Cook Childrens Health Care System

Cook Children's is more than a health care system: we strive to be an extension of your family, growing with your child from their first steps to adulthood. By collaborating to deliver on our Promise-to improve the well-being of every child in our care and our communities, we connect the dots for our patients. Between primary and specialty. Between home and medical home. Between short-term care and long-term health. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, we're 8,000+ dedicated team members strong, passionately caring for over 1.5 million patient encounters each year. Our integrated, not-for-profit organization spans two medical centers, two surgery centers, a physician network, home health services and a health plan. It also includes the Child Study Center at Cook Children's, Cook Children's Health Services Inc., and Cook Children's Health Foundation. Seventy five primary, specialty and urgent care locations provide numerous access points to life-saving pediatric care that's family-centered and built on leading technology, collaboration, safety and a best-in-class patient experience. And our impact extends beyond the borders of Texas. We proudly treat children from virtually every state in the nation and 32 countries. By seeing the world through the eyes of children and their families from all backgrounds, we're able to shape health care suited to them: connected by kindness, imagination and respect-with an extra dose of magical wonder. New Look. Same Legacy. In October 2022, after years in the making, Cook Children's unveiled a new culture platform and updated company branding to reflect that culture. In a statement to employees during a celebration of the culture and branding launch, Cook Children's president and CEO, Rick W. Merrill, said: "Today is a time to cherish our past and look ahead to our future. And we do that with a refreshed identity that serves as a reminder of who we are on our best day." Cook Children's culture platform is built on six core values: kindness, collaboration, imagination, generosity, respect and safety. These values connect Cook Children's to a simple Promise, or what the System calls its Pinky Promise, of "everything for the child." Together, these values and Promise connect the dots between the care Cook Children's is known for and the patient and employee experience it strives for throughout all of Cook Children's companies. In the year since, employees have embraced the culture platform and core values. They are integrated into decision making and action at every level of the organization. The result is a workplace where people feel like family and an organization where patients and visitors experience the core values that create moments of magic throughout their stay. Community Needs Spur System Growth As the population increases, Cook Children's continues to expand its services to meet the needs of children and families living in those areas. Most notably is an expansion into the rapidly growing Prosper, Texas, and surrounding areas. In January 2023, the new Cook Children's Medical Center - Prosper opened its doors. It is the first hospital Cook Children's has built outside of its flagship medical campus in Fort Worth and brings world-class medical care out of the city center to families living on the northeast side of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, East Texas, and all the way up to the Red River and beyond. In March 2023, Cook Children's completed a renovation and expansion of the Dodson Specialty Clinics building. The expansion allowed for the centralization of 40 specialty clinics into one location in order to support a more seamless experience for children who receive care from multiple specialties. Having added 240,000 square-feet of new building and 75,000 square-feet of renovated space, the project made way for the new Jane and Justin Institute of Mind Health, which brings together Cook Children's Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center, Cook Children's Division of Behavioral Health and the Child Study Center under one collaborative roof to provide easily accessible, well-coordinated and comprehensive care for children with disorders affecting the nervous system. It also allowed for the addition of a new retail pharmacy, as well as the Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center where siblings of medically complex patients can play, create and connect with other children while their brother or sister attends their specialty appointments. In April 2023, the system announced a first-of-its-kind partnership between Cook Children's and JPS Health Network to bring critical health care services to the traditionally underserved children and families living in Fort Worth's Las Vegas Trail (LVT) area. The future Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center, located on 3.7 donated acres at the corner of Calmont Avenue and Cherry Lane in west Fort Worth, will be home to various pediatric and adult medical and social services as well as a Fort Worth Police storefront. The two-story, 40,000-square-foot center will open in late 2025. The addition is another step in the vision of city leaders, local nonprofits and health care partners to transform Fort Worth's struggling LVT neighborhood into a safe, healthy community with vital resources that support residents' ability to live, work and play. The neighborhood health center will provide primary health care services for the LVT community and surrounding area, plus much more, thanks to partnerships between the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County College, LVTRise, WestAid Community Resources, JPS Health Network and Cook Children's. While Cook Children's will provide primary pediatric care, JPS Health Network will offer adult medical services just across the hall. Although both health networks have been Tarrant County mainstays for well over 100 years, this is the first time the two have partnered to offer comprehensive health services in one facility. Building a Strong, Healthy and Diverse Workforce In keeping with its culture to embrace togetherness and see the world through the eyes of others, Cook Children's Health Care System launched its new Employee Resource Groups (ERG) program in 2023. Employee Resource Groups are special clubs where employees who share common interests and experiences can come together to make the workplace even better. It's a way for all employees to learn from each other and grow as a Cook Children's family. There are currently four ERGs with plans to add more. They include Black/African American (BAA+); Latinos Engaging, Advancing, Developing & Supporting (L.E.A.D.S.+); Pride+ (LGBTQ+); and Veterans+. ERGs are open to anyone who wants to join, whether an individual is a part of that specific group or not. Everyone is welcome! To help prevent suicide within its own work family, in fall 2023, Cook Children's began offering an evidence-based suicide prevention training that teaches staff how to engage, interpret, and respond to peers experiencing suicidal ideations. It's called Question, Persuade, Refer Training, or QPR for short. QPR teaches three steps that anyone can take to help save a life from suicide. Mental health and suicide can be challenging topics to address with colleagues. It is important to reduce the stigma that surrounds suicide and self-harm, and instead normalize these conversations. QPR training was introduced first to employees at Cook Children's Medical Center-Fort Worth, and will expand to additional locations in 2024. Award Winning Performance For more than 105 years, Cook Children's has worked to combine the art of caring with life-saving pediatric interventions that are family-centered and built on leading technology, collaboration and a best-in-class patient experience. This has earned the System a strong, far-reaching reputation-one for which it continually receives recognition for outstanding efforts and outcomes in pediatric health care. For FY23, eligible employees were awarded a Care Share bonus for reaching the lihood to recommend" patient experience goal of 86%. Cook Children's named its Great 10 Nurses at a special ceremony in May 2023. These nurses represent excellence in the art and science of nursing. Each winner has shown themselves to be role models, leaders, community servants, compassionate caregivers, and significant contributors to the nursing profession. Cook Children's Public Relations and Internal Communications team brought home a total of nine awards for its work in keeping employees and the community informed and engaged, including seven coveted Worthy Awards from the Greater Fort Worth Public Relations Society of America. In 2023, Cook Children's was ranked the Second Healthiest Employer in Texas serving 5,000 to 9,999 employees. Healthiest Employers is an award program that recognizes and celebrates organizations focused on taking a proactive approach to improving their employees' health and well-being.