Cook Children's Health Care System

Next week kicks off the 2025 Masters Tournament, with our friend and PGA TOUR golfer Tom Hoge! Tom is raising funds for Cook Children’s, located in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.   The campaign, “Birdies for Basic Needs,” benefits Cook Children’s Case Management department. During the 2025 PGA TOUR season, Hoge has committed to personally donating $50 for every birdie he makes (one-under par on a hole), and $100 for every eagle (two-under par on a hole).   “Beginning the formal partnership with Cook Children’s last year was really exciting. We always wanted to work on a campaign to help drive donations to their important mission” Hoge stated. I hope you’ll join me in participating in the campaign and following along this season. Together with Cook Children’s, we can give children and their families the support they need during hard times.”   Visit https://lnkd.in/g5vrSEaB to join him! See if you can spot Tom at #themasters with the Cook Children’s logo proudly displayed on his shirt!

For the second year in a row, Newsweek named Cook Children's one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women. We're introducing you to some of the women who make Cook Children's such an amazing place. Myisha Washington, our Executive Assistant of Communications and Employee Connections, will be the first to tell you she has yet to reach the pinnacle of her career, but she is well on her way. Last year, Washington completed her bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration with honors — a long-held personal milestone of more than 20 years. It was a triumphant moment made even more remarkable as she juggled the responsibilities of motherhood and working full-time as the executive assistant to Wini King, senior vice president and chief of Communications and Employee Connections, formerly known as Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. “I don’t believe I’ve reached my biggest career accomplishment yet,” Washington said. “I’m still learning and growing. However, one significant milestone I’ve achieved is becoming an executive assistant. Transitioning into this role has significantly impacted my career trajectory. It has allowed me to develop a wide range of skills and has presented me the opportunity to work closely with senior leadership, which has broadened my understanding of strategic thinking and organizational dynamics.” When the pressures of balancing work, school and motherhood weighed heavily, Washington found inspiration in a small but powerful gift from King — a notebook inscribed with the words, “I can and I will. Watch me.” It was just the encouragement she needed to stay motivated and push through any obstacle. “My biggest challenge that I’ve faced in my career was not feeling that I’m good enough or I wasn’t smart enough because I didn’t have my degree,” Washington said. “Not only am I a woman, I’m a Black woman in a competitive industry. I’ve faced situations where I felt overlooked or undervalued. However, I’ve learned to channel these challenges into motivation.” Read more of Myisha's story and those of the women that make Cook Children's a special place to work, here: https://lnkd.in/gdgRyKVr

At 13, Jessye Tout is already a champion. A multi-sport athlete, she has tackled soccer, dance, volleyball and karate since she was a little girl. But sometimes when she was on the soccer field, Jessye’s chest would start to hurt, and she couldn’t breathe. Mysteriously, this never happened while she was at school or doing day-to-day tasks, but only while she was exerting herself on the field. A visit with a pulmonologist ruled out a heart problem but did not shed more light on her problem. So, she was referred to John Robertson, M.D., Cook Children’s Pediatric Pulmonologist, at the Exercise Respiratory Center (ExRC) in Prosper. To help find out what was wrong, Dr. Robertson and his team in August 2024 performed what is believed to be the world's first continuous bronchoscopy during exercise (CBE) on a pediatric patient. This technique has been used on adult patients but never on pediatric patients. The team put a camera through Jessye’s nose and past her voice box, conducting a more in-depth look at her breathing capabilities— all while she ran on a treadmill to mimic the same symptoms she had while playing soccer. Dr. Robertson said by replicating the exercise Jessye was doing on the field, the team could see in real-time whether it was Jessye’s voice box or her windpipe causing her breathing discomfort. For young athletes with breathing problems, doctors often do a bronchoscopy while the patient is under sedation or general anesthesia. But this does not help the team to accurately observe the issue she experienced during exercise. “The groundbreaking part of our CBE is that it was done in a pediatric patient. So far, all of the published medical literature on the subject has been done in adults,” Dr. Robertson said. To read more of Jessye's story and the work Dr. Robertson and his team performed, click here: https://lnkd.in/gkw45m4a

Sunday is National Doctor’s Day! Cook Children’s doctors work every day to improve the well-being of every child in our care and our communities.   Many of our Hematology & Oncology doctors will be at Panther Island Pavilion for The Blast tomorrow, to walk alongside Cook Children's patients living with cancer and their families. It’s not too late to join us and show the world that at Cook Children’s, no one walks alone.   Visit www.BlastWalk.org to sign up!

This Child Life Month, we celebrate our amazing Child Life Specialists at Cook Children’s Medical Center - Prosper who are masters at providing support for our patient’s emotional well-being. They use their specialized skills to help children understand their medical journeys, manage anxiety, and rediscover the simple joys of childhood. They're more than caregivers; they're essential partners in our mission to provide family-centered care. We're incredibly proud of their dedication and the positive impact they have on our patients and their families. #ChildLifeMonth #PatientExperience #ChildDevelopment #PediatricCare

Hip, hip hooray – it’s Cook Children’s 107th birthday!   For our patients and families at Cook Children’s, birthdays are more than just another year. They’re milestones. They’re victories. The right treatment working, a successful surgery or a discovery that brings them one step closer to going home. Every birthday they experience is a reminder that they’re supported every step of the way.   When you become a Miracle Maker, your monthly gift is more than a donation; it’s a chance for kids to grow up and change the world. Visit https://shorturl.at/MzP3p to learn more. Don’t forget to ask your employer if they will match your gift to double your monthly impact!   Let us know in the comments – what is your favorite birthday memory?

In Episode 10 of Untold: The Stories of Cook Children’s, we sit down with Megan Chavez,MS,FACHE,CPXP, Vice President for the Cook Children's Experience, to explore the deeply personal and evolving world of patient experience. Megan shares her journey from growing up in hospitals as the daughter of a dedicated nurse to becoming a leader in the movement to humanize health care.  She discusses the critical balance between clinical expertise and emotional connection, how patient outcomes improve with strong therapeutic relationships, and why caring for caregivers is just as important as caring for patients. With powerful personal stories—including a touching moment with her own mother—Megan highlights the importance of protecting the well-being of health care workers so they can continue to give their best to the families they serve. Join us as we uncover the humanity behind health care and learn why patient experience is more than a profession—it’s a calling. https://lnkd.in/gxNxVPPf

Calling all new graduate nursing students! Located in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas, we are excited to share with you our nationally accredited pediatric Nurse Residency program. The Cook Children’s Nurse Residency program is a 12-month program designed to support new baccalaureate graduates as they grow from student nurse to competent professional nurse. Our unique program aligns with the Cook Children’s Values and Pinky Promise of Everything for the Child. With two exciting tracks to choose from, our nurse residents experience a wide variety of clinical units where they develop clinical knowledge, skill, and confidence to provide exceptional care for every child. Throughout the program, nurse residents experience over 1800 supervised clinical hours, 200 classroom hours, and are eligible to sit for the Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) exam at the time of graduation. Applications for our upcoming October 2025 cohort will be open March 18 – April 9, 2025. To learn more about our program and upcoming Zoom information sessions, please visit our website: https://rb.gy/7arnik

March is Child Life Month! Child Life specialists work with kids and families to make their visit to the medical center easier and more comfortable.   At Cook Children’s, the Child Life Department includes: Activity coordinators to facilitate play opportunities for patients, including exploring real medical equipment to reduce anxiety. Sit…Stay…PLAY facility dogs for distraction, motivation and emotional support. The Child Life Zone, a treatment free area with games, events, broadcast studio, recording studio and a library. The Creative Arts team, made up of music therapists, a resident artist and a movement therapist who help create expression through artistic media.   These programs are supported by donor funding. You can help bring comfort and joy to a child facing the difficult challenges of a hospital stay, illness or injury. Reach out to corporatepartners@cookchildrens.org to learn how you can support our Child Life patient activities each month.

For the second year in a row, Newsweek named Cook Children's one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women. We're introducing you to some of the women who make Cook Children's such an amazing place. Jennifer Fuester-Reynolds ("JFR") is known for going the distance. Whether it’s building marketing campaigns that champion Cook Children’s, cultivating a community garden, running an ultra-marathon or trekking the Grand Canyon, she digs deep and goes the extra mile to overcome every challenge. “I think the biggest challenge I face every day is fitting everything in,” Fuester-Reynolds said. “There are so many projects to work on, people to talk to, ideas and possibilities bouncing around in my head. Sometimes finding a balance is a challenge. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s an ultra-marathon, not a sprint.” As manager of Marketing, Fuester-Reynolds spends her workdays collaborating with partners and members of her team to craft creative ad campaigns, produce engaging videos and podcasts, and write and edit print and digital content – all to strengthen and uphold Cook Children’s brand. Her career began in marketing and advertising, but the passion for caring she saw in her mom, a nurse, and her grandmother, a nursing assistant, led her to a career in health care. Her professional philosophy is inspired by the wisdom of her grandfather who would say, “Work like you own the place.” “It’s a great lesson because, in fact, everyone’s workplace is theirs in a way. And when you own your work, you give your best energy, attention and passion,” she said. “I continue to work on this lesson, aspiring to learn, develop and improve all the time.” Read more of Jennifer's story and those of the women that make Cook Children's a special place to work, here: https://lnkd.in/gdgRyKVr