Houston Methodist Honored by Forbes

Forbes just released their annual list of America's Best Employers by state. Houston Methodist Hospital is ranked No. 5 in Texas! Employees were asked if they would recommend their employer to others, and to evaluate their employer based on working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, potential for development and more. Click here to see the full list.

Around the world, there is a noticeable uptick in COVID-19 infections, but there is still no reason for alarm as the numbers are far below pandemic rates. At Houston Methodist, we have more than 100 COVID-19 patients in our hospitals, a rising positivity rate and a recent increase in the number of employees with COVID-19. Again, no panic, but we want you to have this awareness so you can take precautions with masking and vaccines - and remember to tell employee health if you test positive. Read the full update from HM Executive Vice President Roberta Schwartz here, which includes information about the new booster.

Welcome Dr. Kresta

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is pleased to welcome Jennifer Kresta, M.D., board-certified general surgeon to Houston Methodist Department of Surgery. She will begin seeing patients Sept. 5. Her clinical expertise includes acute care surgery, laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery, gallbladder surgery and more. You can read more about Dr. Kresta here. If you see her in the halls, please welcome her to HMSL.

Books for Babies

Please join the Magnet Champions in collecting baby books to stock our Neonatal ICU library. Please only donate new books that have wipeable pages or are wipeable board books. Drop off books in your unit's collection basket by Nov. 17 - World Prematurity Day. Click here for more information.

Workplace Violence Tip of the Month

HMSL is committed to ensuring a safe environment for patients, employees, staff and visitors. Hospitalized patients with dementia often exhibit neuropsychiatric symptoms that include agitation, aggression, delusion, paranoia and many others. Click here to read about the ABCD approach and how it can help manage these neuropsychiatric dementia symptoms. 

Enter to Win Beyoncé Concert Tickets

Houston Methodist is offering a chance to see Beyoncé perform live at NRG Stadium when her Renaissance World Tour stops here on Saturday, Sept. 23. 12 lucky winners and their guests will win suite tickets to her concert. To enter, click here. You have until 11:59 a.m. on Tuesday August 29 to get in formation and enter. Please read contest rules here.

Free Museum Weekend

Our partners at the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land offer free visits for HMSL staff and their families over the Labor Day holiday weekend. It is a great opportunity to see their exhibit “Tree Houses” before it ends. It is a hands-on look at trees and the animals that inhabit them. There are slots for 20 families per day between Saturday, Sept. 2 and Monday, Sept. 4. Click here for a flyer with instructions for signing up. Simply show your HMSL badge at the ticket counter.

DIY Class - Candle Making

HMSL is excited to host a series of DIY classes on campus! These are open to all staff at a low cost and are a fun, new way to engage with coworkers – plus serve as a creative outlet. All sessions will take place at 5:15 p.m. in Brazos Conference Center. The first session will be candle making on Thursday, Sept. 21. All attendees will get to mix and make two candles. Click here for a flyer and to register. Registration for later events will be available in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, please email Eleanor Holmes.

Manage Unconscious Bias In-Person Learning

The Office of DEI is hosting another session in their Managing Unconscious Bias learning series. Unconscious bias can affect interactions between caregivers, their patients and co-workers. The session is Tuesday, Sept. 5, from 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. in Main BC Conference Room. Sign up through LMS with item #1605003.

Complete Your DIY Health Track by Sept. 30

How are you coming along with completing your DIY Health Track? Remember that you need at least 20,000 points to complete the DIY Health Track by Sept. 30. Not sure how many points you have earned? Look in your Virgin Pulse app. In the top right corner of the screen, you’ll see the number of points you have earned.