Cook Childrens Medical Center

KNOWING THAT EVERY CHILD'S LIFE IS SACRED OUR PROMISE IS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF EVERY CHILD IN OUR REGION THROUGH THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ILLNESS, DISEASE AND INJURY.

COOK CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER IS THE CORNERSTONE OF COOK CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. THIS 444-BED FACILITY IS HOME TO TOP MEDICAL MINDS, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, FAMILY-CENTERED TREATMENTS AND LEADING-EDGE CLINICAL RESEARCH, ALL DESIGNED TO FULFILL ITS PROMISE TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF EVERY CHILD THROUGH THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ILLNESS, DISEASE AND INJURY. NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SERVICES SUCH AS THE LEVEL IV NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, THE JANE AND JOHN JUSTIN NEUROSCIENCES CENTER AND THE HEMATOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY CENTER ARE LEADING THE WAY IN PROVIDING THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CARE TO FAMILIES WHO TRAVEL TO THE MEDICAL CENTER FROM ALL ACROSS TEXAS AND THE UNITED STATES, AS WELL AS INTERNATIONALLY. FROM COMPLICATED SURGERIES AND LEVEL II TRAUMA CARE TO PHYSICAL THERAPY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, THE MEDICAL CENTER OFFERS A VARIETY OF SERVICES AND AMENITIES TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE FAMILIES IT SERVES. IT IS ONE OF ONLY 10 FREESTANDING CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS IN THE WORLD TO ACHIEVE MAGNET DESIGNATION WITH THREE CONSECUTIVE RE-DESIGNATIONS FROM THE AMERICAN NURSING CREDENTIALING CENTER, MOST RECENTLY IN FEBRUARY 2021. AT THE START OF FISCAL YEAR 2021, COOK CHILDREN'S REMAINED IN THE THROES OF MANAGING ITS RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ALL THE WHILE BALANCING A RETURN TO AS NORMAL OF OPERATIONS AS SAFELY POSSIBLE. AS VARIANTS CAME AND WENT, THE MEDICAL CENTER HAD TO BE NIMBLE, FLEXIBLE AND QUICK TO ADJUST TO EACH NEW SURGE, AND IT REMAINED LASER-FOCUSED ON ITS THREE COVID-19 RESPONSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES: 1. ZERO TRANSMISSION TO STAFF FROM PATIENT OR CAREGIVER. 2. NO PATIENT ENCOUNTER WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE). 3. HAVE A BED AND SUPPORT FOR EVERY PATIENT. TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF ILLNESS, COOK CHILDREN'S COVID COMMAND CENTER MAINTAINED SAFETY PROTOCOLS PUT INTO PLACE EARLY IN THE PANDEMIC, SUCH AS LIMITING VISITORS AND INSTITUTING WORK-FROM-HOME PLANS. A LATE SUMMER COVID SURGE STRESSED PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL BED CAPACITY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. COOK CHILDREN'S RESPONDED BY POSTPONING ELECTIVE SURGERIES FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS PRESERVED BED SPACE AND ALSO ALLOWED PERIOPERATIVE NURSES TO BE UTILIZED ON OTHER PATIENT CARE UNITS THAT NEEDED EXTRA NURSING HANDS. TELEHEALTH BECAME A CRITICAL RESOURCE THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF COVID-19, COOK CHILDREN'S TOOK STEPS TO INCREASE ITS BANDWIDTH TO SUPPORT THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IN VIRTUAL HEALTH VISITS. SUPPORTING TELEHEALTH SERVICES REMAINED A PRIORITY IN FY21. THE YEAR'S VIRTUAL HEALTH VISITS TOTALED MORE THAN 80,000 ACROSS ALL OF COOK CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. OPERATION VACCINATION PROTECTING THE WORKFORCE BECAME PARAMOUNT DURING THE PANDEMIC, BECAUSE HEALTHY AND STRONG EMPLOYEES ENSURED THE CONTINUATION OF QUALITY PATIENT CARE. IN DECEMBER 2020, VACCINATIONS WERE ADDED TO THE MEDICAL CENTER'S ARSENAL OF PROTECTIVE MEASURES, AND IT LED THE WAY IN EDUCATING ITS WORKFORCE AND THE COMMUNITY ABOUT COVID-19 IMMUNIZATIONS THROUGH ITS VARIOUS COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS. IT ALSO PREPARED TO RECEIVE, STORE AND ADMINISTER COVID SHOTS TO EMPLOYEES AND THE COMMUNITY. THE FIRST DOSES OF THE VACCINE WERE GIVEN TO COOK CHILDREN'S EMPLOYEES ON DEC. 17, 2020. ONCE VACCINATIONS WERE OPEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE IT TEAM CREATED A PATIENT PORTAL WITHIN DAYS TO SUPPORT A MASSIVE DRIVE-THRU VACCINATION EFFORT. COOK CHILDREN'S PHYSICIAN NETWORK (CCPN) VACCINATION EFFORTS RESULTED IN 3,511 CHILDREN RECEIVING ONE OR BOTH OF THEIR VACCINE DOSES THROUGH 24 VACCINE CLINIC EVENTS IN 2021. IN ADDITION, CCPN PRIMARY CARE PRACTICES AND COOK CHILDREN'S NEIGHBORHOOD CLINICS VACCINATED 3,567 PATIENTS IN 2021 AND CONTINUE TO DO SO AS PART OF THE PATIENT CARE SERVICES THEY ROUTINELY OFFER. BY THE END OF FY21, ALL COOK CHILDREN'S EMPLOYEES NOT QUALIFIED FOR AN EXEMPTION HAD RECEIVED THE VACCINE. IN TOTAL, COOK CHILDREN'S PROVIDED VACCINES FOR 19,822 PEOPLE. RAISING JOY AS THE PANDEMIC STRETCHED INTO A YEAR, ANOTHER CRITICAL HEALTH ISSUE BECAME APPARENT. COOK CHILDREN'S PHYSICIANS WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO SOUND THE ALARM ON THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN KIDS AND TEENS. ISOLATION, FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY HAD TAKEN ITS TOLL. IN MARCH 2021, COOK CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER REPORTED RECORD NUMBERS OF SUICIDES AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDES WITH PATIENTS AS YOUNG AS 7, AND IT MARKED THE FIRST TIME SUICIDE BECAME THE LEADING CAUSE OF TRAUMA DEATH, SURPASSING CHILD ABUSE AND CAR WRECKS. IN RESPONSE, THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM INITIATED THE JOY CAMPAIGN IN APRIL 2021-AN ONGOING SERIES THAT ADDRESSES AND EDUCATES READERS ON CHILDREN'S RISING MENTAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS AND ISSUES THEY MAY FACE. PANDEMIC INSPIRES IMPROVEMENT FISCAL YEARS 2020 AND 2021 WERE TWO OF THE MOST DIFFICULT YEARS IN THE HISTORY OF CCMC, BUT OUT OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC EMERGED A STRONGER ORGANIZATION BETTER EQUIPPED FOR THE FUTURE. THE PANDEMIC SHINED A LIGHT ON THE NEED FOR A DEDICATED INFECTIOUS DISEASE UNIT WITH FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT THE SICKEST PATIENTS WHILE ALSO PROTECTING STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY FROM THE SPREAD OF ILLNESS. TO THAT END, COOK CHILDREN'S BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW 6-BED INFECTIOUS DISEASES CRITICAL CARE UNIT (CCU), A 32-BED MEDICAL SURGICAL UNIT, AND A 24-HOUR SOLUTIONS CENTER WITH SPACE SET ASIDE FOR INCIDENT COMMAND. AN EXISTING 20-BED UNIT WAS SLATED TO BECOME A DEDICATED INFECTIOUS DISEASES UNIT FOR THE TREATMENT OF NON-CRITICAL CONTAGIOUS PATIENTS SUCH AS THOSE HOSPITALIZED FOR FLU, COVID-19, RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) AND OTHER VIRUSES. THE EXPANSION WILL BE COMPLETE IN FY22. EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS EVEN WHILE OPERATING UNDER THE CLOUD OF THE PANDEMIC IN ALL OF FY21, CCMC CONTINUED TO PURSUE QUALITY, SAFETY AND COMMUNICATION. PATIENT EXPERIENCE SCORES AVERAGED 88.6%, EXCEEDING THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION (CHA) AVERAGE AND EARNING EMPLOYEES A PERFORMANCE BONUS. CAPPING ITS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ACHIEVEMENTS IN PATIENT SAFETY AND QUALITY, CCMC WAS NAMED A TOP CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NATIONALLY BY THE LEAPFROG GROUP IN EARLY FY21. THE LEAPFROG TOP HOSPITAL AWARD IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED AS ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE AWARDS AMERICAN HOSPITALS CAN RECEIVE. THE TOP HOSPITAL DESIGNATION IS BESTOWED BY THE LEAPFROG GROUP, A NATIONAL WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION OF EMPLOYERS AND OTHER PURCHASERS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE TOUGHEST STANDARD-SETTERS FOR HEALTH CARE SAFETY AND QUALITY. AS OF JULY 2021, COOK CHILDREN'S HYPERINSULINISM CENTER IS ONE OF ONLY SIX HYPERINSULINISM CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN THE WORLD. THE DESIGNATION, AWARDED BY CONGENITAL HYPERINSULINISM INTERNATIONAL, RECOGNIZES CENTERS THAT PROVIDE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CARE TO CONGENITAL HYPERINSULINISM (CHI) PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. ALSO IN JULY, COOK CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER BECAME ONE OF 33 HOSPITALS IN THE WORLD TO RECEIVE THE COVETED LANTERN AWARD FROM THE EMERGENCY NURSES ASSOCIATION (ENA). THE GROUP RECOGNIZED COOK CHILDREN'S EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT (ED) FOR DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL AND INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE THROUGH LEADERSHIP, PRACTICES, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH. THE AWARD IS GIVEN TO HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS BOTH IN THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONALLY, AND IS A VISIBLE SYMBOL OF COMMITMENT TO QUALITY, SAFETY AND A HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY FINANCIALS PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF ANY ORGANIZATION. AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC, COOK CHILDREN'S TOOK SEVERAL MEASURES TO CONSERVE FINANCIAL RESOURCES GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE PANDEMIC'S IMPACT ON OPERATIONS AND MARKETS, AND THESE EFFORTS CARRIED OVER INTO FY21. THE ORGANIZATION REDUCED DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, DEVELOPED SYSTEMS TO MONITOR AND PROTECT RESOURCES AND SECURED AVAILABLE CARES ACT FUNDS. THESE STEPS, COUPLED WITH THE MEDICAL CENTER'S LONG HISTORY OF OUTSTANDING FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE, ALLOWED COOK CHILDREN'S TO SAVE AND INVEST ITS RESOURCES TO ENSURE FINANCIAL STABILITY IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES. AS A RESULT, THE STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO RESPOND WITH JUDICIOUS AND MEASURED PATIENCE TO THE GLOBAL HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CRISES. MANY ADJUSTMENTS WERE DIFFICULT AND REQUIRED SACRIFICE. PERSEVERANCE WAS NECESSARY AS THE PANDEMIC MOVED INTO ITS SECOND YEAR. LEADING WITH ITS GUIDING PRINCIPLES ALLOWED THE MEDICAL CENTER TO NOT JUST WEATHER THE STORM, BUT TO COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT WITH A STRONGER WORKFORCE, A MORE NIMBLE ORGANIZATION AND BETTER POSITIONED TO MEET THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY GOING FORWARD.