METHODIST MOMENTS

Methodist Healthcare Employees Celebrate National Blue And Green Day

In light of national donate life month, employees at Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant, Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan, and Methodist Hospital sported their blue and green in honor of National Blue and Green Day to encourage organizations and communities to come together to raise awareness around organ, eye and tissue donation. According to Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA) there are currently over 104,000 people in the US in need of an organ transplant. 20 people die each day across the country because of the drastic organ shortage. In Texas alone, it is 10,000 people.

Patients who are able to receive living organ transplants are getting the best quality organ in sometimes less than a year. The abdominal program at Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant specializes in kidney, liver and pancreas. The liver transplant program has some of the best transplant outcomes in Texas. Additionally, the hospital was recognized as the largest living donor kidney transplant program and the largest Hispanic kidney transplant program in the nation. This wouldn’t be possible without the selfless sacrifices of those willing to share the gift of life by becoming an organ donor.

Choosing to donate an organ is a life-changing decision for both the donor and the recipient. The goal of the donation process is to honor the donor’s wishes and support the family through a difficult period. At this hospital, there are programs that can assist a potential donor through the transplant process.

Register to become a donor at sahealth.com/donatelife!

Nicu Nurses Create A Program

Implemented Throughout Methodist

Healthcare To Help Decrease Diaper Rashes In Premature Babies

A new evidence-based project called “Butter the Buns” is being implemented at the Methodist Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to help decrease diaper rashes in premature babies.

The project, created by three experienced NICU nurses, is an educational resource that teaches techniques and the use of appropriate products to protect the delicate skin of premature infants.

“Infants that are pre-term cannot be touched often. Touching them alters their vitals and their skin is very fragile, so we try not to touch them unless needed. Unfortunately, that does mean that sometimes infants are sitting in a dirty diaper for an hour or two, and we don’t like that, but changing their diaper often and rubbing their skin could actually make it worse” says Holland Bernal one of the project’s creators.

“Their [babies] layers of skin are not developed like an adult skin, so they don’t have that extra protection. We want our babies to sleep and rest, so we can’t touch them as often,” says Patricia Maese one of the three nurses who co-created the program.

Maese says the premature babies continue to develop as they sleep and rest. She says the idea came to her after she attended a wound care master class. She compared wounded skin to be as delicate as premature baby skin.

Both nurses say understanding the products has also made a difference in care. They hope this project helps equip nurses with the knowledge and tools they need to keep pre-mature babies under their case comfortable and healthy.

The “Butter the Buns” project is being implemented throughout NICU units in the Methodist Healthcare system.