Week of June 12, 2023
June Town Hall Meetings
Our second quarter town hall meetings begin this week. Starting June 13, the HMSL Senior Leadership Team will share important updates and answer your questions. You can submit questions, thoughts or topics you want addressed during these town halls ahead of time by clicking here.
- Tuesday, June 13 10-11 a.m. Brazos Conference Center
- Wednesday, June 14 1-2 p.m. Virtual
- Tuesday, June 20 7:30-8:30 a.m. Virtual
- Friday, June 23 9-10 a.m. Brazos Conference Center
- Tuesday, June 27 Noon-1 p.m. Brazos Conference Center
Due to low registration, one of our upcoming Town Hall sessions on Saturday, June 24 at noon has been cancelled. Connect with your manager later this week for details related to a replacement session.
To sign up, click here and select "My Learning." In the "Find Learning" tab search for course number 1636018, select "assign to me" and then "register now." Click here for a helpful flyer. We look forward to seeing you!
SWEETWATER PAVILION CONSTRUCTION
Construction inside the Sweetwater Pavilion moves to the second floor this week. Starting today, June 12, certain hallways will be blocked off. Closures will continue until Monday, June 19. To access Sweetwater Pavilion and MOB 1, employees will be directed to the first floor. For employee access to the Childbirth Center, employees will be directed to the Sweetwater first floor staff elevators. There are no first floor disruptions this week. Weekly updates will continue in this newsletter. Please reach out to anyone on the Facilities team with any questions.
COVID-19 UPDATE
As the number of patients with COVID-19 continues to drop, changes were announced this week to the system masking policy. Always keep in mind that you should feel free to wear a mask at work even if it is not required. Here are the new guidelines:
Physicians, staff and patients are no longer required to wear a mask in clinics, except in the following situations: Masks should be worn while caring for patients who are known to be immunocompromised or are experiencing respiratory symptoms. Masks should be provided to arriving clinic patients who have respiratory symptoms. If the illness is suspected or confirmed to be related to an airborne pathogen the staff and physician should wear N95 respirators. N95 respirators, as recommended by the CDC, should be worn when caring for patients who are known or suspected to have COVID-19, or any other airborne disease.
You can read more about the new masking guidelines in an email from HM Executive Vice President Roberta Schwartz.
Juneteenth Celebration
All employees are welcome to celebrate Juneteenth with the Black Ties for Culture ERG. The celebration will be held Monday, June 19 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the HMRI Bookout Auditorium or you can join the Zoom stream here. The program will feature outreach organizations to uplift the black community, giveaways, snacks and more. Click here for registration information.
Juneteenth is a celebration to reflect upon our past and make hopeful projections of a better world for future generations. The Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation is hosting several events to celebrate, including a Community Night Out/Movie Night Celebration on June 17 and a Concert in the Park on June 18. Both events are at Hunter's Glen Park. The Black Ties for Culture ERG is raffling off 6 VIP tickets to these events. Stop by their table June 14 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. across from the Main Starbucks to win. Winners will be contacted June 15.
2023 Pride Celebrations
The LGBTQ+ Allies ERG is hosting a system-wide Pride Celebration on Thursday, June 22 at noon. The HMSL watch party will be held in Main Conference Rooms AD. The event will feature remarks by President and CEO of Houston Methodist Dr. Marc Boom and music by Theron Early, a singer/pianist. More info here.
Houston Methodist is proud to be a first time sponsor of the Houston Pride Parade! The 45th Annual Official Houston Pride Celebration featuring the Houston Pride Parade will take place on Saturday, June 24 at 7 p.m. in Downtown Houston on Smith and Milam. The parade is free and open to the public. More info here.
DEI Summer Scholarship Intern
HMSL is excited to welcome our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Summer Scholarship Program Intern. Shelby Brooks started her program on May 30. Please take a moment to read about her here. The program helps prepare students for a career in health care through hands-on experience in non-clinical positions in a variety of departments, in addition to professional development sessions and mentoring activities. Please give Shelby a warm welcome when you see her! Her internship will wrap up August 4.
Celebrate Father's Day with Dr. Boom
Join the Fathers in Health Care ERG for a virtual discussion with Dr. Marc Boom, Houston Methodist's President and Chief Executive Officer, as we celebrate Father's Day. Dr. Boom will talk about his career journey, his experiences as a health care executive and his duties as a father. The virtual discussion will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, June 13 from noon-1 p.m. Click here to register.
Enjoy your DEI Personal Day
The summer vacation season is right around the corner and it’s a great time to use your 2023 DEI Personal Day PTO hours. Eligible employees may use their DEI PTO hours to celebrate days that are special to them or other members of their faith, race, nationality or anything else that makes them unique. Don’t forget to use your personal day before the last day of the final pay period of 2023, which is December 16, 2023. For more details, see HR Policy 72.
HMSL Blood Drive
HMSL will host a blood drive on Friday, June 23. It will be held in Main conference rooms AD from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Eligible donors will receive an Astros T-shirt (while supplies last). You can also earn one hour credit towards your PTO! To schedule an appointment, click here.
This year, Certified Nursing Assistants Week is from June 15-21. This year's theme is 'We're Unstoppable.' This CNA Week we celebrate and recognize these frontline heroes. Click here to read about others raising awareness or celebrating this month.
PATIENT COMPLIMENTS
Childbirth Center Patient: "Lois in the Post Partum Unit was AMAZING! I had an unplanned C-section and was terrified, but her and Robin (Labor and Delivery) made me feel comfortable and supported! Love them both!"
Main 6 West Patient: "Everyone was very professional and caring - always ready and willing to assist with a smile. Their cheerfulness made me feel much more comfortable, in spite of my health challenges."
Wound Care Patient: "I was very satisfied with my help. I would recommend you all to anyone. You have been very, very good to me. I can't express how well I feel about you all."
IMPORTANT DATES
Tuesday, June 13: Town Hall meetings begin. More information.
Tuesday, June 13: Celebrate Father's Day with Dr. Marc Boom. Click here to register.
Monday, June 19: Black Ties for Culture ERG Juneteenth Celebration. More information.
Thursday, June 22: Pride Celebration at HMSL and on Livestream. More information.
Friday, June 23: HMSL Blood Drive. Click here to register.
Saturday, June 24: 2023 Pride Parade
Monday, June 26: Career Week begins. More information.
Wednesday, June 28: Eid al-Adha
Thursday, June 29: Asian Heritage and LGBTQ+Allies ERGs program. More information.
Friday, June 30: Deadline for telecommuting staff to acknowledge agreement
Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day
Friday, July 7: Due date for staff self-evaluation to be complete in MARS. More information.
JUST FOR FUN DATES
Tuesday, June 13 - Thursday, June 15: vs. Washington Nationals
Friday, June 16 - Sunday, June 18: vs. Cincinnati Reds
Tuesday, June 13 - Sunday, June 18: vs. Sacramento River Cats
Wednesday, June 14: Houston Symphony: Music of Elvis, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Friday, June 16: Jill Scott, Smart Financial Centre
Friday, June 16 - Saturday, June 17: Tokyo X Festival, NRG Center
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"No one is perfect – that’s why pencils have erasers."
- Wolfgang Riebe