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Today, I celebrate my 70th birthday! I am so grateful for another decade spent with my family, friends and all of you! As I was nearing this personal milestone, I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on years past and quickly realized that, in many ways, I have had the privilege of growing up with Texas Children’s.

When I look back on the last 70 years, there are countless people and memories that I am immensely thankful for:

• First and foremost, my wonderful parents who taught me at a young age to have a vision for my life. They raised and supported me through every high and every low — and it brings me the greatest joy to know that I made them proud.

• My wife, Shannon, who is without a doubt, the strongest woman I have ever met. She continues to inspire me every day and I am a better person because of her.

• My many incredible mentors, colleagues and friends who selflessly helped mold and influence the man I am today.

• And of course, my One Amazing Team — all of you have made such a tremendous difference in my life and witnessing your unwavering commitment and heartfelt passion for our patients is what keeps me going on the toughest days.

I was 36 years old on my very first day at Texas Children’s. I can still remember walking the halls, meeting my new team and feeling a sense of pride, excitement and joy — it’s the same feeling I get when I walk the halls today at 70 years old.

The decision to step into this role was by far one of the best choices I made in my life. In recent years, I often get the question, “did you ever think that Texas Children’s would become what it is today?” While I knew from day one that we were destined for greatness, my honest answer is no. How could I have ever imagined the phenomenal accomplishments that we would achieve together and the exponential reach we now have as an organization? It was back then — and still is today — truly unimaginable.

I am incredibly proud to say that I have grown up with Texas Children’s — and I am blessed to continue growing alongside all of you! And as I celebrate my 70th birthday, I can honestly say that all of my birthday wishes have come true.

Today is National Doctors’ Day, and it is my privilege to serve as a guest blogger for On The Mark and I hope to honor each of the incredibly talented physicians we have here at Texas Children’s.

I came to Texas Children’s 13 years ago. One of the first things that struck me as I walked in the door was the almost palpable dedication and compassion that I felt amongst the physicians who work here. As doctors we owe our patients and their families nothing less than the highest quality, safest and best care and, simply put, I knew that I was surrounded by the very best. Back then, it took me only a few moments of walking through the halls and meeting my new colleagues to realize that I would spend my career surrounded by caring, passionate and gifted physicians. I knew that I had found my forever home.

As physicians to some of the sickest and most vulnerable patients and their families, our role is unlike any other. I have always felt that it is a real privilege to care for our patients and to be entrusted by their families to care for their children — whether in a hospital bed, the clinic or by tele- or video-medicine. As physician-scientists Stephen Trzeciak and Anothony Mazzarelli describe so powerfully in their book Compassionomics, patient care is not just about the science of medicine which comes from the books, but also the art of healing which comes from the soul.

Over the past year, I have been reminded more than ever before, why Texas Children’s is the world’s destination for comprehensive medical care for children and women. Last fall, as we were emerging from the cloud of the pandemic, we faced unprecedented patient volumes and acuity levels. All of our doctors and providers ran toward the challenge as they always have, and made sure that we could care for the tsunami of new patients as well as the ones we already had. In November we made history — having nine patients on ECMO on the same day. The readiness of our physicians and medical teams are the reason why we were able to provide this life-sustaining treatment to give hope to the sickest children.

To our doctors: since taking my new role and having the privilege of being Pediatrician In-Chief and Chair, I have gotten to know many more of you and, if it were possible — my awe and admiration for all of you have grown even more. Each of you are remarkable at what you do, but even more so, it is your heart, your compassion and your commitment that make you the most amazing team I have ever met. From the best moments to the most difficult ones, always remember that this is your calling.

To our Texas Children’s family: I ask that everyone join me in thanking a physician today. I know that you’ll agree with me that we would not be able to do what we do without our amazing doctors who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty every minute of every day.

On behalf of all of Texas Children’s, I’d like to invite our physicians to celebrate Doctors’ Day with several come-and-go events, beginning with breakfast tomorrow (Friday) in the Pavilion for Women Conference Center on the 4^th floor. Breakfast will begin at 6:00 am and the other events will continue until 3:00 pm. I hope to see you all there and I wish you the very best Doctors’ Day!

Lara Shekerdemian, MD MHA
Texas Children’s Pediatrician-In-Chief
Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine

Working in healthcare is not only a calling, it’s an identity and is very much a part of who we are. Taking care of patients and families who trust and rely on you is a responsibility that none of us will ever take lightly, no matter what we may be facing ourselves. It takes dedication, compassion and oftentimes, the smallest acts of kindness, to continuously serve others the way we do each and every day.

All of you inspire me through every season and today, I want to share a story of when I witnessed selfless dedication from one of our healthcare providers in the middle of a storm.

A few short years after I began my career with Texas Children’s, the City of Houston was facing terrible flooding from a storm that was passing through. Much of our staff was having trouble getting to the hospital, but despite the rain, many were determined to make it in and get to their patients. One staff member in particular, Franceda Hawkins, had exhausted her attempts to make it here safely. She expressed concern for her patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and shared that as soon as the roads were clear, she would make her way to them.

Her longing to serve her patients inspired me to make a move. I thought to myself — if this devoted nurse is desperately trying to come in and care for her patients while our city is battling a storm — as her leader, I can try my hardest to make sure she is safe in doing so.

I told Franceda to get ready, I got in my 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer and headed for her house. When I arrived, she repeatedly thanked me for coming to help her, but giving her a ride was such a small thing compared to Franceda’s determination to get to her patients that day. I could clearly see the dedication and passion in her eyes back then as we headed to the hospital and I can still see it now.

Franceda has been with Texas Children’s for 33 years, just like me, and is still going strong. A few months ago, I got to reconnect with her and since I still own it, I brought out my 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer that kept us safe from the floodwaters many years ago.

While storms may bring destruction, they also have a way of bringing out the very best in people. If it weren’t for that particular storm, Franceda and I wouldn’t have this remarkable story to share.

Texas Children’s is filled with stories just like this one and I would love to hear yours! Please take a moment to share your favorite story or memory from Texas Children’s in the comments below.

I cannot thank Franceda — and all of you — enough for everything you do for Texas Children’s and the patients we serve. This is a very special place, filled with the greatest people, stories and lessons. Franceda has taught us all that when you’re dedicated, kind and serve with heart, you can create a beautiful legacy in any storm and through the smallest acts of kindness.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has without a doubt been an inspiration to me in both my personal and professional life. When it comes to Texas Children’s, I would like to believe that he would be proud of the impact we’ve made in the communities we serve and that he would also stand behind our mission and vision.

As I reflect on the impact Texas Children’s has made since our inception in 1954, I remain immensely proud of the rich and groundbreaking history this organization was founded upon — a promise to take care of all children — no matter their color, race or ethnicity, and regardless of their ability to pay.

How incredible is it that in a time when our nation was divided and heartbreaking prejudices were something of the ordinary, our founders set forth the giving, welcoming and sturdy foundation that we have today.

My favorite quote by Dr. King is “the time is always right to do what is right.”  I truly believe that our founders knew it was the right time to do what was right when they came together to develop Texas Children’s Hospital nearly 70 years ago.

One of the many ways we built upon the incredible legacy they created was when we opened our very first Houston-area Community Cares site in 2000. This program, which now has multiple locations throughout the Houston area, was created so that all children and women can access high-quality health care where they need it most — in their communities. I’m so proud that we have also expanded this program to the Austin area when we opened the Jodie Lee Jiles Community Health Center in 2021.

My dream from the very beginning has always been that every child has access to preventative care, primary care and hospitalization when necessary. No one, especially a child, should go without care due to a lack of insurance or because of a family’s financial hardships.

Because of all of you, I have watched my dream become a reality in more ways than one and that is a blessing I will never take for granted.

Every decision we’ve made at Texas Children’s has been because it was the right time to do what is right, and I promise that this will remain the guiding principle throughout our continued growth together.

As we prepare to enter this holiday weekend where we celebrate the remarkable Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I invite you to think about a dream that you have for 2023. Think about the impact you can make on your community and the world around you over the next 12 months, and let’s honor Dr. King by never forgetting that life-changing legacies often start with one dream.