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Week of April 22, 2024

To ensure you experience all of the new features and benefits, please review your role-based Hyperdrive Companion. It includes the top changes for you, summaries of new workflows and enhancements and guided activities for the Epic Playground. A special cross-application Companion, which includes notes on changes for all Epic users, is also available for review.

• Estimated 234,580 new cases this year in the US (116,310 men and 118,270 women)
• Estimated 125,070 deaths from lung cancer this year in the US (65,790 men and 59,280 women)
• Mainly elder >/= 65 years of age at diagnosis; average age at diagnosis is 70.

March of Dimes Fundraising

Don't forget - this is the last week to enter our HMSL March of Dimes basket raffle. A total of 26 donated baskets will be on display all week. 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!

Celebrating Arab Heritage Month

Join the Arab Heritage ERG and the Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM) for an enriching celebration of Arab heritage from noon-1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, in Crain Garden. Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture through music, dance, culinary delights and more during this National Arab Heritage Month celebration. A performance of Levantine folk dance called Dabke begins at 12:30 p.m. Register to attend or join via livestream.

Sing the National Anthem for Sugar Land Space Cowboys

You are invited to join the Houston Methodist employee choir when they sing the National Anthem for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. The game will be on Constellation Field, Sunday, May 26 at 5:45 p.m. Click here to sign up. Rehearsals at HMSL for the Star-Spangled Banner will take place Wednesdays from 12:30-1:00 p.m. in the chapel in Brazos Pavilion on May 1, 8 and 22.

Welcome New Community Ambassadors

The Employee Community Ambassador Program welcomed its 2024 class during an orientation this month. This class is made up of 50 people, which brings the total number of ambassadors to 130. These individuals will serve our hospital and community by sharing information about the compassionate cancer care available at HMSL to our Fort Bend County neighbors. Congratulations to the new ambassadors!

HMSL Campus Moves

As our hospital campus continues to grow, several practices are relocating to Medical Office Building 4.

• Houston Methodist Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Associates - MOB 4, Suite 225 (Dr. Elias will continue to also see patients at HMOSM)
• Houston Methodist ENT Specialists - MOB 4 - Suite 400 
• Houston Methodist Primary Care Group - MOB 4, Suite 600 
• Houston Methodist Oncology Partners - MOB 4, Suite 325 
• Houston Methodist Rheumatology Associates - MOB 4, Suite 300 
• Houston Methodist Gastroenterology Associates - MOB 4, Suite 110 

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. 

Supporting Our Community

Our partners at the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry visited HMSL recently to pick up items generously donated through two different collection drives. Staff supported our birthday bag drive with 130 bags donated. These will be given to families that otherwise could not afford to give their children a birthday party. The HMSL chapter of the MOMs ERG also donated nearly a dozen bags and boxes of clothing left over from their clothing swap. These go to the organization’s thrift shop, which financially supports their food pantry. Thank you for your continued support of this important partner in our community!

Next Steps on Total Rewards Survey

Thank you to everyone who took part in our total rewards survey. We will examine and interpret the results with Mercer, our outside vendor. Your participation has been invaluable in giving us the information we need to make decisions about how we spend our benefits and compensation budget. This summer, we will look at how we can more closely align our benefits offerings with what you value the most. While we cannot promise that all your concerns will be addressed, we can guarantee that we will seriously consider everything you said. We’ll announce the 50 winners of the PTO day in the coming weeks.

Highlighting ERGs at HMSL

Houston Methodist Employee Resource Groups (ERG) are employee-created and led, voluntary groups that join together based on common interests, backgrounds or demographics to help create a diverse and inclusive workplace. Today we are highlighting the LGBTQ+ Allies ERG.

Ray Henson, who works at HMSL in the biomedical engineering department, is a part of the LGBTQ+ Allies ERG. He shares why this ERG is important to him. 

1. What has been the best part about joining your ERG?
Being a part of changes that makes Houston Methodist better for the employees coming behind me. 

2. How is your ERG impacting HM culture?
Recently we were able to change some policies and procedures to better serve and support LGBTQ patients and staff members. We are hoping that these changes will help us become not only a better hospital to our community, but also earn us a Healthcare Equality Index ranking from the Human Rights Campaign for the first time. 

3. What do you wish you knew about ERGs before joining?
That it could be so much fun. We have monthly social events that give us a chance to meet people across the system and bond. It is nice knowing others like me out there so that we can share tips on navigating the workplace hurdles we still have to endure.

National Volunteer Month

In celebration of National Volunteer Month, Houston Methodist Community Benefits invites you to invest your time and talent to help the most vulnerable of our community through I CARE in Action. I CARE in Action is Houston Methodist’s official employee volunteer program which provides paid time to volunteer at approved community organizations. Since its inception in 2012, Houston Methodist employees have provided more than 50,000 volunteer hours to 65 community partners. We encourage you to find a cause you’re passionate about, connect with your colleagues and make a difference for others. Visit houstonmethodist.org/icareinaction to register, review eligibility and frequently asked questions, learn more about our partner organizations, and view available individual and group opportunities.

System Quality and Patient Safety Symposium

You are invited to the Houston Methodist System Quality and Patient Safety Symposium. The event will be held on Friday, April 26 from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at InterContinental Houston. The program will include reducing and preventing patient harm. Click here for more information. 

Quality Time Newsletter with Dr. Shlomit Schaal

Check out the April issue of Quality Time newsletter with Dr. Shlomit Schaal by clicking here.

Engage in Patient Experience Week

Patient Experience Week is April 29 - May 5. This year, our theme is “One Houston Methodist,” in keeping with the vision articulated by many of our executive leaders, including Dr. Boom. "One Houston Methodist" means focusing on team unity and collaboration in overcoming various challenges. As we focus on "One Houston Methodist" in our respective capacities, let’s unite to enhance the patient experience through compassion, innovation and teamwork.

To celebrate Patient Experience Week, we will have a patient-centered challenge each day that we will communicate via email. Each challenge activity will take between two to five minutes to complete. Submit your activity each day using an electronic form provided in that day's email. For each activity you participate in, submit your response, and receive 300 Virgin Pulse points for each challenge completed. Complete all five activities and receive an additional 500 Virgin Pulse Points. If you participate in at least three out of the five activities for the week and submit your responses each day, you will be eligible to be entered into a random drawing to win a set of four Houston Astros dugout tickets for the 7:10 p.m. game on Tuesday, May 14, against the Oakland Athletics. Review the contest rules.

April is Occupational Therapy Month. Occupational therapy (OT) is a science-driven, evidence-based profession that enables people of all ages to participate in daily living or to live better with injury, illness, or disability. They make such a difference in the lives of our patients. Click here to read about others celebrating or raising awareness this month.

IMPORTANT DATES

JUST FOR FUN DATES

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

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.