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It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly two years since our lives, our communities and our world was considered “normal.” Honestly, I don’t think any of us could have imagined the world that waited for us after the holiday season of 2019. But here we are, two years later, with hope on the horizon.

We’ve now had a full year of accessible, safe and effective vaccines here in the U.S. for adults, seven months for adolescents, and now one full month for children as young as five years old. As I’ve said from the very beginning, these vaccines are the best and strongest tool we have to overcome the pandemic that changed the world we once knew.

Vaccines are also one of the main reasons that this year’s holiday season comes with hope, joy and peace.

While many of us are staying socially distanced from our friends and family who may be more vulnerable to illnesses or our tiniest population who cannot yet receive the COVID-19 vaccine, every day there are more and more fully vaccinated individuals who—for the first time in two years—feel comfortable enough to hug their loved ones once again.

Personally and professionally, I missed seeing my friends, family, colleagues and our patient families smile, and feel the sense of comfort that was taken from us for far too long. I cannot begin to express the joy it brings to my heart to know that Texas Children’s has had a hand in bringing this peace to families.

My hope for each and every one of you this year—whether I’m wishing you a ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ ‘Merry Christmas,’ ‘Heri za Kwanzaa,’ or ‘Happy Holidays’—is the ability to create new, beautiful and wonderful memories with your family and friends.

While we still have a journey ahead of us, we’ve never been in a better position than we are today. We have the tools and the knowledge, but most importantly, we have each other. The new year we are about to walk into may look different but I am confident that together and with the help of booster vaccinations, we can create a world that is much greater than the one we’ve always known.

The more than 17,000 workforce members who make up the Texas Children’s system are by-far, the greatest thing about our organization. We have a beautifully diverse group of individuals who work together seamlessly to make miracles happen for patients each and every day. All of us have had different life experiences and upbringings, and it’s the unique history we each have that makes Texas Children’s so special.

Today, I want to take a moment to honor the men and women of our workforce who have transitioned from serving our country to serving our patients, our patient families and each other.

I am unbelievably proud that we have hundreds of veterans working throughout the Texas Children’s system, and I consider it an honor and a great privilege that these distinguished men and women have chosen Texas Children’s as their place of work after their Call of Duty.

Among the many lessons learned while in the military, the power of serving others is ingrained in a soldier from day one. When you encounter a veteran, one of their biggest strengths is almost always servant leadership.

All of you know I firmly believe that leadership applies to everyone – and this rings true with every veteran I’ve had the pleasure of meeting at Texas Children’s. No matter what area of the hospital they serve, I know that I can depend on tireless and dedicated leadership from the men and women who once put everything on the line to protect our freedoms.

This Veterans Day, I ask that you join me in thanking a soldier for all they’ve done, and all they continue to do. The freedoms we often take for granted are because of these brave men and women who, in many ways, will always be soldiers.

To all Texas Children’s veterans, thank you for bringing your dedication, resilience and commitment to your respective roles at Texas Children’s. Thank you for the history you carry with you every day that makes you who you are. Thank you for your unwavering leadership and, most of all, thank you for your service. Your Texas Children’s family salutes you.

Today marks the start of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. For the first time, Texas Children’s Hospital is taking part in the excitement, celebration and historic 16 days of competition by serving and caring for our incredible USA Olympic and Paralympic team.

As the exclusive and Official Pediatric Medicine Provider of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Texas Children’s role is to support the USOPC’s athletes and provide expert care to Team USA throughout training and during the competition.

I can fondly remember watching the Olympics as a child. It was breathtaking, just as it is today, to see athletes from all around the world come together not only to compete, but to share a commonality among nations. It is, in fact, only once every two years that people from more than 200 nations are watching the same event and beaming with pride as they watch their own athletes walk into the Opening Ceremony.

There is no doubt that the Olympics and Paralympics are a showcase of the world’s greatest and most talented athletes but when we take a closer look—at the heart of it all—the Olympic and Paralympic Games represent unity.

While some may look at the next two weeks as just another sporting event, I believe we can learn a lot from the Games. To put it simply, we may not all come from the same background and we may not all look alike, but we are all a part of our global community.

This belief is what Texas Children’s was founded on and it’s why I firmly believe we’ve grown to where and what we are today.

From day one, Texas Children’s has treated every child, no matter where they come from, and our reach expands far beyond our nation’s borders. We commit to this each and every day because there is truly nothing better than being able to help a child reach their full potential.

I am proud to know that we are treating the best of the best in Tokyo this year, but I am even more proud that Texas Children’s ability to “Care for the Dream” is a result of decades of caring for patients from all over the world and all walks of life.

As we enjoy the Games, I want you to remember and keep in mind all that we have overcome as a nation and a global community in the past year. If it weren’t for the hard work of so many to accelerate years of research to develop safe and effective vaccines, we would not be celebrating the Opening Ceremony today. Vaccines continue to be the best way to protect ourselves and each other from contracting COVID-19 and I want to encourage each and every employee and physician to get your vaccine as soon as possible.

I hope you enjoy watching the games this summer as we witness history by watching the first Olympic event held after a year-long postponement—a postponement that impacted every athlete and every country in different ways.

There is no doubt that these Games will be different, but I believe the spirit of the Games will be stronger than ever before!

To learn more about our USOPC partnership or how you can support Team USA, please click here.

Today is an exciting and monumental day in Texas Children’s history! Earlier this morning, we broke ground on Texas Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas. This is a day we have all been waiting for, and I am honored to share this milestone with you.

There is not a doubt in my mind that we would not be here today—building a premier pediatric and women’s hospital in the state Capital—if it weren’t for the wonderfully talented and compassionate team we already have in place at Texas Children’s.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—every one of you make up what we call our One Amazing Team. Each of you has a different role to play and every role has made it possible for us to not only provide care to the children and women in our community, but also to expand our reach to the many communities in Central Texas. Because of your dedication to consistently making Texas Children’s the best place for women and children to receive the specialized care they need, our patients in Central to North Texas will have our unique, one-of-a-kind care much closer to home.

You don’t have to look very hard to find an employee or volunteer who has a life-long connection with Texas Children’s or a significant reason as to why they wanted to dedicate their talents here. The answer to this is quite simple: Texas Children’s is much more than a healthcare organization—we are a community where our patients receive life-changing interactions and create lasting relationships.

As you all know, we began creating our footprint in Austin in 2018 with the opening of our West Gate Urgent Care location, and because of the warm welcome we received from Austin residents, we were able to quickly expand with 11 Texas Children’s Pediatrics practices, one Specialty Care location, a future community health center, and now a dedicated pediatric and women’s hospital set to open in 2024.

Breaking ground symbolizes a new chapter, a new endeavor and a new hope for generations to come. The unique care and extraordinary spirit that we have here at Texas Children’s was created to share with the world, and I am overjoyed that we are able to continue bringing that spirit to a new community through Texas Children’s Hospital in Austin.

I invite you to join me in celebrating this momentous occasion by watching this video highlighting the virtual event held earlier today. I’d also love to hear what the spirit of Texas Children’s means to you.

Thank you for everything you do and for playing an incredible role in Texas Children’s history. We couldn’t do any of this without you.