Week of December 18, 2023
Holiday Newsletter Break
Due to the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, there will not be a newsletter sent on Monday, Dec. 25. Additionally, a shortened version of the newsletter for the week of Jan. 1 will be sent on Tuesday, Jan. 2. You can access important links in any past edition of the newsletter and can access the Garden Café menu via your badge buddy.
Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events
Do you know what to do in an active shooter event? All HMSL employees are invited to a C.R.A.S.E. course this Friday, Dec. 22. The Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (C.R.A.S.E.) seminar is instructed by the Sugar Land Police Department and will provide strategies, guidance and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event. The course is from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. in Main Conference Rooms AD. Click here for more information.
Digestive Health Center Now Open
The Digestive Health Center is now open in MOB 4! It opened one week ago and is off to a great start! Day one was busy with 15 cases. Click here for an updated map of our campus. Please keep this map in mind as you are seeing patients that may have questions about where to go. The Digestive Health Center is located in Suite 100.
HMSL Now A Milk Depot Donation Site
The HMSL Childbirth Center is now the newest milk depot location for Mothers' Milk Bank Austin - the first site in Fort Bend County. This partnership will make it easier for moms in the area to drop off their breastmilk donations, helping make a difference to newborns in need. Hailey Stanford, a mother/baby RN at HMSL, was the first donor - donating 1,740 ounces. Click here to read more about Hailey's generous donation and the milk depot.
Transition to Press Ganey’s Rounding Solution, iRound
On Jan. 1, Houston Methodist will transition from Huron’s MyRounding tool to Press Ganey’s rounding solution - iRound. Employees will no longer have access to the MyRounding tool after Dec. 31. All current and active MyRounding users have been given access to iRound and were invited to attend training. For users who were unable to attend a training session, a recording is available along with an iRound User Toolkit that includes FAQ and other resources. For questions or more information, please email Lindsay Phend at lephend@houstonmethodist.org.
November Idea Ticket Tank Winners
Congratulations to the November winners from the Idea Ticket Tank drawing. This tank is where units/departments can drop in their completed idea tickets after a solution is found and put in place. The winning idea tickets were from Caryn Goode in HR, Minju Mathew in Pharmacy, Ira Arcales in AOD and Stella Tomy in Brazos 6. You can stop by the Idea Ticket Tank at any time to read about their ideas. Please continue to submit ideas to your huddle boards and only place tickets in the tank once they've been resolved.
HMSL Staff Choir Holiday Concert
A big shout-out to the HMSL Staff Choir, who warmed our hearts last week during their holiday concert. They performed popular carols and even had the FNS team singing nearby! Remember, the choir will be caroling on the units tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 19. If you want to join in on the fun, meet outside the Brazos Chapel at noon. Anybody is welcome to join!
Excellence In Nursing Awards
HMSL had 59 nurses recognized at the 19th annual Excellence in Nursing Awards earlier this month. In total, 295 nurses from across the Houston Methodist system received Excellence in Nursing Awards from the Good Samaritan Foundation. Congratulations to all the winners. Click here to see the full list of winners.
HM Among Top 15 Health Systems
Houston Methodist was named among the top 15 health systems of 2023. Fortune and PINC AI, the technology and services platform of Premier, used Medicare data to analyze 361 U.S. health systems made up of more than 3,300 hospitals total, and discern standout organizations for its 2023 15 Top Health Systems.
Order Starbucks Ahead of Time
Have you tried pre-ordering your coffee? Skip the line using our new mobile ordering platform, myEatz, at ALL three hospital Starbucks locations. You can click here to order on your desktop or download the app to start your order. The Starbucks locations on Main 2nd Floor and Sweetwater are closed on weekends and holidays.
Rainbow Room Toy Drive Recap
Thank you to those of you who participated in the Rainbow Room Toy Drive. This picture shows a small glimpse of your generous donations - helping a total of 116 children. Your support ensures that these Rainbow Room children who experience abuse and neglect do not miss out on joy this season. Thank you for your continued support!
TLIP 3 End of Year Update
As we wrap up the year, the TLIP 3 committee implemented some initiatives around the reoccurring theme of flexible scheduling:
- Float Pool was created in April 2023 to provide additional staffing to units such as MedSurg, ICU, ED, AOD, PAT, Cath Lab, IR, Infusion Center and Outpatient areas. Some employees are currently working on obtaining certifications to be able to support areas like Radiation Oncology and Breast Center.
- Float pool is responsible for staffing the discharge lobby which operates Monday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- Execution of self-scheduling in LaborWorkx in MedSurg areas. If your department is interested in utilizing self-scheduling in LaborWorkx, click here to email for more information.
While there will be a new 2024 TLIP 3 committee, focusing on a new priority, the 2023 TLIP committee focusing on flexible scheduling will continue to meet. HMSL is committed to being a workplace of choice for our employees.
Read the HMHF 2022 Annual Report
As we close out the year, thank you for putting patients at the center of everything you do. Behind each patient and each gift is a story. These are stories about hope, perseverance and gratitude. Take a moment to read through the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation annual report magazine, which was recently converted to a more dynamic digital form, to reflect on what we are accomplishing together for the greater good. The annual report not only represents how Houston Methodist is truly leading medicine but also recognizes how much we rely on you and our supporters to make that happen.
PATIENT COMPLIMENTS
Outpatient PT/OT Patient: "My physical therapist Kristen is fantastic. She's professional. She's kind. She knows her job. She loves her job, and I'm very happy to be in her hands. Thank you."
Imaging Patient: "Lilly and Hillary were awesome. They both were understanding of my pain and got tests done with kindness, consideration and efficiency! Afterwards they helped me put my sweater back on, mindful of my severe pain. I cannot say enough good things about them both as they truly cared for me exceptionally!! Always been treated quickly and courteously at this location."
Childbirth Center Patient: "The labor and delivery department at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital was excellent. I highly recommend this team to all my friends and family. They made me feel comfortable and supported."
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, Dec. 18: Chris' Promotion Celebration. More information.
Friday, Dec. 22: Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events seminar. More information.
Monday, Dec. 25: Christmas
Tuesday, Dec. 26: Kwanzaa begins
Monday, Jan. 1: New Year's Day
JUST FOR FUN DATES
Monday, Dec. 18: Mo Amer, White Oak Music Hall
Wednesday, Dec. 20: Sarah Brightman - A Christmas Symphony, Smart Financial Centre
Sunday, Dec. 24: vs. Cleveland Browns
Monday, Dec. 18: @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Wednesday, Dec. 20: vs. Atlanta Hawks
Friday, Dec. 22: vs. Dallas Mavericks
Saturday, Dec. 23: @ New Orleans Pelicans
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish."
- Sam Walton