Week of September 2, 2024
Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
These last two weeks might be in the running for my favorite two weeks on this campus. The reason? We have been handing out gold badges to new I CARE Award winners. Executive leaders, department leaders, team members, members of HR and myself have been popping into units all across the hospital, surprising employees who go above and beyond.
Overall, 10 of our colleagues were recognized by co-workers for demonstrating their commitment to our patients and our I CARE values. The heartwarming submissions included stories of compassion and excellence. Congratulations to our 2024 winners!
- Amanda Pospishil, Lead US/VASC Technologist, Radiology Ultrasound
- Chia-Hung (Rex) Chen, Physical Therapist II, PT/OT-OP
- Diane Blair, RN III, Main 4E
- Ebone Shelbia Jones, Prof. Development Generalist, Education Dept.
- Gay Bertulfo, RN III, ICU-Brazos
- Hunter Hobbs, MRI Technologist II, Radiology MRI
- John Boykin, Lead CL Rad Technologist, Cardiac Cath Lab
- Kizzie Woods, PCA/Unit Admin. Asst., Main 6W
- Morica Vincent, Sr. Recruiter, Human Resources
- Robyn Malone-Koch, Imaging Manager, Imaging
If you see these 10 individuals around HMSL, please stop them and say congratulations. These award winners exemplify our core values of Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence in their daily work. It is a huge honor to be awarded a gold badge. It's actually one of the first things i noticed when i arrived to Sugar Land. So many employees on this campus wear these gold badges with pride (one of the winners even joked they wanted to put the gold badge in their mouth like an Olympic gold medal). With so much gold on our campus, it just further proves our employees really are the best of the best.
This Labor Day holiday, I also want to say thank you to all of our employees for all of your hard work and dedication to our patients. Have a great week!
Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
Congratulations to I CARE Award Winners
The I CARE Award, a systemwide recognition program, began in 2002 to recognize and reward employees who exemplify our organizational values. Congratulations to the 10 HMSL winners. Click here to see more pictures from their celebrations!
Amanda Pospishil
Lead US/VASC Technologist, Radiology Ultrasound
Chia-Hung (Rex) Chen
Physical Therapist II, PT/OT-OP
Diane Blair
RN III, Main 4E
Ebone Shelbia Jones
Prof. Development Generalist, Education
Gay Bertulfo
RN III, ICU-Brazos
Hunter Hobbs
MRI Technologist II, Radiology MRI
John Boykin
Lead CL Rad Technologist, Cardiac Cath Lab
Kizzie Woods
PCA/Unit Admin. Asst., Main 6W
Morica Vincent
Sr. Recruiter, Human Resources
Robyn Malone-Koch
Imaging Manager, Imaging
First Pulse Field Ablation at HMSL
Congratulations to Dr. Apoor Patel and our Cath Lab team for successfully completing the first Pulse Field Ablation procedure at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital! This advanced, FDA-approved procedure treats atrial fibrillation with precision, targeting problem areas while protecting healthy tissue, resulting in safer, more effective care. Instead of using heat or cold energy as in traditional ablation, PFA uses short bursts of high energy to treat the heart tissue causing AFib. Dr. Patel and the entire team are excited for this new technology and the positive impact this will have on our patients. Thank you Dr. Patel and the team for this amazing accomplishment!
Houston Methodist Ranked #1 Employer in Texas by Forbes
Houston Methodist is proud to announce we've been ranked as the No. 1 employer in Texas by Forbes! This recognition reflects our commitment to excellence, both in patient care and as a workplace. Thank you to our incredible team for making Houston Methodist a great place to work. For more details, check out the full list here.
Pathway to Unparalleled
Employee sessions are now underway and continue through October. All employees are strongly encouraged to attend and to register as soon as possible. Click here to register for a class between now and September 19. Click here to register for a session between September 10 and October 25.
Excellence in Nursing Award
Do you work with a nurse who is OUTSTANDING? Now is the time to nominate a colleague for this year's Excellence in Nursing Award. At HMSL, we are dedicated to honoring those who embody our I CARE values. The deadline is Monday, Sept. 9. Click here for more information on how to nominate.
New Food Option Coming to HMSL
Have you noticed the construction near the Garden Café? Amazon's checkout-free technology, Just Walk Out, is coming to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. Shoppers will be able to enter with a credit card, scan it upon arrival and then grab what they want. After that, shoppers Just Walk Out. The store will be open 24/7. More information to come!
Fit Club Winners 2024
Employee Wellness recently hosted their annual Summer Fit Club Challenge with employees to determine who is the fittest at HMSL. Events included challenges like longest plank, longest time jumping rope, longest farmer carry hold and much more. Our first place winners call themselves 'Slow Down for What': Shayla White, Demarcus Davis, Jorge Bonilla, Sarah Cheung and Kassie Bubela. Our second place winners call themselves 'Team Tu Tu Oncology Cheerleaders': Tia Simmons, Amalia “Rose” Gonzales, Ashley Lundquist, Jennifer Cerda and Irasema Sifuentes. And our third place winners are '2 Fit 2 Quit': Ezell Montgomery and Verdillia Leblanc. Thank you to everybody who participated! Click here to read more about the competition and the full list of winners.
1st place:
Slow Down for What
2nd place:
Tu Tu Oncology Cheerleaders
3rd place:
2 Fit 2 Quit
Graduate Nurse Winter Cohort 2025 Application Period Now Open
The Houston Methodist Nurse Residency Program is a year-long program designed to guide newly licensed nurses in their professional journey. It focuses on leadership development, clinical judgment and evidence-based practices to help nurses transition from an advanced beginner to a skilled professional nurse. Applications for the winter cohort are now open through Sept. 9. To review the locations participating and apply, please visit the internal careers site via MARS.
Win a Free Chevron Houston Marathon Entry
Employee Wellness wants to support you on your running journey. Enter to win an entry to the Chevron Houston Marathon (26.2 miles) or Aramco Houston Half Marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. This offer is for Houston Methodist Employees only. You must fill out the form by Tuesday, September 10. If you are selected, we will notify you by phone and email by Sept. 16. By completing this event, you will receive 10,000 points toward completion of your 2025 Health Track. To receive credit, notify Employee Wellness with your completion. Submit your entry here.
Join or Donate to HM Race for the Cure Team
Houston Methodist is once again joining the Komen Houston Race for the Cure, the largest gathering of breast cancer advocates, survivors and supporters in Houston. This year’s event is Saturday, Oct. 5, at Sam Houston Park just outside downtown.
There are two ways to join a team. You can join the main Houston Methodist team, or create your own Houston Methodist team.
When you register for the walk, you will be offered a Komen T-shirt and choose a size. All T-shirts from the Komen organization will be mailed for this year’s event, so registering early is important. Register by Sunday, Sept. 10, to receive your T-shirt before the event. If you register after Sept. 10, you will still receive a T-shirt, but you may not receive it until after the walk.
If you are an employee who is a breast cancer survivor (in treatment, post-treatment, metastatic breast cancer) and you would like your name on our team banner that will be carried during the walk, complete this form. This year, we’ll have complimentary Houston Methodist team survivor T-shirts to be worn on race day for employees who are breast cancer survivors and have registered for the Komen Race for the Cure. If you are an employee and you are a breast cancer survivor, use this form to give us your T-shirt size by Wednesday, Sept, 4, and register for the race no later than Sept. 4.
2024 I CARE in Action Week
Houston Methodist established I CARE in Action as a way to bring our values of integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence to the greater Houston community through volunteerism. We invite you to save the date and join us for this year’s I CARE in Action Week supporting healthy neighborhoods through quality, affordable housing. Registration opens on Sept. 16.
Visit houstonmethodist.org/icareinaction for frequently asked questions and additional information. Here at HMSL, we will be participating on Tuesday, October 15, Rebuilding Together Houston.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, September 2: Labor Day
Monday, September 2: Employee Health Closed
Monday, September 9: Deadline to nominate 2024 Excellence in Nursing Award. More information.
Thursday, September 12: HMSL Blood Drive. More information.
Thursday, September 12: Back & Neck Pain Seminar. More information.
Thursday, September 12 - Friday, September 20: National Library of Medicine Traveling Art Exhibit across Main Starbucks
Saturday, September 14: The Michael J. Fox Foundation's 2024 Run/Walk Series. More information.
Friday, September 27: Coffee Talk. More information.
Monday, September 30: Deadline to complete DIY Health Track.
Saturday, October 5: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. More information.
Sunday, October 13: Houston Methodist Sugar Land Half Marathon. Register here.
Monday, October 14 - Friday, October 18: 2024 I CARE in Action Week. More information.
Monday, October 21: 2024 CV Nursing Conference. Register here.
Saturday, October 26: 2024 Houston Heart Walk. More information.
JUST FOR FUN DATES
Monday, September 2: @ Cincinnati Reds
Wednesday, September 4 - Thursday, September 5: @ Cincinnati Reds
Friday, September 6 - Sunday, September 8: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Tuesday, September 3 - Sunday, September 8: @ Oklahoma City Baseball Club
Sunday, September 8: @ Indianapolis Colts
Wednesday, September 4: Twenty One Pilots, Toyota Center
Saturday, September 7: Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Smart Financial Centre
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Someday is not a day of the week."
- Janet Dailey
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.