OUR PROMISE: Knowing that every child’s life is sacred, it is the promise of Cook Children’s to improve the health of every child in our region through the prevention and treatment of illness, disease and injury.

focusOctober 2009 | Issue 126

At this year’s North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) selected Cook Children’s Medical Center as one of the recipients of CFF’s 2009 Quality Care Award.

Established in 2008, the Quality Care Award recognizes outstanding quality improvement processes and accomplishments and for sustaining quality improvement work that improved outcomes.

By receiving this award, Cook Children’s exemplifies CFF’s standards of actively involving patients and families in quality improvement efforts, using innovation to improve

care and a willingness to implement positive system changes. It is easy to see that many of these applauded traits are aligned with Cook Children’s

promise and our creation of a patient- and family-centered care environment.

Cook Children’s Chief Medical Officer Jim Cunningham, M.D., and Associate Director of Cook Children’s Medical Center’s Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program Steven Q. Davis, M.D., accepted this award on behalf of Cook Children’s at the conference.

Please join us in congratulating our Cystic Fibrosis Program on this incredible achievement.

Cook Children’s named as a 2009 recipient of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Quality Care Award

From left: Bruce Marshall, M.D. – Vice President for Clinical Affairs, CFF, Steven Q. Davis, M.D., Associate Director of Cook Children’s Medical Center’s Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program, Jim Cunningham, M.D., Chief Medical Officer Cook Children’s Health Care System and Peter J. Mogayzel, Jr., M.D., PhD – CFF Center Director at Johns Hop-kins University Hospital and Chair, CFF Center Committee

Please join us for one of the CCHAPS Child Health Summit Sneak Previews on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in Hochberger Auditorium.

In these sneak previews, you can be the first to:• Interact with the survey results online.• Learn how to use those results.• Understand Cook Children’s enduring

commitment to this initiative.• Become an active participant in our drive to

improve children’s health with our community partners.

Halloween is an exciting holiday for children, but they can be vulnerable to injury on this night. To ensure trick-or-treaters stay safe, Cook Children’s Security Department and Safe Kids Tarrant County, led by Cook Children’s, have teamed up for the following recommendations.

As a parent or the adult taking kids trick-or-treating, please keep these tips in mind this Saturday night:

Please write your child’s name in an inconspicuous place inside his/her costume. This will help the authorities in their investigation should your child become lost or missing.

Be especially alert in residential neighborhoods.

Drive more slowly and anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic on and near the road.

Be sure to drive with full headlights on to spot children from greater distances.

Take extra time to actively look for children at intersections, on medians and on curbs.

Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility and they may not be able to see vehicles.

Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.

Remember that children are excited on this night and may move in unpredictable ways.

Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are during the typical rush-hour period, between 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Reduce any distractions, such as music or cell phone use, inside car to allow for concentration on the road and pedestrians.

In addition there are excellent safety tips specifically for children available at www.cookchildrens.org. Visit the site and go to the “What you need to know” section to share these tips with your trick-or-treaters.

We wish you and your family a happy and safe Halloween holiday.

Don’t be scared to use these Halloween safety tips with your trick-or-treaters

Earlier this month, Paul Gillette, M.D., medical director of subspecialty services in Denton, was presented with the 2009 Founder’s Award in the cardiology and cardiovascular surgery section of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

This distinguished award has been handed out since 1988 and honors the significant contributions in the field of pediatric cardiology. Dr. Gillette is the first Founder’s Award recipient from North Texas.

This award recognizes Dr. Gillette’s long, distinguished career in pediatric cardiology.

Dr. Gillette honored by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Cook Children’s Values SAFETY - CARING - GIVING - INNOVATION - INTEGRITY - COLLABORATION

Books Are Fun book fair next weekStop by the Atrium in the Medical Center next week to get a jump start on holiday shopping for the book

lover on your list at the Books Are Fun book fair, sponsored by Child Life.The book fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov.

6. With over 250 great titles at unbelievable prices, you are sure to find something for everyone on your list! A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Bomar Library and the Kids Closet.

Cook Children’s Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine has been awarded re-accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP).

According to CAP, Cook Children’s is among thousands of laboratories nationwide that have also been accredited for “excellence of the services being provided.” Based upon a thorough and stringent inspection of the lab, this continued accreditation validates Cook Children’s commitment to “the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients.

Pathology and Lab Medicine re-accredited by the College of American Pathologists

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified health care workers as a priority group for H1N1 vaccination. Here’s why the Texas Medical Association supports you getting the H1N1 vaccination.

• Health care personnel are likely to be exposed to the novel H1N1 influenza and spread it to patients, family, coworkers, and friends.

• The H1N1 vaccine is a safe vaccine, which has been tested in adults and children and is produced in the same manner as the seasonal flu vaccine. The National Institutes of Health has special vaccine evaluation that has enrolled several thousand patients. In these trials, reports of local discomfort, headache, and fever predominantly were only mild to moderate in intensity and no deaths, serious adverse events, or adverse events of special interest have been reported. The safety of the H1N1 flu vaccine and seasonal flu vaccines are constantly monitored through the National Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and other CDC studies.

• It is essential that each health care worker receive his or her vaccination for H1N1 as soon as possible. Health care workers who are healthy, not pregnant, and under age 50 can and should receive LAIV (FluMist®), which is available now.

• The American Nurses Association (ANA) is also urging all registered nurses to get H1N1 vaccine to protect themselves and the patients they serve. ANA President Rebecca M. Patton. “[We] should all be vaccinated, since no one has immunity to this new H1N1 strain. While some groups may be more vulnerable to severe illness and death, we are all susceptible.”

Cook Children’s Occupational Health is establishing mass vaccination dates for the H1N1 vaccination for employees and these dates, times and locations will be communicated very soon. However, pregnant Cook Children’s employees are a top priority and can receive this vaccination now by visiting Occupational Health. Please note only pregnant employees will be vaccinated at the Occupational Health clinic at this time.

Based upon information provided the Texas Medical Association and the American Nurses Association

H1N1 vaccines and you, the health care worker