Cook Children's Pediatrics Collin County

Water safety vigilance is key at all ages and no matter where your family might be. Swimming pools, lakes and beaches all pose risks but with the right preparation, you can avoid tragic outcomes.

As you head outside to bodies of water to cool off and have fun during weekend, remember to .

Read tips here:

Lifeguard Your Child: Avoid Drownings When Traveling Out of Your Normal Environment Over Labor Day Weekend By Rachel HatcherIt's the end of summertime, and that means it's time to get in one last vacation. With families taking trips over the Labor Day weekend, it is important to educate parents and caregivers on drowning prevention and safety outside of their normal environment. We talked to experts at C...

The Cook Children’s PrayerBear Den received a BEARY special donation this week: 4,800 teddy bears to be given to patients as a source of comfort, love and encouragement during their hospital stay. 🐻🐻

CBS News Texas shares the McCarthy family’s story of hope and generosity here: https://tinyurl.com/23v9udbu

Cook Children’s operates seven Neighborhood Health Centers in the Fort Worth area, and two more are on the way.

What makes these centers so special? They're all about providing top-notch health care – from checkups to dental care to behavioral health services, particularly for underserved children and families in our community.

These centers are strategically located in neighborhoods where access to health care might be a challenge, due to factors like transportation limitations or socioeconomic status. By bringing our services directly to these communities, we're breaking down barriers and ensuring all kids have a chance to be healthy and happy.

Read about how our Neighborhood Health Centers provide a pediatric medical home to help kids have access to the services they need to thrive. https://brnw.ch/21wM9sw

Cook Children's Neighborhood Health Centers

Neighborhood Health Centers: Primary Care and More, Close to Home In 2023, the Neighborhood Health Centers saw 125,761 patient visits across the seven locations. More than 50% of those patients were on Cook Children’s Health Plan.

Samuel and Kathy Grace Sudolcan’s home is filled with love, joy and hope. You see it in the smiles of their three sons, including 2-year-old Zechariah, despite the fact that every breath he takes is dependent on a well-equipped and working ventilator.

Zechariah is one of the more than 8,000 medically fragile children covered under Texas’ STAR Kids Program by Cook Children's Health Plan (CCHP).

While his health care coverage is not yet impacted by Texas Health and Human Services Commission's decision to exclude CCHP from the new STAR/CHIP contract starting in Sept. 2025, Zechariah’s story illustrates the important role CCHP plays in the lives of its members and their families.

Read his story here: https://tinyurl.com/2vyznnby

Children in Jeopardy: Zechariah’s Story By Ashley AntleSamuel and Kathy Grace Sudolcan’s home is filled with love, joy and hope. You see it in the smiles of their three sons, including 2-year-old Zechariah, despite the fact that every breath he takes is dependent on a well-equipped and working ventilator.Samuel calls Zechariah’s vent ...

August has been proclaimed Gun Safety Awareness Month by three North Texas cities: Arlington, Prosper and Alvarado.

The program at Cook Children’s led this effort to spread awareness and education about proper gun storage and safety.

“We’re so thankful that Prosper, Arlington and Alvarado recognized August as Gun Safety Awareness Month. This helps us so much in getting this important message of safe gun storage out to the communities and families that we serve and helps us highlight that safety is our number one priority,” Eric Gonzalez, Program Coordinator for the Center for Community Health at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth.

August Proclaimed Gun Safety Awareness Month by 3 North Texas Cities By Rachel HatcherAugust is proclaimed Gun Safety Awareness Month by three North Texas cities: Arlington, Prosper and Alvarado. The Aim for Safety program at Cook Children’s led this effort to spread awareness and education about proper gun storage and safety. “We’re so thankful that Prosper, A...

Bumblebee, a character from the TRANSFORMERS franchise, rolled into Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth today and left everyone buzzing with excitement! 🐝🐝

Thank you, Bumblebee, for transforming our patients’ visits into an unforgettable experience.

Many students across North Texas start school this week! 🚌📚✏️

In support of students kicking off the 2024-25 academic year, some of our physicians are sharing their school photos! By turning their childhood dreams into reality, these doctors remind us that anything is possible.

Going back to school can cause a rollercoaster of emotions for kids of all ages. 🎒📚🚌

We asked Cook Children’s Psychiatrists Kia Carter, M.D. and Kristen Pyrc, M.D. about how they talk to their own children about returning to school. Read their advice here:

Back-to-School Advice From Child Psychiatrists By Rachel HatcherWhether you’re a younger kid starting kindergarten or a teenager starting high school, going back to school can create a lot of feelings. We asked Kia Carter, M.D., co-medical director of Inpatient and Consultation Liaison Psychiatric Services and Kristen Pyrc, M.D., medical direc...

You’re invited to help us shower our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit patients with blankets, clothes and developmental toys!

We provide these items for each of our patients during their NICU stay. If you’d like to help us restock our supply, please shop our Amazon baby registry: https://tinyurl.com/2npxaw89

Items purchased from the baby registry will be shipped directly to the medical center in Fort Worth.

Thanks to the support of our generous community, our NICU is able to provide the highest quality of care to our tiniest patients and their families! 💙

As a mom of two, Cook Children’s Hospitalist Laura Romano, D.O., knows how chaotic August can be. Many families are trying to squeeze out the last bit of summer in between back to school shopping, meet the teacher nights, and the ever-exciting first day of school. But in between the hustle and bustle of the next few weeks, please remember to stop and check that your child is up-to-date on their vaccines!

Dr. Romano says when people hear that she is a pediatrician, they often ask if her own children are vaccinated. Learn why she chooses to get her kids vaccinated here:

Mother and Hospitalist Dr. Romano Shares Reasons to Get Your Children Vaccinated As a mom of two, I know how chaotic August can be! many families are trying to squeeze out the last bit of summer in between back to school shopping, meet the teacher nights, and the ever-exciting first day of school. But in between the hustle and bustle of the next few weeks, please remember to sto...

We’re keeping female athletes at the top of their game!

The Cook Children’s Female Athlete program, which began this summer, focuses on nutrition, mental health and injury prevention and treatment in pr***en and teenage athletes.

Krystle Farmer, M.D., sports medicine physician, dreamed of this clinic which has now become a reality.

“We see a lot of female athletes who have specific needs,” Dr. Farmer said.

Learn more here:

New Clinic in Hurst Specializes in Female Athletes By Heather DugeCook Children’s Female Athlete program was designed with a comprehensive approach to keep female athletes healthy and at the top of their game. Located at the Cook Children’s Multi-Specialty Clinic in Hurst, it focuses on nutrition, mental health and injury prevention and treatmen...

Is your child ready for the new school year? Ashley Pagenkopf, MS, CCLS, a child life specialist at Cook Children's, says now is the time to take inventory of your child’s health.

“When thinking about getting your kids ready for school, think past school supplies and activities,” Pagenkopf says.

Swipe to read tips on how to check in on your child's physical, social, and emotional health. A healthy kid is a happy learner!

There's more to muscle building than popping a pill or swigging a shake. Cook Children’s Sports Medicine Physician Nicole Pitts, D.O., offers four ingredients for peak performance and what parents should know about their teen's habits:

Supplements Pose Risk for Teen Athletes By Ashley AntleAs the summer shifts school sports to off-season training, the attention of most teen athletes turns to strength and conditioning. Kids hoping to be bigger, stronger and faster for next season hit the weight room to build muscle. While strength and conditioning is an important element...

'Tis the season to escape the heat and celebrate Christmas in July! 🎄🎅🤶 Thank you Santa and Mrs. Claus, To Give A Smile, Cowtown Vettes and IHOP for helping bring a little holiday cheer to our patients!

If you’d like to join the celebration and bring a smile to our patients, families and staff, please consider donating any of the items listed on our wish list: https://tinyurl.com/yc66b9e8

Members of the Dallas Jackals Rugby team visited Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth! Our patient families had the opportunity to meet the players, participate in arts and crafts and learn all about rugby. Huge thanks to the Dallas Jackals for a fun visit!

While traditional sleep sacks are recommended for safe infant sleep, weighted sleep sacks are being recalled due to concerns they could impair breathing and hinder a baby's ability to roll over.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against placing weighted blankets, garments or other heavy sleep devices on or near a sleeping infant. Cook Children’s neonatologists explain their concerns about the safety of those items here:

Popular Weighted Sleep Sacks Pulled From Shelves After Suffocation Risk Identified By Jean YaegerWhile traditional sleep sacks are recommended for safe infant sleep, weighted sleep sacks are being taken off shelves due to concerns they could impair breathing and hinder a baby's ability to roll over.The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against placing weighted blankets,...

Patient care at Cook Children’s Health Care System is not being impacted by the global technology issues. Our IT teams have been working throughout the night responding to this incident.

The bulk of our response has been troubleshooting technology, rebooting computers, and stabilizing systems. We have emergency IT response teams on-site across the system and we are doing everything possible to ensure there is no interruption to patient care nor delays or inconveniences to families.

All appointments remain as scheduled. We stand by our Promise to do everything for the child.

We’re proud to announce our inclusion in Newsweek’s prestigious list of America’s Greatest Workplaces 2024. The honor once again recognizes Cook Children’s as a top employer on the national level!

“Being named one of the best workplaces in America by Newsweek is an incredible honor and a testament to the unwavering dedication of our remarkable team at Cook Children’s,” said Rick W. Merrill, President and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System. “Our employees are the heart and soul of this organization, and their compassion, resilience, and commitment to our Promise inspire me every day.”

Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/2wves7uj

Cook Children’s Named to Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces 2024 Cook Children’s is proud to announce its inclusion in Newsweek’s prestigious list of America’s Greatest Workplaces 2024. The honor once again recognizes Cook Children’s as a top employer on the national level.Newsweek, in collaboration with Plant-A Insights Group, conducted a large-scale emp...

We’re celebrating Christmas in July at Cook Children’s! 🎅🎄

Are you shopping for on Amazon? If you’d like to join the celebration and bring a smile to our patients and families, please consider donating any of the items listed on this registry: https://tinyurl.com/yc66b9e8. Our patients love small and medium kits of Legos!

As we’ve seen so many times before, we have an incredible community that collaborates with us to provide the highest quality of care to our patients and families. From our families to yours, we appreciate your continued generosity! 💙

We're excited to share that Cook Children's is featured in the new PBS series called Confluence, featuring our very own Head of Neurosciences, M. Scott Perry, M.D.!

This innovative series explores the fascinating connection between art, science, and creativity. The first episode, now streaming on PBS.org, dives into the work we're doing with Spikelangelo, the painting robot that helps children with epilepsy heal and recover through artistic expression.

Tune in to see the power of art and science coming together to make a difference in the lives of our patients!

https://tinyurl.com/4fhw7ux2

The Center for New American Media (CNAM)

Spikelangelo the painting therapy robot (from CONFLUENCE) Artist Pindar van Arman and pediatric neurologist Scott Perry have devised a painting robot that allows bedridden children to create self-portraits remotely....

Future doctors make their mark at sites across Cook Children’s Health Care System, where they engage with patients, conduct research and practice their clinical skills.

There were almost 900 medical student rotations from four medical schools at Cook Children’s in the 2023-2024 school year. Students at one of those schools, The Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU, are placed at Cook Children’s at least once during their four-year education.

Read about how Cook Children’s collaborates with the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU here:

Horned Frogs and Blue Peaks: Mentors at Cook Children’s Train TCU Medical Students in Pediatrics By Jean YaegerFuture doctors make their mark at sites across Cook Children’s Health Care System, where they engage with patients, conduct research and practice their clinical skills.From the outpatient clinics to the operating rooms and Emergency Department, medical students at Cook Children’s a...

Every year, hospital emergency rooms see thousands of injuries and dozens of deaths—the majority of which occur in children under six years old—from furniture tipping.

Though Cook Children’s hasn’t encountered a tipping-related fatality in many years, serious injuries persist.

“We've had liver lacerations, pancreatic lacerations, and broken bones as a result of furniture falling on kids,” said Cook Children’s Trauma Injury Prevention Coordinator Sharon Evans.

According to Evans, dressers, bookshelves, and televisions are the top three culprits in tip-over cases. The majority of incidents involve climbing or the application of force, so if you know your child likes to climb or hang on furniture, their risk for harm is even higher.

Learn how you can prevent tip-over incidents:

Prevent Furniture Tip-Over Tragedies: How to Keep Your Child Safe By Charlotte SettleOn May 2, 2024, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled the Mill Valley Jr.—a six-drawer kids’ dresser sold exclusively at Rooms to Go—after determining it to be a tip-over risk. The distributor, LFN Ltd., is offering a free, updated replacement to anyone who ...

Young artists from the community have brightened the halls of Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth with a collaborative art project, “Mandala of Compassion: A Tapestry of Unity.”

Each canvas of this breathtaking series encapsulates the essence of compassion through vibrant mandalas, or geometric configurations of symbols. Reflecting the diversity and interconnection of our community, the word "compassion" is beautifully inscribed on each canvas in one of the top six languages spoken by patients and families at Cook Children’s.

This beautiful artwork serves as a reminder that compassion knows no boundaries and is one of the greatest gifts we can give to others. This artwork inspires us to embrace empathy, kindness, and understanding in our interactions, fostering a culture of compassion that transcends language.

“It was a really fun collaborative art project,” Cook Children’s Resident Artist Sydney Peel said. “We reached out to different schools within our service area. I provided each campus with a canvas, the Cook Children’s color palette, the inspiration of ‘mandalas’ and the word ‘compassion’ in each of the top languages used by patients and families at Cook Children’s. Each school took that and ran with their own creativity!”

We’d like to give a huge thank you to our outstanding artists at each campus, Aledo High School/Daniel Ninth Grade Campus,Keller Central HS, All Saints' Episcopal School, Boswell High School, EMS ISD, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, and VR Eaton High School for your creativity and passion for art.

Our tiniest, patriotic patients are celebrating their first in style! These little firecrackers make our hearts burst with pride and joy. 💙🎆

Happy Fourth of July! We hope that you and your family have a safe and happy .

Yesterday, we held a press conference to announce Cook Children’s is taking legal action to stop the flawed process that led to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission taking away our longstanding contract administering Medicaid to local families. We’re incredibly grateful to the Sudolcan family for sharing their story and how this decision would negatively impact their lives and many others in this community.

For more information about this issue, please visit SaveCookChildrensHealthPlan.com.

We’re hosting a press conference today at 11 a.m. to announce a series of legal actions designed to stop the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) from taking away Cook Children's Health Plan's (CCHP) longstanding contract for Medicaid STAR and CHIP programs.

Tune in to hear from Rick W. Merrill, President and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System, Karen Love, President of CCHP, and Samuel and Kathy Grace Sudolcan, CCHP Member Family, as they discuss the human impact this erroneous decision will have on local children and families.

We’ll stream the press conference live on our page. See you there!

For more information about this issue, please visit SaveCookChildrensHealthPlan.com.

Thanks to all my fellow veterans for their service.
Summary of my Air Force career:
Commissioned 2 Lt. in May, 1986
Promoted to Captain June, 1990
Promoted to Major July 1996
Completed Active Duty service commitment July 4, 1998.

Our hearts are heavy today. We knew the Cho family. Both parents were wonderful people living the American dream. Dad, a lawyer and Mom, a Dentist with 2 beautiful boys. Now, only William remains. A tragic and senseless loss of young lives.
Please donate to help William.

Allen Tx Shooting-R.I.P. Kyu, Cindy and James Cho, organized by L T On Saturday, May 6th, Cindy, Kyu, William and James Cho visited the Allen outle… L T needs your support for Allen Tx Shooting-R.I.P. Kyu, Cindy and James Cho

We've received some bad news at our office. Dr. Horn's teenage son, Jake, has recently been diagnosed with a rare bone cancer. . Dr. Horn will have a reduced schedule for the next few months as Jake starts his treatment. The rest of the office will do our best to take care of your kids. We apologize for the last minute rescheduling we've had to do and know Dr. Horn's patients will be understanding of her need to take care of her son.
Below is the link to a page created for those that wish to support Jake and his family.

Jake's Journey with Ewing sarcoma Stay updated with Jake's fight against Ewing sarcoma

Wow. Powerful video Frisco ISD is going to show the students about the dangers of Fentanyl.

dead on arrival (fentanyl documentary) Death delivered to your doorstep.Deceptive drugs made of fentanyl are killing young people across America at an alarming rate. Fentanyl is infiltrating our c...

Here's what the Moderna CEO has to say on the new booster.

Moderna's CEO admits only the vulnerable need a Covid booster The company's CEO Stéphane Bancel said his shots are mainly targeted at over-50s and people with underlying health conditions. His comments seem to be at odds with the CDC in the US.

Dr. Paul Offit is one of the most respected Pediatric vaccine experts in the US. Here is his opinion on the updated bivalent Covid shot.

FDA adviser says healthy young people SHOULDN'T get another booster Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the FDA's Vaccine Advisory Committee, said he's not fully sold that the benefits of a third shot outweigh the harm and the booster has only been tested on lab mice.

Due to the threat of winter weather, our office will be closed for in-person appointments this Thursday, Feb. 3 and Friday, Feb. 4.

We are available for virtual visits if you need us. Please stay safe and warm!

Here’s a quick update for our patients.
1. We are awaiting our first Covid vaccine for the 5-11 year olds. If you desire the vaccine, please call and get on the list. The supply will be tight for the next several weeks. If you can get it elsewhere then go ahead and get it.

2. We have hired a third front office person to help with phone calls and messages. We’ve had high call volumes due to the pandemic and this should shorten the on hold times.

3. We ask that you activate the my Cook Children’s app/portal and use it for non urgent messages or Med refill requests.

4. Covid has slowed down but we’re starting to see some Flu A now.

5. We can do Covid 19 PCR nasal swabs with 20 minute turn around times. International travel requires this 72 hrs prior for most destinations. If you are traveling over the holidays then call and schedule the test. We can provide the proper documentation for your travels.

The Cook Children’s Emergency Department (ED) has seen an influx of families bringing in children who have been exposed to COVID-19, but show no symptoms. Please know when to call your child's pediatrician and when to take them to the ED.

cookchildrens.org/coronavirus/where-to-go

As you know, we have made the transition to Cook Children’s pediatric network. This will be a great move towards ongoing excellent patient care!
With this - we have experienced some “hiccups” causing phone issues. We have resolved those problems and business should be back to normal! We love our kids and families 🥰 know that your family is our #1 priority!