Edinburg Children’s Hospital: All Kids, All the Time
Specialized Hosp.
Written by Amanda Gaines   
Monday, 01 October 2007
Edinburg Children’s Hospital: All Kids, All the Time - Health Executive - RedCoat Publishing
Community collaboration and cultural assimilation ensure the children at this hospital receive the highest quality healthcare.
In 1995, more than 15 pediatricians gathered together and approached Universal Health Services, Inc. with a concern. In a region primarily populated with young parents and a subsequent growing number of children, no facility capable of handling the full scope of pediatric health services existed, and many of their patient populations were traveling nearly three hours to find the necessary services for their children.

Edinburg Children’s Hospital: All Kids, All the Time - Health Executive - RedCoat Publishing
Linda Resendez, CEO
In March 2006, UHS and its Rio Grande Valley subsidiary South Texas Health System answered the call by opening Edinburg Children’s Hospital on its Edinburg Regional Medical Center campus. As Rio Grande Valley’s first and only hospital built for pediatric care, this hospital provides full surgical and diagnostic capabilities and, for many in the Texan community, a sense of comfort.

“The median age of the population of South Texas is mid-20s, and we felt we needed to prepare for another baby boom population,” said Linda Resendez, CEO of the Edinburg campus. “Since the hospital opened, many in the community have come and volunteered their time because everyone wants to help a sick child.”

Thankfully, that was also the feeling at UHS, but as a for-profit organization, UHS does not have access to the charitable donations as many nonprofits do. However, local group of citizens banded together to start an independent children’s foundation to assist families before or after their children are admitted to the hospital.

“They call us and ask if we have a patient that, for example, needs a ventilator at home, and they will provide one,” she explained. “Or, if a child or family needs to travel for a bone marrow transplant in San Antonio or Dallas, they’ll help with the transportation needs.”

Outside these walls
Edinburg Children’s Hospital employs a wide range of pediatric specialists, including intensivists, pharmacists, nurses, respiratory therapists, and physical therapists. The facility comprises 14 ICU beds, 16 ED beds, 12 step-down beds, eight oncology beds, 72 med/surg beds, and an inpatient physical medicine rehab. And although the majority of the pediatric care takes place within the hospital’s walls, one of Resendez’s goals when coming to the hospital was to make a difference outside of the facility.

“One of my goals was to go to the legislature, especially in Texas, and lobby for pediatric and children’s needs,” she said. “Our area is underserved and has a low socioeconomic population. We’ve got to be out there to prevent critical diseases resultant from a lack of care, not only in clinical but also in political arenas.”

Prior to the past legislative session, Texas’ CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) was in dire straits. The program had lost more than 200,000 children because the system required parents to re-enroll their children every six months, often piling a mound of paperwork on the already busy parents. Resendez and her team went to the capital, met with senators and representatives, and explained why the program was so important and why the system needed to change.

“In the last legislative session, the system was changed,” Resendez said. “Now parents only have to enroll their children every 12 months, and the process is less cumbersome. It was a huge victory.”

ECH professionals also bring their clinical expertise into the community by distributing educational pamphlets and holding health fairs and screenings. In mid-August, with the help of the Hidalgo County Health Alliance, ECH immunized more than 250 children. “We go into the community and offer these services, hoping to be recognized as an organization that cares about the community,” the CEO said.

Research shows that a great number of the pediatric population is uninsured, even when talking about children of working parents. Many families rely on CHIPS and Medicaid, which only pays about $0.12 to every dollar hospitals spend. By shedding some light on ECH, Resendez hopes families consider the other facilities on the campus, such as Edinburg Regional Hospital and the rehabilitation center, when looking for their own healthcare needs.

Great expectations
Culture is another important factor at ECH. Because the majority of Edinburg’s population has a strong Hispanic heritage, hiring practices for the hospital go beyond clinical qualifications. In addition to encouraging members of the community to enter into a healthcare profession, Resendez recruited 30 nurses from the Philippines who will be starting at the children’s hospital this fall.

And regardless of the nationwide nursing shortage, Resendez is adamant about how her recruits approach their jobs at ECH. When attending a recent nursing luncheon for graduates, she listened to the graduates discussing nurse-to-patient ratios and pay rates for about an hour. She then turned to the group and said, “If these are the only things you’re thinking about, please don’t bother taking an application for my hospital because it’s not that kind of hospital. It’s about the privilege of taking care of patients and their families.

“I expect of you what you would expect of a nurse taking care of your mother, brother, or sister. To work at my hospital you need to have more than a license. You also need to care about the children.”
 
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