Saturday, April 27: Earth Day: I CARE in Action
Tuesday, April 30: Town Hall Meeting (Virtual). More information.
Tuesday, April 30: Application deadline for The College Scholarship for Employees' Children Program. More information.
Thursday, May 2: Town Hall Meeting (Virtual). More information.
Thursday, May 2: 2024 Nurse Symposium. More information.
Tuesday, May 14: Patient satisfaction bonus payout
Monday, May 27: Memorial Day holiday
Saturday, June 1: Atlantic hurricane season begins
JUST FOR FUN DATES
Monday, April 8: @ Texas Rangers
Tuesday, April 9 - Thursday, April 11: @ Kansas City Royals
Friday, April 12 - Sunday, April 14: @ Texas Rangers
Tuesday, April 9 - Sunday, April 14: vs. El Paso Chihuahuas
Tuesday, April 9: vs. Orlando Magic
Thursday, April 11: @ Utah Jazz
Friday, April 12: @ Portland Trail Blazers
Sunday, April 14: @ LA Clippers
Thursday, April 11 - Sunday, April 14: Disney on Ice Magic in the Stars, NRG Park
Thursday, April 11: Lauren Daigle, Toyota Center
Saturday, April 13: Gloria Trevi, Smart Financial Centre
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
- Arthur Ashe
Join The HMSL-CEO Corner Facebook Page
If you are an HMSL employee, you can join the employee-only Facebook page. Join us as we celebrate promotions, graduations, hospital events and more! Click here to join the fun.