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Looking back on 2023 gives us the chance to pause and appreciate a truly remarkable year for Cook Children’s. So many moments of magic unfolded, and we’re grateful – which is why we want to revisit our happiest headlines from 2023! ✨ These top stories reflect creativity, achievement and dedication to the health of every child in our community. Enjoy this holiday season recap of 12 merry highlights from Cook Children’s!
D CEO Magazine has named Cook Children’s President and Chief Executive Officer Rick W. Merrill as a member of the Dallas 500, the most powerful business leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth! Mr. Merrill has been at the helm of Cook Children's Health Care System since 2007. Congratulations, Mr. Merrill! We are proud of how you inspire us to live the Cook Children's Promise today and every day.
Cook Children’s Center for Community Health and Health Plan are collaborating with organizations across North Texas to combat the issue of food insecurity. “Children who don’t get enough to eat — especially during their first three years — begin life at a serious disadvantage,” said Karen Love, President of Cook Children’s Health Plan. “Children facing hunger are more likely to experience problems in school. They’re also more likely to be hospitalized and face risks of serious health conditions such as anemia and asthma.” According to Cook Children’s 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment, an estimated 303,000 children (nearly one in four children) in our eight-county service area live in households that could not always afford nutritious foods. “We understand that tackling big issues like food insecurity requires the whole community to come together,” said Emily Epperson, Child Wellness Program Manager at Cook Children’s Center for Community Health. “So many organizations already do so much to serve children and families in their local community. Working alongside them is another way Cook Children’s can fulfill our Promise at a broader scale.”
On November 12th, 2023, the Cook Children’s NICU Early Support and Care Transition (NEST) Developmental Follow-Up Center celebrated its ten-year anniversary. 🎊 The NEST Center provides crucial early intervention for babies born prematurely or with medical conditions who may be at risk for future challenges with hearing, seeing, talking, feeding, motor skills and intellectual development. The clinic reduces the risk of long-term challenges for NICU babies by providing early detection and care coordination through the age of five. “We provide holistic care for families because a child’s development doesn’t exist in isolation,” the NEST Center's Medical Director, Yvette Johnson, M.D., M.P.H., said. “We really look at the whole family as our patient.”
In November 2023, leaders from Cook Children’s Health Care System stood side-by-side today with representatives from JPS Health Network, the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, LVTRise and WestAid Community Resources to break ground on the Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center. The 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. "To see real change you have to make focused investments. Building off of the success of the City's Neighborhood Improvement Program, we've seen the incredible domino effect that can happen when you work with a community to make targeted investments that will make the biggest difference,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. “The Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center is the next great example of what years of focus and support can do to lift up a community, creating healthier and more vibrant futures for the families that call it home."
Pain is a complicated, often debilitating feeling that can have a major impact on a child’s physical and mental well-being. The Cook Children’s Pain Management Program offers a comprehensive range of services for patients suffering from acute or chronic pain.
We are so proud to announce Paul Thornton, M.D., Medical Director of Diabetes and Endocrinology, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Global Impact Award! The City of Fort Worth and Fort Worth Sister Cities International honored Dr. Thornton for his lifelong work in hyperinsulinism, a potentially devastating, rare genetic disease. “Born in Ireland, Dr. Thornton is truly world-renowned and one of the leaders in his field,” said Rick W. Merrill, President and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System. “We are so glad he settled here in Fort Worth and we are extremely honored to share him with the world.” Congratulations, Dr. Thornton!
Learn about the Jane and John Justin Institute for Mind Health, which opened in October 2023! The Justin Institute connects nine specialties under one roof, including Neurology, Neuropsychology, Neurosurgery, Pain Management, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Psychology, Psychiatry, Developmental Pediatrics and Developmental Psychology.
At the Jane and John Justin Institute for Mind Health, art on display provides a window into some of the most beautifully complex inner workings of the human brain. Called "neuro art," the pieces fuse neuroscience and artistic expression, allowing people to visualize the complexities of the human brain in stunning, unique ways. This incredible collection was curated by Scott Perry, M.D., head of Neurosciences at the Justin Institute. Each work of art was carefully chosen because of its ability to unlock new insights into the magnificence of our most powerful organ—the brain. Additionally, every artist involved in the collection has some connection to neuroscience — some are Ph.D. neuroscientists and others have disorders of the nervous system.
At the end of 2023, we cut the ribbon at The John and Tracy Sellers Sports Complex! The outdoor sports complex is an expansion of Cook Children’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Walsh Ranch, which was designed to help rehab, train and care for young athletes. It includes a 30-yard football field, a quarter-mile track a pitching mound and an agility training area. “Taking athletes outside where the temperature is different and we have a surface that's a little bit closer to what they're going to use gives them that extra real-life conditioning for peak performance and allows us to really test their readiness to return to a sport after injury,” said Richard Ashlock, PT, DPT, SCS, sports clinical coordinator at Cook Children’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Walsh Ranch.
