Page 4 - Watch_Vol. II_2015
P. 4
Right: Tia Johnson and Ashley
Meriweather, summer junior
volunteers, take the fun on the
road with an always-popular
puppet show.
From left: College volunteers College Volunteers Help Parents Strategically located in the Clinical Care
Teonna Jones-Sanders, a junior Center, West Campus and Texas Children’s
at Lamar University, and Learn About MyChart Pediatrics in Cypress – Fairbanks, the young
Chelsie Kelly, a senior at volunteers are equipped with computers.
Texas Southern University, As part of a hospital-wide push to encourage
help Nadia Garcia register enrollment in MyChart, Texas Children’s se- Austin Frazier Jr., director of Health Infor-
her daughter Sophia using cure online patient portal, college student vol- mation Management, who has organizational
MyChart’s secure online unteers are posted at several locations to help responsibility for this effort, says interactive
connection. parents register for and navigate the site. technology is the future of health care.
A federal health care initiative has set a “The volunteers are vitally important in
goal of percent participation in electronic our efforts to increase sign up and usage of the
medical records systems. Of Texas Children’s portal,” he says.
approximately million patients, about a third
are registered to use MyChart but are not using College Program Expands
the portal.
A revamping of the college student program to
MyChart allows families to access appoint- engage more young adults and make the best
ment information, check-up reminders and test use of their skills and interests, is showing signs
results; request prescription refills; communi- of success. This summer, about college stu-
cate with health care providers; and view their dents contributed more than , hours, al-
children’s medical history. More services will most double last year.
be added in the future.
“We want to leverage the excitement and
adventurous spirit these young people have,”
says Lauren MacLaughlin, volunteer program
and outreach specialist. “They can handle more
responsibility than juniors, and they have dif-
ferent skills than adults.”
Summer Juniors Brighten Up the Season
Summer juniors bring sunshine into the hos-
pital during the steamy summer months. And
the program continues to break records —
teens took part this year, up from last year’s .
New facets this year included assignments
in post-anesthesia care and neurology, and a
training component to help hospital staff build
positive working relationships with the young
volunteers.
“Summer juniors are at an important stage
of life, and they’re learning about themselves
and how to work well with others,” says Melisa
Akin, who coordinated the program. “Key com-
’ 
