- Main Pavilion needs new and Higher Waiting area chairs, many complaints have come to the staff about how low the chairs are. We speak on it, but nothing has changed, can we figure something out on this.
- I will get with our facilities team and see if we can address these complaints. We are currently in the middle of several construction projects on campus, but we will look into this.
- Can Main Pavilion Break room PRETTY PLEASE get an ice and water machine, please.
- I will look into this and see if we can make that happen.
- I’m an RN but also pro ballroom dancer & instructor of 7 years now and would love to find a way to help improve patients’ physical, emotional, and social well-being through movement here in campus.
- It’s always great to hear about all the talent our employees have. Dancing is fun. I’ll encourage you to reach out to the Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine. They routinely hold classes at all campuses, in all art forms. They even did a line dancing one. Ballroom dancing sounds fun!
- Michael, What color are your shoelaces today?
- I change them out regularly. When I was in law school, I was told to only wear grey and blue suits. Black suits were for funerals. So with my suits, the only way I could show personality was with my shoelaces, so now I change them out. Pink, green, yellow. It’s fun.
- Workplace safety is a hot topic. What are we doing about violent patients?
- The safety of our employees is very important to our hospital. We have a workplace violence committee who meets regularly, updating our leaders on what is happening in our hospital. We are also making updates in EPIC that will change how we identify patients. Those changes are coming up soon. I also want you to escalate any concerns you may have about real or potential patient violence to your immediate supervisors for their assistance.
- Any plans to remodel or expand the cancer center? Pharmacy-infusion?
- Right now no, but that’s not to say it won’t be expanded in the future. We are currently finalizing plans for MOB 5.
- When will the Neuroscience & Spine Center move to MOB4?
- This move is on our radar, but unfortunately the timeline is unclear. As soon as we get it confirmed with our board, we will pass along the date.
- How do we see robotic AI taking place for human positions within the hospital?
- We are not looking to replace any of our staff with AI. We only want to use it as a tool, to better our efficiency and to provide better care for our patients. I encourage you to provide us feedback on the use of technology so that we can make it better in our delivery of care. But what truly makes Houston Methodist unique is the care our employees provide to our patients. It is irreplaceable.
- Will weapon detection have the potential to be distributed throughout the hospital? At all entrance points?
- That is something we are looking into. Right now, we are starting weapon detection in our ED. While security is possible across our entire hospital, we also want to think about the patient experience. I want to reassure you all, we’re a safe campus.
- Can we discuss bringing back golf carts to help transport lost patients to and from MOB’s as well as employees in the morning if we park further out?
- Our hospitals are not designed for golf carts in our hallways.
- Regarding career development, within the talent talks/HUB is there a pathway directional for people who do want career advancement and how they can be successful within the hospital to do that?
- If you want to get to the next level in your career, the new Talent Talks program is for you. If you have been at HMSL less than a year, schedule your 30-minute session with an HR Talent Consultant. They can help with resume building, interview coaching, mock interviews and career guidance. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1-5 p.m. Click here to register.
- We used to have a time clock right in the door of the parking garage. If we are here in the garage, we are on property to work—let us clock in from there and more people will park there.
- Appreciate the question and you should be in your assigned area of work, ready, willing and able to perform your work after your clock in. We would still like to encourage all staff to utilize employee parking in our parking garages.
- Can there be someone to help patients find their way from MOB4 to the hospital – many cannot walk that far.
- We understand several patients have gotten lost recently with some practices relocating to MOB4. We really are asking for everybody’s help with this. If you encounter a patient who is lost and don’t know where to direct them, please direct them to an information desk for a campus map. You can also view our campus map here. We’ll continue to share practice moves in Michael’s weekly newsletter.
- What if patients are concerned about their privacy in their rooms with AI?
- We are explaining the technology to patients – we want to provide them with as much information as possible. It’s also important to note that all the recorded information is not stored on any cloud or hard drive. They are stored by a third-party vendor. Houston Methodist takes IT security very seriously. Please escalate any additional questions you have about technology and AI to your respective supervisors so that we may address to your satisfaction so that you may communicate it to our patients.
- Given the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks targeting healthcare organization, just curious what measures have we taken to ensure our hospital is prepared?
- The structure we have around cyber security is incredible and we utilize our own IT staff to make sure it is safe. The vendors we also use and do business with must pass rigorous IT security screening or we will not utilize them. There are multiple levels of security that you must get through to actually hack our system. We have over a million hits a day with outsiders trying to get into our IT system. Our IT groups are constantly reviewing our security processes and taking necessary steps to ensure EMR is secure so that we may take care of our patients.
- We want all our employees to continue changing their passwords and following our business practices for the protection of our patients, our institution and our system.
- How will patients know the difference between the Evolv and a metal detector? Do we have concerns they will give patients and visitors a concerning view of our hospital
- It’s very discrete. It allows for free flow into the entryway. It detects metals of certain density. We aren’t trying to stop everybody who has a bottle opener or a multi-took keychain. This technology is looking for a certain size and density – whether it’s a pocketknife or a firearm. If that happens, the security officer will stop them and redirect them to the parking lot. The safety of our employees, patients and visitors is a high priority for us.
- When will the gym be moving?
- We don’t have a firm answer just yet, but we’re working on revamping the existing area in the bank, so we’re hopeful to move closer to the end of the year. Once we move the gym, we will be expanding sterile processing.
- Where will MOB 5 be located?
- It will be behind the Houston Methodist Orthopedic & Sports Medicine building.
- Are there plans to expand the number of inpatient beds?
- Currently, we want to focus on using the beds we have more effectively by decreasing our average length of stay and improving patient throughput.
- Are there plans to add a daycare center at HMSL?
- We will take this under consideration, but I do want to remind all our employees about Bright Horizon. If your regular childcare arrangements fall through, you can access a national network of high-quality, back-up care solutions for your children (and adult/elderly family members). Using Bright Horizons back-up care can be very helpful if your childcare center is closed, your regular caregiver is sick, or you are transitioning between care arrangements. Bright Horizon has agreements with other resources near our hospital. I would encourage you look at the information on our website.
- What is the vision for HMSL three to five years from now?
- We want to continue to build upon the strong programs we have. When you look at HMSL, we have very strong programs in orthopedics, surgery, cancer, cardiac, pulmonology, family practice and internal medicine. Those are the services we want to continue to build upon because those are the services that our community demands of us. Not only do we provide those services, but we do it in the Houston Methodist fashion utilizing our I CARE values, so our patients have an exceptional experience.
Houston Methodist Sugar Land News
Employee & Volunteer E-News
Leave a Reply