Image
Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center Congratulations, Bravo Award winners!
Each quarter, we recognize the amazing work done by our colleagues in the disciplines that help us care for Cancer & Hematology patients at Texas Children’s.
Andrea Davis, Infection Control Preventionist, Medical Center
The projects Andrea has worked on are countless, and her expertise in the realm of central line related infections is unmatched. She helps with investigating infections leading to positive outcomes when she identifies areas for improvement in practice and assists with education of staff. When communicable disease events happen with our patients, Andrea is always an involved member of any team working to manage the case. Activities include isolation issues, contact tracing and much more. She recently assisted with the implementation of photobiomodulation therapy for the prevention and treatment of mucositis. This new therapy is already helping to improve patient comfort and decrease both supportive care needs and lengths of hospitalization.
Corbin Dodge, Web & Digital Marketing Website Developer and Ivin Varghese, Software Engineering & Programming Specialist, Medical Center
Corbin and Ivin manage our web-based informatics and information dissemination. With the recent migration of information from the Connect page to SharePoint sites, they collaborated with Information Services and our clinical leaders to plan the relocation of information and ensure site validation. Their work on this project was substantial and required a great deal of after-hours or emergent action to make sure our clinicians had access to team sites and care guidelines. Everyone appreciated their responsiveness and quick attention to detail on this project and on everything else they work on.
Stephanie Hritcko, Staff Nurse, West Campus
Stephanie is always willing to go the extra mile, “and then a mile after that.” One example is staying an extra hour for a patient visit due to the patient arriving on the incorrect day. This patient also needed a specialized interpreter, which took extra time to arrange. She is kind, thorough and brings a calmness and expertise to our patients whenever she enters a room. Stephanie is one of the key reasons our patients love being cared for in the clinic at West Campus.
Rhea Noval, Nurse Manager, Medical Center
Rhea fills many important roles as a Nurse Manager on the inpatient Hematology-Oncology floors. One crucial function is in our safety program. She works with staff and leadership to identify systemic opportunities for improvement. Once these are determined, she assists with developing corrective plans and educating staff to implement them. She is always open to suggestions for improvement in other aspects of work on her units. Recently, Rhea assisted with a project to decrease the administrative paperwork on our medical teams by enlisting the assistance of Unit Clerical Assistants. This allows our medical teams to spend more time focusing on patient care. Rhea’s positive attitude and spirit of cooperation in all projects is greatly appreciated.
Sam Quintana, Staff Nurse, Medical Center
Sam was nominated for her work as a nurse preceptor on our inpatient units and is described as an amazing mentor. She teaches junior nurses how to think critically, prioritize patient needs, provide high quality family-centered care, and effectively teach patients and families about complex oncologic diagnoses and their plan of care. She is always available to assist anyone in need of help, even when she’s busy. She consistently display kindness and patience when helping new nurses. Sam is a passionate advocate for her patients and goes above and beyond to make sure they feel included in all medical discussions and treatment planning.
Jen Sullivan, Art Therapist, Medical Center
Jen works as an art therapist in our center where she uses a creative and collaborative approach to interactions with patients and families in multiple settings. She continually engages staff as well which improves patient-staff interactions overall. Her positive attitude and work ethic are outstanding. Staff are “continually in awe of the programs and activities Jen provides to children and families.”
Diane Vasquez, Research Coordinator, Medical Center
Diane works as a research coordinator on our leukemia team. Since her onboarding, she has shown exceptional initiative. At that time, she efficiently gathered data for an audit despite her team being short-staffed. Her adept collaboration and problem-solving skills ensured the success of this audit. She consistently demonstrates proactive leadership in ensuring the seamless launch of new studies, even when faced with the dual tasks of coordinating study opening and patient enrollment simultaneously. Her keen eye for potential challenges allows her to develop effective action plans, ensuring a streamlined workflow.
Please join us in congratulating these exemplary staff members on their Bravo Award!