Week of July 29, 2024
Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
One of my favorite things to do within the Houston Methodist system is to celebrate our staff. You all here at HMSL are truly the best of the best, always willing to help not only our patients, but each other. I truly enjoyed seeing more than 1,000 of you last week when we celebrated our U.S. News & World Report ranking. Pictures from both events are down below in the newsletter. It’s always great when senior leaders and I get the opportunity to chat with you all. And there are two more opportunities this week!
Today, a Houston Astros player will be joining us on campus. They are mid-way through the season, and we are mid-way through the year – so let’s celebrate our success and keep up the momentum! Details on his appearance are below. Please remember your I CARE values during this event.
The second celebration will be this Thursday. August 1 – and it is to show our appreciation for all of your hard work during Hurricane Beryl. The storm took us all by surprise and I know many of you all are still recovering at home. Hopefully you've seen Dr. Boom's email this morning about the $750 bonus! While the bonus was in the works before Hurricane Beryl affected us, as Dr. Boom said, your dedication during and after the storm only reinforced our gratitude. To acknowledge your hard work here at HMSL, please join us for Chick-fil-A breakfast sandwiches and Kona Ice food trucks. More details below. I’ll see you Thursday!
In more celebratory news, please join me in congratulating Houston Methodist President and CEO, Dr. Marc Boom, for being elected the chair-elect designate of the American Hospital Association (AHA). Dr. Boom will serve as chair-elect in 2025 and become the 2026 chair of the AHA, the top-elected official of the national organization representing and serving more than 5,000 hospitals and providers committed to improving health care. I have worked with Dr. Boom for more than a decade and am truly grateful not only for leadership, but for his friendship. I’m excited he is being recognized for innovation and can’t wait to see him lead our nation’s health care system.
One final note this week – I know many of us will be watching Team USA compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. I myself am excited to see our local athletes compete on the world stage. While many of them will win medals for being the best in their sports, their dedication reminds me a lot of health care workers. We all want to be the best and we want to inspire others. Thank you all for being at the top of your game!
Have a great week,
Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
Houston Astros Player Appearance
We're celebrating big today! A Houston Astros player will be stopping by HMSL today, July 29, to take photos with staff. This event will be in Brazos BC from 11 a.m. - noon. Due to time constraints, the player will not be signing autographs. Please bring your cell phone and we will take your picture so we can keep the line moving efficiently, making sure everyone has a chance to participate. Click here for a helpful flyer. Please note, this event is exclusively for HMSL employees, please do not bring family members or friends. Thank you for understanding.
Employee Celebration after Hurricane Beryl
Please join the HMSL Senior Leadership team on Thursday, August 1 for a day of appreciation and celebration! We want to acknowledge all of your hard work during Hurricane Beryl. In the morning from 6:30-8 a.m., stop by one of three entrances for a Chick-fil-A breakfast sandwich. Tables will be set up at the Sweetwater entrance, the Sweetwater skybridge and the Main skybridge. In the afternoon, cool off in the summer heat with refreshing shaved ice from Kona Ice. There will be two trucks parked in the surface lot behind Garage A from 2-4 p.m. Click here for a helpful flyer. See you there!
U.S News & World Report Ranking Celebration
Thank you to all of the staff who joined Senior Leaders in celebrating our U.S. News & World Report rankings. HMSL has been recognized as the No. 6 hospital in Houston and the No. 9 hospital in Texas. These rankings would not be possible without you and your hard work. We hope you enjoyed the donuts and popsicles! Click here for more pictures.
Enter to Win Texans Preseason Tickets - Deadline Thursday
Enter now to win tickets for you and a guest to attend a Texans’ preseason game on Aug. 17 or Aug. 24. To be eligible to win, fill out your contact information and name your favorite player via this form. 28 winners will be randomly selected to see the new team from the vantage point of a suite or the 100 level in NRG Stadium. The contest is open to all current Houston Methodist employees, excluding physicians and executives. For a complete list of rules, click here. The contest ends at 11:59 a.m. Tuesday, July 30.
AHA Heart Walk - Coaches Needed
Nearly every one of us has a connection to heart disease and now it's almost time to walk and save lives. This year's American Heart Association Heart Walk will be held on Saturday, October 26 at Helix Park in the Texas Medical Center. Every walker who joins and every dollar donated means more research, more people trained in lifesaving CPR and more medical breakthroughs. If you are interested in leading a team, click here to register for a kick-off meeting on Thursday, August 1 at 11 a.m. Click here to register for the walk on our HMSL team page.
Community Baby Shower This Friday
Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land invites new and expectant moms — along with their partners and babies — to our annual Community Baby Shower! The event will be this Friday, August 2 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. There will be three dozen vendors on site, including car seat safety and lactation consultants. For more information, including registration, click here. Please share with friends and family!
How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?
It's a question many of us have - how often should you wash your hair? Dr. Jennifer Maender, a dermatologist with HMSL, has the answer. She was recently interviewed for the Houston Methodist On Health Blog, where she shared her thoughts, and the answer might surprise you. Click here to read the blog.
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 August 6, from 10 - 11 a.m. in Brazos BC. Click here to register.
Register Now for Pathway to Unparalleled
Pathway to Unparalleled (PTU) is back and this year’s 90-minute interactive program is designed to help employees think about unparalleled quality. Employee sessions begin Aug. 22 and continue through October. All Houston Methodist employees are strongly encouraged to attend and to register as soon as possible. Classes at HMSL tend to fill up quickly. Employees can register for a PTU session in LMS by following these instructions:
- Log in to MARS and click on the LMS SuccessFactors tile
- On the rotating carousel, when the PTU picture appears, click Register for a class
- Find a date/time that works with your schedule
- Click the Register Now button to enroll in a session
Holidays for 2025 Announced
Houston Methodist employees will have nine paid holidays in 2025. When Christmas falls on a Thursday, as it will in 2025, the Friday after the holiday is awarded as an additional holiday. To review the remaining holidays for 2024, click here.
Date
Wednesday, Jan. 1
Friday, April 18
Monday, May 26
Friday, July 4
Monday, Sept. 1
Thursday, Nov. 27
Friday, Nov. 28
Thursday, Dec. 25
Friday, Dec. 26
Holiday
New Year's Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving
Christmas
Day after Christmas
Enter CPAM Photo Contest
The Center for Performing Arts Medicine is accepting photographs for Natural Harmony, the 2024 Healing Arts Exhibition theme. We invite you to use any camera, even the one on your phone, to photograph the serene and balanced relationship between nature and its elements. Whether in the backyard environment of a home, a walk in the park or the middle of a breathtaking travel experience, please submit your photos. The CPAM team will select photos from the entries to display in the Dunn Tower Crosswalk Gallery at HMH. This competition is open to all Houston Methodist employees, physicians and volunteers. The entry deadline is 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26. Click here to submit your photographs.
Introducing Office of Sustainability Newsletter
The Office of Sustainability is rolling out a quarterly newsletter. This newsletter will share departmental updates, campus events and systemwide sustainability efforts. It will also help you connect with your campus sustainability committees and learn about involvement opportunities. The first newsletter is expected to arrive in late August. If you are interested in receiving it, you can click here to sign up.
Quality Time Newsletter with Dr. Shlomit Schaal
Check out the July issue of Quality Time newsletter with Dr. Shlomit Schaal by clicking here.
Complete Your DIY Health Track
If you are assigned to the Do It Yourself (DIY) Health Track, you will earn the 2025 HealthyDirections+ premium by earning 20,000 points in Virgin Pulse by Sept. 30. That means you have about two months left! Please note that if you have a spouse on our medical plan, your spouse must also complete the assigned Health Track. Remember, you must register with Virgin Pulse. Next, look under Home > Rewards > How to Earn so you can see all of the various ways to earn points! Learn more about all the ways you can earn points. If you use a fitness device to earn points, remember to sync your device at least once every seven days.
Sugar Land Half Marathon
Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is the title sponsor for the Sugar Land Half Marathon coming up on Sunday, October 13. If you are interested in volunteering at the event, you can register here. If you are interested in running the half marathon, 10k or family mile, click here.
Save the Date: 2024 CV Nursing Conference on Oct. 21
This year's theme is Matters of the Heart: Leading the Way. The conference is October 21 from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Houston Methodist Research Institute Bookout Auditorium and MITIE Lab. Attendees will learn from various Houston Methodist cardiovascular clinicians on shared decision-making, cardiogenic shock, hemodynamics and more. Additionally, attendees will have a hands-on learning opportunity at the MITIE Lab featuring the "Tour Through the Heart," an interactive session guided by Houston Methodist cardiovascular surgeons to better understand cardiac anatomy. This conference will be open to cardiovascular RNs and APRNs. Click here to register.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, July 29: Houston Astros Player Appearance - Employee Only Celebration. More information.
Tuesday, July 30: Deadline to enter Houston Texans ticket contest. More information.
Thursday, August 1: Post-Beryl Employee Appreciation. More information.
Friday, August 2: Community Baby Shower. More information.
Sunday, August 4: Epic Update (Rescheduled)
Tuesday, August 6: Patient satisfaction bonus payout
Tuesday, August 6: Recognizing the Impact of Microaggressions. More information.
Friday, August 9: Back-to-School Shoe Drive. More information.
Thursday, August 22: Pathway to Unparalleled sessions begin
Friday, August 23: Deadline to complete bariatric sensitivity module in LMS
Monday, August 26: Deadline to enter CPAM photo contest. More information.
Monday, September 2: Labor Day
Monday, September 9: Deadline to nominate 2024 Excellence in Nursing Award. More information.
Thursday, September 12: Back & Neck Pain Seminar. More information.
Monday, September 30: Deadline to complete DIY Health Track.
Sunday, October 13: Sugar Land Half Marathon. Register here.
Monday, October 21: 2024 CV Nursing Conference. Register here.
Saturday, October 26: 2024 Houston Heart Walk. More information.
JUST FOR FUN DATES
Monday, July 29 - Wednesday, July 31: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Friday, August 2 - Sunday, August 4: vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Tuesday, July 30- Sunday, August 4: @ Round Rock Express
Thursday, August 1 - Sunday, August 11: Cirque du Soleil Songblazers, Smart Financial Centre
Friday, August 2 - Sunday, August 4: Abilities Expo, NRG Center
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Don’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the further you get."
- Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimmer
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.