OUR PROMISE: Knowing that every child’s life is sacred, it is the promise of Cook Children’s to improve the health of every child in our region through the prevention and treatment of illness, disease and injury.

March 2011 | Issue 186

focus

On May 17, how we dial internal extensions at Cook Children’s will change. With

the epic growth Cook Children’s has been experiencing, we have outgrown the number

of phone lines that 4-digit extension dialing allows.

By simply adding a ‘5’ to the front of a current extension when dialing internally we

will significantly increase the numbers at our disposal for current expansion and future

needs. For example, right now you dial “6200” to reach the Medical Center Information

Desk but on May 17, you will dial “56200” to contact the Information Desk.

You just need to remember that on May 17, ‘It Takes 5.’

Coming soon to a phone near you: It Takes ‘5’!

If you haven’t completed your online parking form, visit CookNet, ‘i want to...’ and ‘update Parking Form’ today to do so.

One week left for Friday, March 11, marks the official end of Employees Care 2011. You still have a few days left to

pledge your support through a donation.

With a current tally of 1,138 employees participating, we have nearly matched last year’s mark but

let’s use these last few days to surpass it and hit our goal of 1,500. Stay tuned for information about a

special thank you event later this month for employees who gave to Employees Care 2011.

Through the construction of a fun, new outdoor playground and maintaining GetWellNetwork, the

funds collected from Employees Care will have a very real impact on patients’ lives when they are staying

at our Medical Center.

Take a look (below) at how each company is participating compared to last year. You can see a list of

departments and units that have outdone their participation last year on CookNet as well.

Please visit CookNet to give. Just go to the “I want to...” section and select “give to Employees Care.”

February 2011 brought to a close the inaugural year of the Peak Performer program. For their

commitment to quality, service and safety, here are your Peak Performers for February:

Our latest Peak Performers wrap up the first year of winners

Cook Children’s Medical Center Phillip Breedlove, Family Intake Therapist,

Psychiatric ClinicLeonardo Horton, MRI Technologist,

Radiology/MRIKelly Ransom, Aesthetics Supervisor, Facility

Appearance

Cook Children’s Physician NetworkNatasha Ford, LVN, Forest ParkDeborah Lile, PN RN, MansfieldFred Oriti, Physician’s Assistant, Anesthesia

Clinic

Cook Children’s Home Health

Amanda Soto, Reimbursement Supervisor

Cook Children’s Health PlanJenny Corrado, Manager, Care ManagementAraseli Frausto, Case Management Assistant,

Care Management

Cook Children’s Health Care SystemLori Goosen, Manager, EmploymentClaire Murtha, Director, Internal

CommunicationsBeth Schmidt, Director, Employee Relations

Remember that Peak Performers are all around us. All it takes is for you to nominate them and you

may see them recognized here for their dedication and service. This month’s nominations are due by

Thursday, March 17. Visit ‘i want to...’ on CookNet to ‘submit Peak Performer.’ And remember that even

if you have nominated someone before, you can nominate them again.

Don’t forget National Doctors’ Day is coming up on March 30.

You’ve got mail...from the new Heartcode systemBeginning on March 1, employees who have a CPR, PALS, or ACLS certification expiring on or after

April 30 started receiving e-mail notifications from CHEX to begin their renewal process. We are proud

to announce the roll out of our HeartCode system.

Participants will complete Part 1 of the course via e-learning computer based training and followed

by Part 2 with in-person skills verification either with instructors or with Voice Assisted “Manikins.”

The exciting benefits of these programs will be seen not only for our organization and staff, but

particularly our patients. Several pilot groups have completed this new training and we’ve already

seen changes in the skills check-offs. They have come to Part 2 check-offs better prepared and eager to

participate.

There was repeated praise for how much more at ease the participants

felt after completing the Part 1 e-learning, self-paced, self-directed

program. For our BLS and ACLS Part 2 skills check-offs, the use of the new

interactive Voice Assisted “Manikins” offer immediate feedback during the

training, which was welcomed and appreciated by over 100 participants.

If you have questions, please contact Art DeForde at 682-885-1974 or

Arthur.deforde@cookchildrens.org.

The February 17 editions of both the New England Journal of Medicine and

The Wall Street Journal featured the results of a study on Retinopathy of Prematurity

(ROP) by an investigative team, which included Cook Children’s privileged doctors

Alan Norman, M.D., Eric Packwood, M.D., Michael Hunt, M.D., David Riley, M.D.

and Cook Children’s Research Ops Supervisor Melinda Meacham.

ROP is the most common complication of premature births which causes

blindness and the study determined that a single medication injection into the patient’s eye is superior

to laser therapy for the management of this disease. Comparatively, the medication treatment was more

effective for severe ROP and allowed more normal eye blood vessel development after treatment.

Medical Director of Clinical Research Jim Marshall, M.D., sums up their contribution to the study that

aims to better the lives of these tiny patients. Dr. Marshall says, “Through their dedication to clinical care

and research for the benefit of every child, these professionals carry out the Promise of Cook Children’s.”

Reminder: Lawson Project training & resources are availablePlease visit CookNet today for a full list of available training and resources that will prepare you for

using Lawson. This valuable source of information is located on CookNet under the “resources” tab. You

should then select “Lawson Project” from the the menu.

If you have any questions regarding Lawson, please email Lawson.Questions@cookchildrens.org.

Recent ROP study results published

Congratulations to Trauma Program Director Sally Snow, RN, BSN, CPEN, FAEN, on her

appointment to the Emergency Nurses Association’s (ENA) Pediatric Committee. She will proudly represent

Cook Children’s as the committee addresses national issues related to emergency nursing practice and care.

Sally Snow appointed to ENA Pediatric Committee

Cook Children’s receives Care Award for lactation servicesEarlier this year, U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin issued a “Call to Action to Support

Breastfeeding,” which detailed ways to remove some of the obstacles faced by women who want to

breastfeed their babies. She wrote, “[Mothers who want to breastfeed] shouldn’t have to go it alone.

Whether you’re a clinician, a family member, a friend, or an employer, you can play an important part in

helping mothers who want to breastfeed.”

Cook Children’s Medical Center is proud to accept this important role by offering a valuable resource

in the form of our professional lactation support program. The International Board of Lactation Consultant

Examiners (IBLCE) and the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) have taken note.

Cook Children’s recently received the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants’ IBCLC

Care Award. This award places Cook Children’s as only one of eight award winners in the state of Texas

and the only one in Tarrant County.

Congratulations to all of our certified lactation consultants for bringing this honor to Cook Children’s.