August 5, 2019 | (2) Comments

A few weeks ago, you probably saw the U.S. News and World Report 2019-2020 Best Children’s Hospitals ranking and honor roll. We were all simply thrilled that Texas Children’s Hospital continues to be ranked among the best in the nation.

We were ranked even higher this year, tying for third place among all children’s hospitals nationally. And for the first time, Texas Children’s is ranked in the top 10 in each of the pediatric sub-specialties the survey assesses. Six of our sub-specialties were ranked in the top 3 – two are ranked #1, two are ranked #2, and another two are ranked #3.

Now I’ll admit, these rankings are just fantastic! I’m always proud of the attention they bring to our focus on exceptional care. But without a doubt, our patients are the winners here, because the survey measures things that, ultimately, are really significant for our patients and their families.

The survey factors in patient outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, available clinical resources, and compliance with best practices. So when our rankings improve overall or in any category, it demonstrates that we’re not just striving to be better, we actually are better. And better care and exceptional outcomes are huge wins for our patients.

For example, last year our CLABSI rates were some of our lowest ever. We continued to make big strides in the reduction of hospital-acquired pressure injuries. An ongoing system-wide push from nursing helped recruit and retain more outstanding caregivers, ensuring we have the proper nurse-patient ratio at all times. Our Department of Radiology worked rapidly and tirelessly to earn a new ultrasound accreditation. And our IS department worked side by side with operations and clinicians to implement a new information-sharing system that allowed us to exchange patient health information more seamlessly with other institutions. All of these house-wide improvements were noted in the surveyors’ assessment as factors in our ranking this year.

I shared our sub-specialty rankings with you last month, but I want you to know what they really mean, beyond the numbers. Starting today on Connect and for the next several weeks, we’re spotlighting each of our 10 sub-specialty areas ranked in the recent U.S. News survey to share details about the improvements, programs, and advancements that garnered these impressive results.

There’s some incredible work happening across all 10 of these sub-specialties and throughout our organization, and the real excitement is how our gains in the rankings translate to better outcomes for our patients. When we have a strong showing on any survey that examines the care we provide, it’s another reminder that our focus is exactly where it should be.

July 12, 2019 | (15) Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Austin for our New Employee Pep Rally. As most of you know, the New Employee Pep Rally is an event I’ve hosted for the past 30 years so that I can meet all of the new team members who have joined Texas Children’s in the last quarter.

I originally got the idea for these receptions from my pastor. When I joined my church many years ago, the pastor held a welcome event to meet all of the church’s newest parishioners. It was such a great way to make a big congregation feel like a tight-knit community, and I immediately knew I had made the right decision in joining this wonderful congregation.

I look forward to the New Employee Pep Rally every time it rolls around. Having the opportunity to meet our new team members who are excited to be a part of Texas Children’s energizes me and fills me with excitement every quarter – and our first event in Austin was no exception.

As I was driving to Austin on I-71, I thought to myself, “This is going to be really good!” Turns out, it was even better than I had expected! Our first pep rally at the Specialty Care facility in Austin was one of our best ever!

We officially welcomed nearly 70 new employees, physicians and staff to our one amazing team, and each of them was so excited about what we are bringing to Austin! Between the pep rally and a tour of the facility, I spent nearly two hours at the Specialty Care site and enjoyed every minute. Please scroll through the photos I’ve shared below so you can see for yourself how excited our team is and what a fantastic time we all had meeting each other.

The Austin community is also equally excited to have Texas Children’s in their own backyard. Texas Children’s Urgent Care opened in March 2018 and has already seen more than 3,000 patients this fiscal year. We have three Texas Children’s Pediatrics sites and our Specialty Care has already had over 2,300 patient encounters since its opening in October 2018. And this is only the start – our specialty services in the capital city are continuing to grow with more to come in the next few months.

When we decided to expand to Austin a couple of years ago, it was a natural extension of our mission to provide care and access to more families in Texas. This is precisely what it means to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time. The pep rally was a great reminder that we’re not just adding new locations – we’re expanding our care, our mission, and our culture.

We are all very excited that Texas Children’s continues to grow in strength and in numbers – but, just like my pastor, I always want to make sure that every new employee knows that they are special to our organization. Each employee brings a unique skill set and personality, and all of us together contribute to our One Amazing Team and the incredible culture we have created. These new employee pep rallies bring us all together, and whether you’re based in the Texas Medical Center or 175 miles away in Austin, each of you is a part of Texas Children’s.

We’re at the beginning of something magnificent in Austin, and we’ve got a great team there leading the way.

May 8, 2019 | (111) Comments

When I was young, I remember my mom as many things. She effortlessly moved between being my teacher and comforter, my playmate and disciplinarian. She helped my young heart heal when I hurt, and redirected me – sometimes gently, other times swiftly – when I needed guidance.

I came to know her as my confidant and biggest supporter – she was quick with encouragement and never bashful about telling me how proud I made her or how much she loved me. As I grew older, I was beyond fortunate that sweet, lively Mollie Wallace became, above all, my friend.

Mollie was a phenomenal mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and I have adored her my entire life. Until I was about 35 years old, my mom always had a job, and I greatly admired her strong work ethic. She worked as a secretary at our church, and then at our high school, where she was the secretary to the principal. At one point, she went to work for Warrior Oil, a small company owned by Mr. E.A. Obering. He was a very wealthy oil man in Oklahoma City – very distinguished and sophisticated, and my mom helped administer his personal and professional responsibilities.

My mom wasn’t formally educated, but she was incredibly smart. Mollie was sharp, self-motivated and resourceful, and she always made the most out of everything. We were barely middle class, yet I can remember when we were growing up that no matter where we went – to school, church or wherever – she always had my brother, sister and I dressed well and such that we felt proud whenever we walked through the door.

Mom also sparked my love for basketball, which is likely why I went on to play all through high school and college. Mollie was the captain of her girls’ high school basketball team in Choteau, Oklahoma. And you know what? When my brother and I were in middle school and high school playing basketball outside, Mom would come out there and play with us. That’s right – she’d play horse with us. And she would sometimes win too! She had a pretty good two-handed set shot!

To top it off, Mom was also a great cook. She was a fantastic baker and made the most amazing pies and cakes. She once even won the state baking contest with her famous Big Ben cake. Her prize was a new gas range and oven, and I remember that they came out to the house and filmed a commercial in our kitchen with my mom. Boy, was I proud of her. There we were in our little modest, three-bedroom house in Oklahoma City, and there was Mom in her apron filming a commercial for television. She was really something else.

Mollie Wallace Big Ben Cake recipeMollie Wallace turned 90 on Sunday, April 7. And as I celebrated my dear mom this year, I knew she would not be with us much longer, as she had end-stage congestive heart failure. Knowing this made it an emotional day, but it also made me reflect on how grateful I was for Mom. She lived to be 90, and she had enjoyed 64 years of marriage with my dad. They shared a truly wonderful marriage and lots of great friends. They had such a good time together. I remember them as a really fun couple, and they
were fun parents.

Last month, a week after her birthday, I lost my dear mom. Mollie was 90 years young, and I am beyond grateful for every minute I shared with her. It is such a strange feeling when you lose a parent who’s been as good as Mom was to us. You know it’s inevitable, and at a certain point, you know it’s for the best. Yet, it was still very difficult.

Here’s the blessing of it though: I got to have my precious mother in my life for nearly 66 years. I called her every single day. And I knew the day she was gone, I would miss those calls very much. I sure do. But I’m grateful that God saw fit to give me her love, joy, and wisdom.

Happy Mother’s Day to every woman who loves and nurtures a child the way my mom did. I will always believe this world was made better because of Mollie Wallace and every mother like her.

In memory of my mom, I’m sharing the recipe for her famous, blue ribbon-winning Big Ben cake. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

  

April 29, 2019 | (10) Comments

For the past couple of years, I have shared my leadership philosophy with you here on the blog through my Leadership Maxims series. Writing this series has been so enjoyable because it allows me to spotlight some truly remarkable employees who serve and lead in ways that make our organization better every single day.

Your stories of teamwork, leadership and dedication bring to life the maxims I wrote years ago based on my own experiences as a leader. These stories serve as reminders that leadership is a daily pursuit that empowers and inspires innovation.

I want to continue hearing and sharing your stories about your leadership journeys, but as I prepare for this year’s Leadership Maxims blog series, I’d like to do it a little differently. This year, I’m going to select five guest bloggers to share how the Leadership Maxims apply to them and their roles at Texas Children’s.

This will be the first time I’ve featured guest bloggers and I’m really excited! I’m looking forward to sharing this space with you and reading your thoughts on leadership.

How to submit a blog post for consideration

Choose one of Mark Wallace’s first five Leadership Maxims:

  1. Leadership always influences or determines outcomes – not some of the time, but all of the time.
  2. Leadership applies to everyone.
  3. We lead in our professional lives and in our personal lives.
  4. We all should have our personal definition of leadership.
  5. The key characteristics to look for when selecting people are a winning attitude and a strong work ethic.

If you’d like a refresher on Mr. Wallace’s Leadership Maxims before writing your submission, watch his short Maxims videos here on the blog.

Write about how that maxim applies to you and your job at Texas Children’s. Please keep your stories between 350 and 500 words.

 Please email your submissions to Texas Children’s News at connectnews@texaschildrens.org.