Week of November 11, 2024
Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
I want to take a moment to honor the courage, dedication and sacrifices of all those who have served in our nation's military. Today is Veterans Day and it is a time to express our gratitude to the men and women who have put service above self. I know here at HMSL there are many of you who have served, including many in your families. Thank you for protecting the freedoms we have today. Thank you for your service. Houston Methodist will honor our employees who have served today - there is a link below to the livestream.
It is an exciting time to be a Houston Methodist employee! Not only is this week a patient satisfaction bonus, but I hope you all read the series of announcements from Dr. Boom last week. In case you missed it, all eligible employees received one bonus day of PTO, an additional $100 to your emergency savings fund and a $100 DoorDash credit. He also announced 315 employees will receive $10,000 each (one of the largest giveaways ever)! These giveaways are a result of the feedback you all shared during our total rewards survey and we listened. We cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work. I echo what Dr. Boom said - Houston Methodist is leading medicine because of you.
Finally, I want to get something on your radar - our new intranet platform The Hub launches on December 4. It will provide a unified Houston Methodist experience systemwide with a shared homepage for all employees. The homepage will feature special sections customized based on your location and role. HMSL employees will find a dedicated section offering a preview of upcoming HMSL events, easy access to the CEO newsletter and hospital homepage and the latest department updates. An additional section for the nursing staff will provide easy access to the latest HMSL nursing events and updates, ensuring you have the latest information you need. We look forward to offering you easy access to all the tools you need to do your job.
Have a great week,
Michael Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
Celebrating Houston Methodist Employees
Dr. Boom made several exciting announcements last week - all to celebrate you.
Bonus Day of PTO
All eligible employees will receive a bonus day of PTO. This is Houston Methodist’s way of celebrating you and thanking you for the hard work you do every day. For employees who were benefits eligible as of November 1, your bonus PTO has been added to your balance already. Executives, physicians, residents and tenured scientists are not eligible. The bonus PTO hours do not expire since they are simply part of your PTO balance. Hours were awarded in alignment with PTO holiday accruals and are based on your weekly standard hours:
Get a $100 deposit into your Fidelity Savings Fund
All eligible Houston Methodist employees can also receive a $100 deposit into a Fidelity savings fund. In order to receive the emergency savings fund deposit, if you don’t already have a Goal Booster account with Fidelity, you must open one by December 26 using your Houston Methodist email address. Click here to open a Fidelity Goal Booster account. If you already have an emergency savings fund set up, you will receive the deposit in one of your existing accounts, and you don’t need to take any action. This deposit will be in addition to the match of up to $250 that will be deposited in January. We encourage you to save this money for an emergency, but you can withdraw the deposit at any time. The $100 will be deposited in January 2025.
HM is putting a $100 credit on your DoorDash account
All eligible employees will receive a $100 DoorDash Credit. The credit was added to your account on Friday, November 8. We hope you take the time to share a meal with those you love. In order to receive the DoorDash credit you must be a full-time or part-time employee as of October 30 and PRN employees who worked at least 240 hours between July 15 and October 19, 2024, will be eligible to receive this credit. You can use the $100 on one big order or make multiple smaller orders until the money is gone. The total value must be used by January 15.
Giveaway: 315 Employees will receive $10,000
If you are eligible, you are automatically entered into the random drawing. All full-time and part-time employees hired by July 1, 2024, are eligible. This giveaway is not open to executives, physicians, tenured scientists, residents or directors. To help with a vacation getaway, we’re also giving these 315 lucky winners a Houston Methodist-branded carry-on suitcase from Away. Winners will be announced starting in mid-December. You will receive a grossed-up amount in a payment on December 19 where Houston Methodist is paying the taxes, and you will receive the full $10,000 after taxes.
Veterans Day Celebration
In celebration of Veterans Day, please join us in person or virtually for a ceremony to honor our Houston Methodist employees, their loved ones and all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The celebration will be from 11-11:30 a.m., today, November 11 in the Bush Atrium at Walter Tower at HMH. The program will feature a Color Guard presentation, a Veterans Day poem, a performance of the National Anthem sung by the Houston Methodist Singers, guest speakers including President and CEO Dr. Marc Boom and photos showcasing our proud veterans. Click here to attend online. This program is presented by Veterans Alliance Employee Resource Group and the Center for Performing Arts Medicine.
2024 HMSL Holiday Party - RSVP Now
The annual HMSL Holiday Celebration is coming up on Saturday, December 14 and you can RSVP now. The festivities will take place at Safari Texas Ranch. The event starts at 7 p.m. and you are allowed to bring a guest. Please keep in mind space is limited so reserve your spot now! Click here to RSVP. We know this a popular event every year, so here is the Holiday Celebration FAQ.
Employee Opinion Survey - Giveaway Winners
Our HMSL 2024 EOS winners have been announced. We have seven grand prize winners. Congratulations to Matt Tickle and Usha Kizhakkedan – you have won tickets to an upcoming Houston Texans game! Another big congratulations to five employees who will soon have lunch with our CEO, Michael Garcia: Lee James Consolacion, Pauline Ng, Riaellen Tatlonghari, Ainy Ali and Laura Guevara. We also have more than 1350 winners – winning either a Houston Astros Jose Altuve jersey, Houston Astros retro duffle bag or a Houston Astros Jose Altuve cup. Click here to check if you are a winner. Thank you to everyone who participated.
Patient Satisfaction Bonus
All eligible employees will receive a patient satisfaction bonus on Wednesday, November 13. The amount of the bonus will vary by entity. See your bonus amount. Learn more about the requirements for eligibility.
World Diabetes Day
Did you know one in 10 adults worldwide have diabetes? Join us in the main lobby, across from Starbucks, on Thursday, November 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to learn about preventing, managing and testing for diabetes. All Houston Methodist employees, patients, caregivers and families are welcome! Employees can earn 500 HealthyDirections+ points by scanning their badges at the wellness table. Don’t miss this opportunity to know your risk and learn proactive steps for your health. Click here for more information.
Pre-Order Thanksgiving Meats and Desserts
Believe it or not, we are a little more than two weeks away from Thanksgiving. If preparing a big feast or a table of desserts overwhelms you, the HMSL Food & Nutrition Services department is here to help you. They are offering a selection of meats and desserts for pre-order that you can pick up at the Garden Café - everything from turkeys, hams and briskets to delicious pies and cobblers! Orders must be placed by Friday, November 22 at 3 p.m.
Cookies with Santa
The Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land is once again offering an exclusive hour of Cookies with Santa for HMSL employees and their families. The event is Saturday, December 7 from 9 - 10 a.m., the hour before it opens to the public. Spots are limited and you can sign up as a family of six - an HMSL employee and five family members. Click here to sign up. Please comment your family size in whole numbers only. Do not comment "me plus four kids and my husband". Space is limited so sign up today!
Blanket Drive
Help the local homeless community stay warm. The second annual blanket drive is now underway. The Women's Empowerment Alliance ERG is collecting new and gently used blankets through November 29. All donations will go to Hope Impacts to support the local homeless community. There are three collection boxes around the hospital: the security desk at the front entrance of Bhalla Main Pavilion, the security desk in MOB 3 and the security desk in MOB 4. Click here for more information.
HMSL Welcomes New Physician
HMSL is welcoming a new physician to our campus. Dr. Chimi L. Fosso is joining Houston Methodist Oncology Partners in MOB 4, specializing in hematology oncology. Her clinical interests include blood disorders, clotting disorders and malignant hematology. If you see Dr. Fosso in the halls, please welcome her to HMSL!
Open Enrollment Starts This Week
The Open Enrollment period for benefits is Thursday, November 14 through Friday, December 6. This is your chance to re-evaluate your benefit elections and consider whether you need to make changes. Houston Methodist will mail the Open Enrollment guide to your home address this week. It includes benefit plan changes, reminders and instructions on how to make the most of your benefits in the new year. Something to consider: do you want to sell PTO?
You can cash out on the value of your unused paid time off. Here are your options for selling PTO in the next four months. If you need some money right away, you can sell at a rate of 75% starting November 17. If you can wait a few months for your money, you can sell at 100% and receive a payout as early as May 22, 2025. If your date of hire is on or after January 1, 2023, you must have four years of service from your most recent date of hire to be eligible to sell PTO.
American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative Podcast
It's Lung Cancer Awareness month and Joan Burnham, thoracic oncology nurse navigator at HMSL, recently joined a podcast with the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative group to discuss lung cancer screenings. Joan discussed barriers to receiving lung cancer screenings, the stigma associated with lung cancer and smoking cessation. You can listen to the podcast on multiple platforms: Anchor, Spotify, Apple and YouTube. Thank you Joan for representing HMSL!
Comprehensive Neuroscience Seminar
HMSL hosted a comprehensive Neuroscience Seminar last week. Dozens of people from our community came out to hear neurologists Dr. Tony Zhang and Dr. Darine Kassar and Dr. Joseph A. Elias with Houston Methodist Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Associates speak about neurological disorders. A special shout out to Maureen Lall for hosting our event and for sharing your expertise. Thank you to all four for representing HMSL!
2024 National ANCC Magnet Conference
Last week we had 20 HMSL nurses attend the 2024 National ANCC Magnet Conference® in New Orleans. We had one poster presentation from Marieta Rasco, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC and Rose Sullivan, BSN, RN, CCRN, SCRN on 'Implementing a Comprehensive Open-Heart Training Program' that was presented to nearly 14,000 nurses. The 2025 ANCC National Magnet Conference® will be held in Atlanta from October 8-10, 2025. The conference call for abstracts opened Friday, November 1, 2024, and closes Monday, December 16, 2024, at noon ET. If you have a nurse-led project you would like to submit an abstract for, email Whitney Adams. Let’s see HMSL shine!
November is another busy month for celebrations. This week we celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week and Perioperative Nurse Week. Click here to read about others celebrating this November.
IMPORTANT DATES
Now - Friday, November 29: Blanket Drive. More information.
Monday, November 11: Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 13: Patient satisfaction bonus payout. More information.
Thursday, November 14: Open Enrollment begins
Thursday, November 14: World Diabetes Day Event. More information.
Saturday, November 16: Diabetes Walk. More information.
Thursday, November 21: World Pressure Injury Day. More information.
Thursday, November 28: Thanksgiving holiday
Friday, November 29: Day after Thanksgiving holiday
Wednesday, December 4: Launch of The Hub. More information.
Friday, December 6: Open Enrollment ends
Saturday, December 7: Cookies with Santa. Sign up here.
Saturday, December 14: Last day to use 2024 DEI personal day hours
Saturday, December 14: HMSL Holiday Party. More information.
Wednesday, December 25: Christmas holiday
Wednesday, January 1: New Year's Day holiday.
JUST FOR FUN DATES
Monday, November 18: @ Dallas Cowboys
Monday, November 11: vs. Washington Wizards
Wednesday, November 13: vs. LA Clippers
Friday, November 15: vs. LA Clippers
Sunday, November 17: @ Chicago Bulls
Thursday, November 14 - Sunday, November 17: Nutcracker Market, NRG Center
Friday, November 15: Chelsea Handler, Smart Financial Centre
Sunday, November 17: Jelly Roll, Toyota Center
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"For the veteran, thank you for bravely doing what you’re called to do so we can safely do what we’re free to do.”
- Unknown
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.