South Texas Health System Children’s

Celebrating Our Healthcare Heroes! Every Labor Day, the United States pays tribute to the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our great nation.

On this special day, South Texas Health System would like to salute the nearly 3,500 employees who work tirelessly to help provide healing and hope across our 11 facilities, including STHS Children's. Whether directly providing quality, compassionate care to the patients who entrust us with their care or working behind the scenes to keep our facilities running smoothly, efficiently, and safely, we're STHS Strong because of the immeasurable compassion and commitment of our employees.

Should you need medical care, you can count on the STHS team to be there for you and your loved ones this Labor Day, just as they are every single day of the year.

Our sincere gratitude to all employees! And Happy Labor Day to all workers locally and across the U.S.

An Eye for Color: Arts & crafts activities can help pediatric patients in many ways. Along with being therapeutic and relaxing, they can improve a child’s mental health and well-being while helping them feel more empowered and in control.

So, to help the patients at South Texas Health System Children’s heal, the facility partners with the The Auxiliary to South Texas Health System to host weekly arts & crafts activities for pediatric patients to help ensure their hospital experience is a positive one.

In commemoration of National Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month this August and to promote the importance of vision, Auxiliary staff led special arts & crafts activities that allowed patients to showcase their vision awareness.

Thank you to the Auxiliary for bringing healing, hope and health education to our pediatric patients!

Building Neighborhood Camaraderie: This week, South Texas Health System participated in the Mission Police Department's National Night Out event, an annual community-building campaign aimed at promoting police and community partnerships and camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

STHS Behavioral and STHS ER Mission, along with representatives from other system facilities and departments, had the opportunity to mix and mingle with community members while shining a spotlight on the services, programs and resources available through STHS.

Thank you to STHS Behavioral and STHS ER Mission staff for their participation this year.

And a special salute to the Mission Police Department for rallying City of Mission, TX - Government residents together and helping create community connectedness!

Recognizing Care That Comes Naturally: Certified nursing assistants play a vital role at South Texas Health System Children’s by providing direct care to our littlest patients. Their important work includes assisting children of all ages with essential daily activities including eating, bathing, grooming and mobility.

Sandra Reyes is one of those CNAs. For the last seven years, she has enjoyed caring for the pediatric patients at STHS Children's. As a grandmother, she says caring for children just comes naturally to her.

“I like to interact with kids; I have two grandchildren and I enjoy spending time with them, so, I can relate to most of the kids that come in here,” says Sandra.

Besides caring for the littlest of patients, Sandra enjoys the team she works with.

“They make my job easier! Sometimes, there are tough moments, there are heavy days, but we work together, and we make it more enjoyable and less stressful for each other,” says Sandra. “It’s a great opportunity to make a difference.”

Thank you, Sandra, for your dedication to our pediatric patients, and for the difference you make in helping them heal!

Supporting Local Families with Hospitalized Children: South Texas Health System Children’s proudly welcomed Ellie Torres - Hidalgo County Commissioner Pct. 4 to the campus last week for her monthly talk show, which was hosted live from the Ronald McDonald House Charities South Texas (RHMCSTX) Family Room on the facility's third floor.

Commissioner Torres was joined by co-host Laura Garcia, STHS Children's Pediatric Administrator Kimberly Davis and Neydin Costilla, the Family Room manager, who all spoke about the support and resources provided to family members of hospitalized children in the space, the only one of its kind in Hidalgo County.

For more than a decade, the RHMCSTX Family Room has served as a quiet place where families can recharge, take a break, grab a bite to eat, shower or get some rest just steps away from their child’s bedside.

Thank you, Commissioner Torres, for shining a spotlight on the invaluable services offered by the RMHCSTX Family Room at STHS Children's.

Keeping an Eye on Your Child's Vision: A crucial part of childhood development, your child's vision can change quickly as they grow up, making it crucial to monitor their eyesight.

Unfortunately, more than 1 in 20 preschool-age children and 1 in 4 school-age children have a vision disorder, per the American Optometric Association, yet fewer than 15% of kids receive an eye exam by a professional.

It's important to notify your child’s doctor if you observe any of the common signs or symptoms of vision problems in children:

🧐 Blurry vision
📺 Sitting close to the TV
📝 Dislikes doing homework or rushes assignments
📖 Reading, learning or attention issues
👁️ Eye pain, discomfort or itchiness
🕶️ Eyes that are sensitive to light
🤓 Frequent squinting or rubbing eyes
👀 Closes one eye or tilts head when reading
💧 Red, watery or irritated eyes

Health experts recommend that children get their first eye exam between 6–12 months of age, followed by another exam between 3–5 years old, and then annually from 6–17 years old.

See your child's doctor if you believe they may be experiencing vision problems. If they don’t have a primary care physician, visit doctors.southtexashealthsystem.com to find one near you.

Planting the Seeds of Student Success: Early literacy plays a key role in shaping a child's future academic success and lifelong learning by helping them hone crucial language acquisition, phonological awareness and comprehension skills.

South Texas Health System is a proud supporter of the Building Literacy Outreach, Opportunities & Memories (BLOOM) program, an initiative of Region One ESC aimed at improving literacy outcomes for all learners.

This week, STHS participated in Region One's Seeds to Success: Project Bloom Early Literacy Conference, which served as a platform for advancing the knowledge and skills of educators dedicated to nurturing early literacy.

Representatives from South Texas Health System had the opportunity to interact with teachers, staff and administrators from districts across the Rio Grande Valley during the all-day conference.

Thank you, Region One Education Service Center, for inviting STHS to be part of an important initiative that created enriching and effective literacy experiences for young children.

Recognizing a Long-Time Patient Advocate: Certified nursing assistants play a vital role in providing direct care to our pediatric patients at STHS Children's. They assist patients with essential daily activities including eating, bathing, grooming and mobility.

It's a role Celia Rodriguez has thrived in as part of the STHS Children's team. A CNA for 22 years, Celia is passionate about the important work she does in helping our littlest patients get well.

“I really enjoy my work," says Celia. "Checking and caring for patients and providing them with what's needed to make them better, getting to work with my team of nurses, I truly enjoy what I do."

Thank you, Celia, for your dedication to providing quality, compassionate care to our patients!

Reducing Stress & Anxiety in Kids: About 20% of kids worldwide are struggling with anxiety and stress stemming from children’s fears and worries, according to JAMA Pediatrics, which can lead them to feel sad and hopeless from time to time.

While some fears and worries are normal in children, persistent or extreme forms of fear and sadness can be due to anxiety and stress. Some anxious children keep their worries to themselves causing parents to miss the tell-tale signs.

To help parents learn the signs to look out for and help ease their children’s worries, South Texas Health System Children’s will dedicate its latest Let’s Talk Children’s Health webinar to childhood stress & anxiety.

Tune in to the live webinar tomorrow, August 21, via South Texas Health System & STHS Children's pages from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The online seminar will highlight strategies that parents and caregivers can use to help their children ease their fears and reduce their stress and anxiety. For complete details, visit the STHS Facebook Events Page. http://spklr.io/6188sF4n

Helping Ring in the New School Year: It’s not just students getting ready for the 2024-2025 school year! Across the Rio Grande Valley, staff and administrators are also gearing up for another year of learning!

Last week, South Texas Health System joined McAllen ISD in welcoming back staff during the district's annual general assembly. Representatives from STHS Children's sister facilities – STHS ER Mission, STHS ER Ware and STHS Behavioral – had the opportunity to interact with teachers, staff and administrators from 30 campuses across the district during the “Legacy of Greatness Continues” kick-off event

Thank you, McAllen ISD, for inviting STHS to be a part of your annual assembly!

STHS Children’s would like to wish all students and staff a safe return to school and success in the classroom!

Goodbye Summer, Hello School Year! South Texas Health System Children’s couldn't let its pediatric patients miss out on all the back to school fun!

So, this week, STHS Children's gifted the young patients in our care with free school supplies and back-to-school goodie bags with the support of The Auxiliary to South Texas Health System.

Thank you to the Auxiliary for helping us celebrate the new school year with our patients while providing them with a welcome distraction from their hospitalization.

Here's wishing our patients a speedy recovery, so they can get back into their classrooms for another year of learning.

To all Valley students, have a safe and healthy school year!

Giving Love to Those Who Give Back! This National Non-Profit Day, South Texas Health System Children's would like to express its appreciation to The Auxiliary to South Texas Health System, the system's charitable arm that was established in 1953. The non-profit organization consists of 225 individuals who volunteer their time at STHS Children's, as well STHS Edinburg, STHS McAllen and STHS Heart.

At STHS Children's, our exceptional senior and junior volunteers can be found leading interactive arts & crafts activities with patients and their families.

Additionally, they can also be found aiding hospital visitors at the information desks, as well as running the gift shops at STHS McAllen and STHS Edinburg. The money raised through sales in those gift shops is returned to the Rio Grande Valley community through the Auxiliary's scholarship program. In fact, the Auxiliary has awarded more than $2 million dollars in scholarships to individuals pursing an education in the medical field throughout the years.

Thank you to all the members of the Auxiliary for their service to our hospitals, our patients and visitors and to the community!

Keeping an Eye on Your Child’s Vision: Vision is an important part of childhood development and, as your child grows, their eyes can change quickly making it crucial to monitor your child’s vision. In fact, routine eye exams are recommended by the CDC to identify any vision problems early on.

But there are other preventative measures parents can take to ensure the care of their child’s vision. So, this National Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month, South Texas Health System Children's offers the following advice:

🥬 Eating a well-balanced diet can aid in good vision development
💪 Regular exercise often ensures children are healthy and can deter the risk for diabetes and other conditions that can lead to vision problems
🤓 Wearing glasses helps kids see better, especially when clean and free of smudges
😎 Make sure they have proper eye protection when needed
👀 Give their eyes a break by following the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes, look about 20 feet away for 20 seconds
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Talk about eye health with your family

Early detection and treatment are crucial for protecting your child’s vision. So, if you suspect your child may be having vision problems, it's important they see an eye doctor.

Overcoming Every Challenge with Teamwork: Caring for the littlest of patients can be a difficult task, especially when they're admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

But Oscarina Santiago has proudly taken on that challenge for nearly two decades alongside the dedicated team at South Texas Health System Children’s.

In her 22-year career in healthcare, including 18 years at STHS Children's, Oscarina has helped children heal from some of the most difficult illnesses. Helping sick kids get well is what's kept her in the PICU all these years.

“Children are a challenging, very special group that need very delicate and compassionate care," says Oscarina. "But helping these brave young patients is what keeps me in this facility, and I have stayed here so long because of the teamwork that I have with my co-workers.”

Just like every patient is different, so is every day in the PICU, says Oscarina. She enjoys the challenge that comes with caring for kids who may be sicker than most.

“My favorite part of this job is working with kids… seeing them get better and go home… That's the most rewarding aspect,” says Oscarina.

Thank you, Oscarina, for your dedication to providing quality, compassionate care to our patients.

Supporting Valley Students' Mental Health: As summer draws to a close and a new school year begins, 12% of U.S. children are struggling with anxiety and stress over returning to the classroom, per the CDC. There are many reasons a child may be stressed about the first day of school, including fear of the unknown, concerns about academic performance, apprehension about social interactions and separation anxiety.

So, to help support their children’s mental health, South Texas Health System Behavioral recommends the following tips for parents:

🏫 Think of the new school year as a clean slate
🏫 Highlight positive aspects about school
🏫 Encourage your child to express their feelings
🏫 Create a supportive environment
🏫 Set realistic goals
🏫 Limit screen time
🏫 Get your child to exercise
🏫 Help them prioritize sleep
🏫 Seek professional help, if needed

Having the right coping mechanisms can help ease a child’s worries about a new school year.

In its next installment of our Let’s Talk Children’s Health Series, STHS Children’s will discuss stress and anxiety in children and how it can impact their overall wellbeing on Wednesday, August 21, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., via STHS' page. For more information on the webinar, visit the South Texas Health System Children’s Facebook Events page. http://spklr.io/6184sm9k

Celebrating Christmas in August: A hospital stay can be stressful for any patient, most especially children. Along with being filled with people they don't know, the unfamiliar environment can be filled with perplexing conversations between parents and staff, alarming sounds from medical devices and more.

So, last week, The Auxiliary to South Texas Health System invited a familiar face to provide a welcome distraction to the pediatric patients at STHS Children’s!

They received a surprise visit from Santa Claus, who was decked out in his summer attire to beat the South Texas heat. And Jolly Old Saint Nicholas did more than bring lots of big smiles to little faces and have heartwarming conversations with kids and their families.... He also came bearing gifts!

Thank you to the Auxiliary to STHS for all they do to keep our patients’ spirits merry & bright all year long!

Fit is Lit! Exercise is important for the mind, body and soul. That's especially true for children. Unfortunately, more and more kids (and adults) are falling short of their recommended amounts of exercise, leading to serious long-term health consequences.

Only 1 in 5 children aged 6-17 years engage in two hours or less of screen time per day, and only 1 in 4 participate in 60 minutes of physical activity per day, per the U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

This National Exercise with Your Child Week, South Texas Health System Children's recommends the following tips to help you get fit as a family:

👪 Schedule family playtime
🪁 Choose toys that encourage physical activity, like balls, kites, skateboards and jump ropes
📺 Limit screen time
🌿 Plant a garden
🚶‍♀️ Go for a walk or hike

There are immediate and long-term benefits of physical activity, including a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Whatever helps you and your child get moving, do it! Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to have fun together and jumpstart healthy habits in your kids that can last a lifetime.

Getting Kids Ready for a 'Charming' School Year: As the summer season draws to a close and families prepare for the return to school, children may can feel a range of emotions, including apprehension and fear.

So, to build excitement for the return to the classroom, South Texas Health System Children’s partnered with UTRGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's Sculpture Club to help students design bookmarks and backpack charms during this year's Back-to-School Block Party!

Throughout the morning, members of the club helped children embrace their creativity by providing the supplies and support to create the beautiful crafts they'll use this school year.

A special thank you to the UTRGV Sculpture Club for leading this memorable activity and helping rally kids for the new school year.

Best of luck to all students heading back to school; here's wishing you all a charm-ing year!

Safety First, Especially for Children: Unintentional injuries remain the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 14, according to the CDC, with non-fatal injuries continuing to impact child morbidity, as well as disability and a reduced quality of life for kids of all ages.

So, as part of its dedication to child safety and injury prevention, South Texas Health System joined forces with law enforcement agencies, community organizations and safety professionals from across the Rio Grande Valley at this week's Safe Kids Injury Prevention event hosted by the Alton Fire Department.

Representatives from the STHS Trauma & Critical Care Institute and STHS Clinics were on hand to promote the importance of child safety in our communities, share important safety tips with parents and children and highlight local resources available to help keep kids safe.

A special thank you to the Alton Fire Department for the opportunity to be a part of this important event.

Helping Building Neighborhood Camaraderie: Earlier this week, South Texas Health System partnered with police departments across the Rio Grande Valley for National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

STHS facility and department representatives from across the system had the opportunity to mix and mingle with community members and highlight STHS' services, programs and resources at National Night Out events hosted by the Pharr and McAllen police departments.

Thank you to STHS Behavioral and STHS Trauma & Critical Care Institute staff for their participation this year.

And a special salute to the McAllen Police Department and the Pharr Police Department for uniting residents and helping bring back a true sense of community.

Getting Kids Back on a Sleep Schedule: Children's sleep schedules understandably loosen up during summer break, with kids using their summer break to rest and recharge. But as a new school year approaches, getting kids back on a regular sleep schedule is crucial to their success.

Lack of sleep can contribute to serious health issues, while good sleep is shown to increase immunity and ease stress and anxiety. A good bedtime and sleep routine will help your child adopt healthy habits early in life and avoid the complications of insufficient sleep later on.

To get back on a regular sleep schedule, the South Texas Health System Children's recommends the following:

😴 Establish consistent bedtimes
😴 Create a relaxing bedtime routine
😴 Limit screen time and light exposure
😴 Avoid eating before bed
😴 Limit napping
😴 Make your child's bedroom a sleep sanctuary

Should your child have difficulty getting a good night's rest, the STHS Sleep Center offers sleep study sessions for children and adults to help diagnose and treat a wide range of sleep disorders. Call 956-213-0403 for more information or to schedule a sleep study consultation.

Dedicated to Top-Notch Care: South Texas Health System Children’s staff know the importance of delivering on our promise to provide quality, compassionate care.

Family nurse practitioner Jesus Corpus is one of those healthcare heroes dedicated to the mission.

Jesus has proudly delivered family focused care for more than 15 years. From working with doctors on admission and discharge orders to collaborating with nurses and staff, he truly enjoys the great teamwork he has with his colleagues.

“I enjoy being here,” says Jesus. “I can say that I've rarely had a bad day here. No matter how busy or slow things are, we have a great team.”

Thank you, Jesus, for your dedication to ensuring our littlest patients receive quality, compassionate care.

Preparing Valley Kids for Success in the Classroom! To help ease the burden on the pocketbooks of local families and help children celebrate the start of a new school year, South Texas Health System Children’s hosted its third annual Back-to-School Block Party last Saturday.

The event featured representatives from STHS' facilities and system-wide departments, as well as community businesses and organizations, all coming together to distribute free school supplies to children including composition notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons and colored pencils, glue and more.

Along with handing out free supplies, the STHS Children’s Back-to-School Block Party also included fun arts & crafts activities and games for children of all ages, no-cost health screenings for the entire family, community resources and more.

In all, more than 1,500 children and family members attended the event.

Thank you to all who helped make this year’s Back-to-School Block Party an A+ affair!

Going for the Gold: Arts and crafts activities can help pediatric patients in many ways. Along with being therapeutic and relaxing, they can help improve their mental health and well-being while helping patients feel more empowered and in control.

So, to help the patients at South Texas Health System Children’s heal, the facility partners with the Auxiliary to STHS to host weekly arts & crafts activities for pediatric patients to help ensure their hospital experience is a positive one.

To celebrate the Paris 2024 Olympics, Auxiliary staff led special arts & crafts activities that allowed patients to showcase their creativity while promoting the Olympic spirit.

Thank you to the Auxiliary for bringing healing and hope to patients while promoting the three values of olympism: excellence, respect and friendship.

Helping McAllen Students Get Off on the Right Foot: School supplies help pave the way toward academic success by providing students with the tools they need to begin learning on the first day of school. Research shows that children who begin the school year with all the supplies they need in the classroom are more motivated, have higher self-esteem and enjoy a better learning experience overall.

So, to help McAllen ISD students get back-to-school ready, South Texas Health System participated in the school district's Back to School Bash, providing school supplies to thousands of students of all ages.

Additionally, STHS Children's staff offered attendees important CPR training, while STHS freestanding ER team members provided no cost blood glucose checks.

Here's wishing all students across the Rio Grande Valley a successful school year!

Supporting Inclusivity in Our Community: Play is the right of every child and creating a sense of belonging is the responsibility of every community. That's why STHS Children’s proudly supports the goal of Capable Kids to bridge the gap in inclusive services available to children and young adults with disabilities and their families throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

This week, STHS Children’s donated the proceeds from its second annual Eddie’s Safari Run to Capable Kids. More than 200 runners and walkers of all ages took part in the 2K and 5K events, which help promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Thank you to all participants for helping STHS Children's make a difference in our community. Together, we raised nearly $3,600 for Capable Kids, which was created in 2015 to address the lack of inclusive sporting and social opportunities for children and young adults in the RGV.

Thank you, Capable Kids, for allowing STHS Children’s to be a part of your mission.

Let's Get This Block Party Started! With the first day of school right around the corner, don't miss your chance to cross off everything on your children's school supply list, courtesy of South Texas Health System Children's.

This Saturday, August 3, STHS Children's will be hosting its Back-to-School Block Party from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., in the hospital's main parking lot.

Together with more than 20 vendors, we'll be distributing school supplies to children in the community to help prepare them for classroom success, with the first 100 kids to arrive getting a free snack from STHS Children's!

Along with the free school supply giveaway*, we'll also be offering no-cost health screenings for the whole family and a community resources expo with safety checks and fun games.

For more information, visit the STHS Children's Facebook Events page. bit.ly/3WiuNu2

*while supplies last

Helping Support Local Families with Hospitalized Kids: It’s almost the end of the summer, and South Texas Health System Children’s would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the Ruy Mireles Law Firm for serving as the official pantry partner at the facility’s Ronald McDonald House Charities South Texas Family Room during the month of July.

As a pantry partner, the McAllen-based law firm helped keep the pantry fully stocked for the entire month, giving parents and family members of hospitalized children the chance to stay nourished without having to leave the facility.

The STHS Children’s Family Room offers families a quiet place where they can recharge, take a break, grab a bite to eat, shower or get some rest just mere steps away from their child’s bedside.

If you'd like more information or wish to sign up to become a Ronald McDonald House Charities Pantry Partner, please reach out to Miriam Gelman at (956) 476-6489 or visit http://spklr.io/6188sOBy.